My Son with Asperger & ADHD

Want_to_be_free

Hi Towser,
We do not have a support worker, complicated reasons which I don't wish to discuss it openly. I take full responsibility - made a mistake when he was diagnosed. I tried to cope on my own as I didn't want him to be labelled with any disability. I also didn't know what help I could get, so just focused on working and surviving. All I can say to you is, please ask professional help before it is too late and also get your child statemented. Not all schools know what to do, and it is easier to label the child naughty when in fact they have Asperger.

Now my son is 18, emotionally he seems a lot younger - I still need to support him into adulthood and this is in between the meltdowns. I am not mono cuddling him, just helping him to find his own feet. He is going to college now and this is a miracle considering he had been refusing to go to school since he was 14 years old. I do hope one day, he will be able to work and more and less live a normal life. I now also now that this maybe rather slow progress comparing to able kids at his age.

Towser

Hi,

Thanks for your advice, I always have my ear to the ground on what is happening especially for the future. That's why I am here.

My son is fully statemented (ECHplan as they call it now) and in Special School. I try to hang out with the mums of older children of disabilities so that I know what to expect ect.

But could you get some kind of support worker now. I fully understand people not wanting social worker support as they seem to be a nasty bunch. It sounds like you need some help navigating the system. In Hertfordshire we have The Money Advice Unit they really helped us with what we were actually entitled to. I knew about them just because someone mentioned them at a support group who said they were part of the council! Different counties do things differently.

Is there someone in the college he goes to, that can help you? Maybe a family worker which the college know about that can help you. I am sure there will be someone on here that can help sometime soon.

I know of ASD adults who have had assisted living/sheltered housing I am not sure which. I know it is possible for your son depending on how bad his condition is. I wouldn't want it for my son unless he had a girlfriend too and wanting to leave home because I would miss him too much.

His situation sounds amazing as he has actually found a girlfriend. Which is all I want for my son developing normally.

You don't have to cope on your own now. There must be more palatable professionals out there to catch your situation now. It's not easy I know I tried to ignore ours at first but realised that someone would know. I wear our disability with pride now.

Want_to_be_free

Towser, this is a lovely post - thank you, really.

These days, the following is my starting point for any of the queries I may have.

http://www.autism.org.uk/