2007 challenge: get a diagnosis for my DD1

AnnieH

By the way, someone recommended this little quiz to judge how "aspie" my daughter is. Apparently a so-called "normal" person would score in the region of 16 whereas someone with ASD would be more likel;y to score 32 or more. Well I tried it out and scored dead on 16! I sat with my daughter and we did it together for her. She scored 41 :eek:

Try it out:)
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html

Sister_3

Well done Annie,
I can really empathise with your sense of vindication - it means so much when others acknowledge what you've known all along.
Hope you don't have to wait too long to see the paed.

AnnieH

Thanks all for yur lovely replies. I do feel vindicated - not least as it will be a big 2-fingers up at certain people who have not supported me (namely my own mother) and have said that there is nothing wrong with my daughter that a stable, loving home could not cure:eek: I clearly do not love my children, and moving them away from the roughest council estate in Nottingham to Hampshire was obviously not in their best interest eh?

gushoneybun

First time I've been on this forum.

Just read your msg on your daughter. I'm in the same situation with my son. He's 9 and has always been 'different'. Also eldest of 3.

My sons teacher has given me a list of obsevations she has made on him and had a lady observe him in class. The teacher recomended I see our GP, GP said it sounded like aspergers, and refered us to a developmental peadiatrician.

I know I shouldn't but googling it I wonder if its more ADD as he does have an imagination, and has no sensory issues except hates his head being touched (making hair cuts fun!)

My sons main problems are concentration (in a world of his own) Gets obsessed about whatever the lastest thing to interest him is, finds social situations hard, finds change hard, is totally unco-ordinated physically. But is very bright. Level 3's in yr 2 sats, and does very well in tests (which is amazing considering he doesn't pay attention in class, or get his work done)

Anyway I know the relief you feel, I'm just interested now to see what the pead says.

Nervous as to what to tell my son. (ie why we are seeing a pead - I've not told him anything so far) Also feel a bit guiilty about not going sooner to ask for help.

Sorry for the ramble - out of interest would you mind telling me what did your daughters teacher write about your daughter? (pm me if your rather)

Gus x

Savvy_Sue

gushoneybun wrote:

Nervous as to what to tell my son. (ie why we are seeing a pead - I've not told him anything so far) Also feel a bit guiilty about not going sooner to ask for help.

Just quickly, I sort of took my cue from the luvverly school doctor we saw, who'd talked to me and DS1 together about how he found certaint things difficult, didn't always know what other people meant etc.

So you might start with things where you think he might realise he's a bit different already, but be prepared with examples that he'll understand. And then maybe say that you're going to see a special doctor who can hopefully help both of you understand how he sees the world, which is a bit different from most other people, and help him learn how to deal with that.

Once you've got a better idea of a diagnosis (although as it's a spectrum your son may still be placed on it even if he doesn't display all the 'classic' signs) then there are books which help talk about it with your son. For example there's a lovely book called The Blue Bottle Mystery, which describes a young boy with AS. The author's written another one which I haven't read. For adolescents (and perhaps to warn you of what's to come! there's Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome. Plus several 'guides for parents', which I'd hope you'd have recommended.

I've always tried not to use 'normal' in such conversations, or to say "What's wrong with you is ..." Because IMO there is nothing wrong with the way my son sees the world, it's just not the same way I and most other people see the world. Being in a majority doesn't make you right: at least I know with the Aspies around me that if I ask a straight question I'll get a straight answer!

Fortunately DS1 doesn't mind being 'different'. That's sometimes a problem with teenagers, wanting to fit in. Mind you some of DS1's friends make him look boringly normal ... :rotfl:

gushoneybun

Thanks for that Sue.

I think that approach to telling my ds about the pead appointment is a good one.

I was toying with the idea of saying it was a standard check up, but thought It might get a bit detailed for that, and also there are quite a few things which said together will be hard to hear, sounding like critisisums of him, when they are not.

Will go in armed with areas of concern and appropriate examples to back it up with.

Gus x

AnnieH

Hi Gus,
this is the list I wrote about my DD and the things she does:

· Collecting rubbish in bedroom. I mean rubbish like empty fish finger packets, empty pop and milk bottles all stacked in a big cardboard box. Get very upset if I want to throw them away because they are her “special things”
· Destroys things. Carved up her wooden bed and took a screw out of it. Ask her why she does it and she doesn’t know.
· Throwing things out of bedroom window. Threw a knife out when someone was walking on pavement underneath, and it nearly hit her and her dog.
· No concept of other people’s belongings. Tried to give her sister’s brand new toys to the toy fair at school.
· Can’t share
· Never ever stops talking. Must finish what she is saying before you can say anything to her.
· Cannot leave a job, or activity half way through. Must finish it first.
· Very bouncy, fidgety. Can’t stand still or sit down without wriggling about or fiddling with something
· Very aggressive/violent towards little sister (6)
· Always been a very bad sleeper. Is still awake sometimes when I go to bed. Shares a bedroom with sister and often wakes her up – doesn’t seem to understand that Katie needs to sleep more than her.
· Has obsessions with certain things. Was mad on flags at one point, but that has dwindled slightly now. Her current ‘thing’ is doodle books. She can sit for ages going over the lines in biro, but she doesn’t colour them in.
· Has a fantastic long-term memory, but very poor short term memory. She has said herself that she gets very cross with herself when she goes into a room and forgets what she went in for, yet she can remember something in minute detail that happened 2 or 3 years ago.


H told me that she rushes things because she has so many ideas in her head that they all try and burst out and she can’t get all the thoughts and ideas out of her head quick enough.

Hang on and I'll try to find the teacher's letter too.
When he read to 2 things combined, he said I didn't need to convince him of anything, and I didn't really need to say anything else.

AnnieH

this is the letter from her teacher. I've scanned it as a picture as I'm not sure how else to do it.
Hope it works
Doh it didn't sorry

BTW I have told my DD that she hasa very special brain, and that I would like to understand her better, and help her more with the things she finds difficult

gushoneybun

Thanks for the pm, and replies here.
I've emailed you the list my sons teacher has done on him.

(Sorry for the quick reply - hectic here, have my three and an extra one tonight!)

Thanks Gus x

Prudent

I have just caught up with this thread. I am so glad you are making progress.