Aspergers/ASD support thread

Happy_Girl_2

He says there is nothing wrong with him, and that now I have discovered I am an Aspie, I am just trying to put a label on him! <sigh>

He falls over regularly (he says he is tripping over his shoelaces!)
He is forever losing stuff, and has lost both his mobile and the Sky remote in the rubbish bin outside!
He drops, spills and breaks things on a daily basis
He is always getting confused with left and right
He did badly at school because he can't retain the information
He lacks the ability to 'read' some social situations and says things that are inappropriate or nothing at all
He cannot ride a bike as he has balance issues
He cannot process several instructions together, so they have to be broken down to one instruction at a time
If he is reading a book and leaves it half read for a week, he will have to read the whole book again as he won't remember any of what he has read
He seems to have no common sense, and will regularly leave the fridge open, or go to put a hot cooked chicken straight in the fridge from the oven (I don't know if that is a Dyspraxia thing or just him but it is strange anyway)

I think he likes that he has to care for me, and doesn't want to entertain the thought that he might have his own special needs! I'm just worn out by it at the moment, and feel tired of all the battles, to understand me, to get him to accept his own issues and to understand him too. We're getting married next year, and I'm really struggling at the moment with whether this is all too much for one couple to deal with, or whether we both need to be either with 'normal' people, or me with our own kind?

milliemaid_2

Hi everyone my eldest daughter has dyspraxia (was diagnosed when she was 13) we didn't know anything about dyspraxia she was just our daughter and that was the way she was never heard of dyspraxia we used to call her miss knock spill and drop it sounds terrible now but that was her well she is now at University over 400 miles away and in second year last year was very difficult for her and she felt there was something else wrong and she felt she had all symptoms of aspie we got her a private diagnosis and it was comfirmed she now has a mentor and help which is a god send although l feel not enough at times. Sorry for the long ramble but l am so proud of her

Indie_Kid

Happy_Girl wrote: »

He falls over regularly (he says he is tripping over his shoelaces!)
He is forever losing stuff, and has lost both his mobile and the Sky remote in the rubbish bin outside!
He drops, spills and breaks things on a daily basis
He is always getting confused with left and right
He did badly at school because he can't retain the information
He lacks the ability to 'read' some social situations and says things that are inappropriate or nothing at all
He cannot ride a bike as he has balance issues
He cannot process several instructions together, so they have to be broken down to one instruction at a time
If he is reading a book and leaves it half read for a week, he will have to read the whole book again as he won't remember any of what he has read

I have all these issues too. Well, my parents allowed me to ride a bike (because they didn't want to treat me differently from my siblings, I assume) and I eventually gave up - I could not stay on the bike!

I sometimes break things too. I once dropped my china mug, which smashed on to the floor and just to to pick it up!:rotfl:When dad & I were looking at mugs, I got asked if I "wanted one or two" - he broke his and I suggested he gets a plastic one.:p

blue_monkey_2

Hi all, thought I post an update on here.

I started my son on Equasym XL for his ADHD a few weeks back. I really, really wanted to post on here on how it had not worked..... however, I've ordered another prescription because it really does. I can tell when he is coming off it and it is showing now we are on half term.

We had a few miserable days this week and instead of bouncing off the walls and screaming over something that would not go right he sits and plays nicely.

I have to confess to it all being rather odd. We have to get a new routine and sort out the games as we have never been able to play them before so it is time to give it another try without him having a strop over not winning.

However, eh talks and talk and talks and we had about 2 hours over his marble run the other day (which I cannot seem to shake him off obsession wise). We went to a shop and he stop with me in the queue and held my hand. Again, all rather odd as I am usually saying 'stop it, come here, put it down, no I am not getting it, etc.... It is like having a different child with me.

He has it for 8 hours a day at around 8.30 so he can get through school but the difference I have noticed while he is at home with me is immense. I am not going to give it in the evening as sometimes they need 'downers' to get to sleep but wow, it has made such a difference to him. And school have said that he has done some amazing work since he has been on it.

As I say, I really really did not want it to work but the difference it has made to him is amazing. I have told a few close friends but I am scared of being labelled a monster for giving it to him. We even had such a good day out with some NEW friends yesterday (hey look at us, LOL) we are going out again in the summer holidays. Usually we go somewhere once and we never get invited again!!

Indie_Kid

b_m - that's lovely!

blue_monkey_2

Thank you. And one brilliant thing I forgot to mention. Now, I am not sure if it is co-incidence but if it is then it has to be an amazing one after this long - he seems to be dry at night. Every day since he has started the meds he has not had a wet nappy in the night or in the morning, however before that he was wet 13 nights out of 14. And what is more he is really proud of himself as he has become aware that he has to wear nappies at night (daytimes I can live with accidents, it is the whole changing of bedding and clothing at 2am that I hate) and he thinks he is getting too old for them and it was becoming an issue.

milliemaid_2

does anybody else's son/daughter find it difficult to wind down at night and even sleeping l know students have a strange routine bu dd cannot sleep until approx 3-4 am but has exams and is worn out especially if 9 am exam she has tried nytol no good just wondering is it a dyspraxia/aspie trait and she has been like this for many years is it worth a visit to docs?

Indie_Kid

milliemaid wrote: »

does anybody else's son/daughter find it difficult to wind down at night and even sleeping l know students have a strange routine bu dd cannot sleep until approx 3-4 am but has exams and is worn out especially if 9 am exam she has tried nytol no good just wondering is it a dyspraxia/aspie trait and she has been like this for many years is it worth a visit to docs?

Some people need less / more sleep than other people.

kabie

I've had sleep problems throughout my life, worse during the teenage years. At Uni it never bothered me as I seemed to be able to work around it well.

My son has also had problems with preparing for sleep and getting to sleep at a decent hour (before 2-3am was difficult). He's been taking melatonin with great success. It doesn't prolong the time he sleeps, it just gets him off to sleep, you have to prepare to sleep though : lie down and relax once drowsy; it's not a sleeping drug.
Even though I don't take it I know autistic adults that do.

There have been many studies linking differences in melatonin secretion to autism; you can find more info. here:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE53J4GD20090420

blue_monkey_2

milliemaid wrote: »

does anybody else's son/daughter find it difficult to wind down at night and even sleeping l know students have a strange routine bu dd cannot sleep until approx 3-4 am but has exams and is worn out especially if 9 am exam she has tried nytol no good just wondering is it a dyspraxia/aspie trait and she has been like this for many years is it worth a visit to docs?

ASD Kids only need 4 hours sleep a night apparently. :eek:

Have you tried Melatonin, it helps the body get into a sleep routine, you can get it from Health Food Shops and it's around £4 for a months supply.