My 5yo son may have high-functioning autism & I need help on how to discipline him :D

PasturesNew

There are clearly (now I know about it) some ASDs in my family. I can see where I inherited it from ... and that's made me more tolerant of that person (we no longer argue over stupid !!!!!! as I now know they have no idea what they have and so I need to back off ... with TWO of us being annoying and pedantic and having set patterns that don't fit each others one has to back down ... and they have NO idea they're on the scale). I can't wise them up as they're old and wouldn't understand... best left alone.

A whole bunch of crazies going on this end

cleopatra4485

PasturesNew wrote: »

There are clearly (now I know about it) some ASDs in my family. I can see where I inherited it from ... and that's made me more tolerant of that person (we no longer argue over stupid !!!!!! as I now know they have no idea what they have and so I need to back off ... with TWO of us being annoying and pedantic and having set patterns that don't fit each others one has to back down ... and they have NO idea they're on the scale). I can't wise them up as they're old and wouldn't understand... best left alone.

A whole bunch of crazies going on this end

I wouldn't want to be in the crossfire of that lol

[Deleted User]

I'll be honest, I am pretty sure I have aspergic traits.., I've always been able to understand to a degree why my son behaves as he does (i.e. clamber into his world).., but a counsellor i have seen disagreed cause I also look people in the eye when talking etc.

However, I have enormous problems retaining friends.., cause I just don't know how u do it.., I know there is something I am missing in social interaction. I am incredibly forgetful.., particularly if interrupted in the middle of something, so don't interrupt me if u don't wanna get the sharp edge of my tongue he he. I am extremely shaken up by visitors to the house, they soon learn to call before coming, will avoid answering calls on the phone for some strange reason, even if I know who is calling cause it disturbs my equillibrium. There's a list of odd things I do that's as long as my arm lol.

And yet I know I'd never be given a diagnosis in a month of sundays lol.

Gingham_Ribbon

MC, something to consider is talking to the NAGC UK. If your child does have asperger's, he may need help to cope with the gifted stuff too. It's also very common for kids with asynchronous development to be misdiagnosed as having ADHD or aspergers, so it's worth being clued up before the assessments.

Indie_Kid

PasturesNew wrote: »

Open questions pose the biggest difficulty. Unless I know what sort of answer you want, I don't know how to answer. So I will usually give the wrong answer, but once I know what you really meant I can answer it with the right answer.

A friend of mine (who is autistic) is like this. It's impossible to have a 5 minute discussion with him - it usually turns into a half hour debate.:rotfl:His emails are the same - I remember asking him a simple question, which just requires yes, no or I don't know. He wrote an essay.:rotfl:(which did involve the words "it's fine; if you want to do that")

Mics_chick

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

MC, something to consider is talking to the NAGC UK. If your child does have asperger's, he may need help to cope with the gifted stuff too. It's also very common for kids with asynchronous development to be misdiagnosed as having ADHD or aspergers, so it's worth being clued up before the assessments.

Thanks for that Gingham
After reading the characteristics of asynchronous development it makes me wonder how they can differentiate between that and Aspergers :huh:

Gingham_Ribbon

Mics_chick wrote: »

Thanks for that Gingham
After reading the characteristics of asynchronous development it makes me wonder how they can differentiate between that and Aspergers :huh:

It's easy, but because not much is known about it, asynchronous development gets overlooked. The NAGC can help you. I have a list of contraindications that I'll send you. If I haven't got back to you by tomorrow, pm me. I have a terrible memory!

Gingham_Ribbon

This is from SENgifted.

This is taken from Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults by Webb, Amend, Webb, Goerss, Beljan and Olenchak, re incompatiblity with an asperger's diagnosis in a child of high intellectual ability:

Relatively normal interpersonal relationships with those who share his interests.

Comfortable with abstract ideas, unstructured situations and innovative activities.

Atypical motor mannerisms are largely under conscious control

Odd motor mannerisms are associated with stress or excess energy.

Has insight into emotions of others and into interpersonal situations.

Can display empathy and sympathy on many occasions.

Understands and uses humor that involves social reciprocity...

Has significant awareness of self and understands the impact of his behaviour on others.

Is aware of how others perceive him

Tolerates abrupt changes in routine.

There are others but I didn't want to break copyright rules.

Edit: although a child with giftedness/asynchronous development can seem 'autistic' in some ways, gifted children can also sometimes be autistic, and a dual diagnosis can be helpful. But I've mentioned this because the behaviours you mention can be helped by strategies for the gifted mind as well as the autistic mind, so I really do think the NAGC will be able to offer sensible advice.

Savvy_Sue

As far as the pedantry / back chat goes, you learn to be pedantic in the first place.

We treat pedantry as an art form in this house.

Mics_chick

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

As far as the pedantry / back chat goes, you learn to be pedantic in the first place.

We treat pedantry as an art form in this house.

He was born into a family of pedants- he is of the 4th generation that I know of coz I didn't know my great-grandparents!!!

It is an art form in this house too but is knocked into second place coz sarcasm is first :rotfl: