That moment of realization...

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I realize I posted already in another section of this forum before officially introducing myself. Mother of a recently ASD diagnosed 11 year old beautiful young girl.

Up until last year when she was diagnosed, we always knew that she was unique and very different but could never really put our finger on what it was. We never actually felt the need to get her tested for anything, she was just her. Then middle school hit, and the demands got harder, the transition was difficult to a new school, and she just could not handle it. It was at that time, the school dragged us into a meeting and recommended we go see someone.

I remember that meeting well. We went in there and they were talking about the difficulties with school she was having. Outbursts regularly including screaming at the top of her lungs in the hallway, Confrontations with her peers, major focus issues, yo-yo grades, social ineptness, and more... Someone in the meeting mentioned Asperger's. That was our first introduction to the term.

Fast forward a few months, and everything finally fell into place. The reasons why she was who she was finally made complete sense.

Since then, things have slowly gotten better. Transitions are still tough, social situations are still tough, but the outbursts have subsided, the anxiety has subsided, and we at least now know what we are dealing with. School is still a daily struggle, we have put some services in place that have helped her, but he grades still yo-yo like the wind. The school insists she is to "smart" for special education services. While most days, I completely agree, there are many days the wind blows wrong and she reverts to an age well below her actual and appears to not know what is going on in school and fails everything the entire day.

More later... but glad to have found this place.

Welcome to WrongPlanet

To a certain extent, I was your kid when I was a kid. I had temper outbursts, I called out in class, I was thrown out of this science class every day for months. They didn't know what to do with me.

There were no "services" for kids like me then--except the guidance counselor and some guy in a basement room known as the "resource room", with whom I was able to talk (we formed a bond, played catch, I went to his house, etc).

I successfully grew out of it, and became somewhat successful in life.

I was actually pretty "autistic" until I acquired speech at age 5 1/2.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome minera!

I was never diagnosed. I'm 51 now and only discovered 'Asperger's' a few weeks ago. I wasn't searching for it for myself... it was quite by accident. I'd always just accepted that I was 'different' and had learned to live with it. Everyone who knows me has always known this but as I always performed well academically, I was pretty much left to get on with life. The only exception was when as a very clumsy young child, I was taken for tests. They said my IQ was very high and that I'd probably grow out of it... which I did, though I was never what anyone would call 'normal'.

My early school reports mention that I was always staring out of the classroom windows and never seemed to be paying attention to the teacher.... like I was in my own world. Still, my grades were always ok, and no action was taken.

As the years passed by I've just steadily improved... a process which continues to this day and one which has been helped enormously by discovering and understanding why I am different. These days it would be very difficult for a stranger to realise I'm any different to the next guy. This is mostly because my skills have improved but also largely because I've become pretty good at hiding my weaknesses.

I hope that the same goes for your daughter. and I expect that it will. I think that just knowing is a great help!