Hi folks,
I'm Lisa - and I have 5 children; two teenage daughters, and triplet 9 year olds.
Joe is one of the triplets, and we've just started the process of getting him assessed for Aspergers. He's not been referred yet, my GP wants to wait til he hears from the ed psych from his old school (we moved areas in January).
Joe's ed psych report was that he was having no issues in school, so they had no reason to diagnose him, and if we believed he needed a diagnosis, we should go through the GP. This was 2 years ago, and at the time I was still married and we decided that the issues weren't that much of a problem that he needed diagnosis.
I split with my hubby in December/January, he was very domineering with Joe, an emotional bully, and also an alcoholic, so it wasn't a good environment for the kids and I made the choice to leave and divorce.
Since I left, Joe's behaviour has got steadily worse. He is constantly looking at road maps, or google earth, to get ideas of where he is. He's obsessed about germs (but hates baths?!), but most concern is about his anger issues. He's gone from simple tantrums to screaming kicking, punching his siblings, threatening to kill people, and all his nervous tics are back with a vengeance. All it takes is one change to routine (being late for the bus, going to school via the shop etc) and he either gets inconsolably sad/tears, or very angry. I simply can't control it at the moment.
The new school agreed that he might have aspergers and to get him diagnosed, and we have their full backing.
I've been to the GP, who said I had to give him more discipline (there's only so much you CAN do, I'm ashamed to say he's had a smacked bum on more than one occasion recently, and it makes no difference -I send him to his room and he wrecks his siblings belongings and comes straight back down again - doesn't matter how often you put him back) and then suggested that it was due to the divorce - which is fair enough, it's a stressful time for everyone.
Anyhoo - the GP is referring him as soon as he gets the ed psych report back - which could be weeks. My issue is that, despite going without Joe to the doctors - the GP said he HAD to see him, so we had to go together today. And instead of letting Joe leave the room, he went on to talk about it in front of him. I now have a confused boy who doesn't realise why he needs a psychologist.
Can anyone help me find the right words to explain to him what's going on, and that he's done nothing wrong, and he's not sick?
Thanks
Lisa
xx
