Introducing Myself

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Hi everyone. I've been lurking for a while now and thought that maybe I should actually join in. I am not Aspie, although I have a few traits here and there. My husband may well be Aspie, although he doesn't quite fit either (much like my son - the one who brought me looking for more info on autism spectrum issues).

My son is 8 years old and has definite autism spectrum issues. He doesn't really fit Aspergers, nor does he fit Autism, but he belongs somewhere in there... He is highly social, but has no clue how to correctly interact socially. He is very much "in the face" and does not understand when the other kids tell him that they have had enough. So far he does have lots of friends, but none of them are close, or even consistant - he just basically hangs out with one group until they can't cope with him any more and then joins another group of kids. My son "L" has sensory issues and has a hard time with the noise level in class. School bells bother him as do many other noises. He also is highly touch sensitive (although he also seeks contact). L is very strong willed and has been considered ODD (in addition to several other things comorbid to Autism/Aspergers). He is very smart and is very good at getting his way, especially at school. On the other hand he is working just a basic grade level on all subjects as he can't really keep on track. I know that if he was able to fully utilize himself he'd be on the gifted scale, but his current functionality makes this an unlikely possibility any time in the near future.

The biggest issue is that L is prone to a lot of meltdowns. He has a quiet room (a closet really that they have set up for him to go to when he is overwhelmed) to which he goes with his EA when he needs to get away. He tends to need this several times a day. Every so often he has a full meltdown that they can't settle and I need to go pick him up. The school has been great and they work very hard with him to help him work out his difficulties. Unfortunately as a partent it is still very stressful.

I also have a new baby, six weeks old, who L absolutely adores. He is a bit jealous at times, but so far he's great about her. We live on a farm and have lots of animals including horses, dogs, cats and a hamster. As a family we are really into playing games such as this cool pirate ship game where you have mini ships that you use to either claim gold from wild islands or to attack each-other. L of course loves to go on the attack L is totally into these games and also loves video games (and is pretty good at them too).

Anyways, that's basically me I look forward to joining in throughout the boards.

welcome. The only difference between HFA (high functioning autism) and Asperger's is that those with HFA have a delay in language development as children.

Our son also likes the "idea" of people, but IRL they're a problem. He SEEMS to be very social at times, very "in your face," as you said, but if you pay attention you realize that he's not really talking TO people, he talks AT them. People are like objects to him, we feel - they are things to play with once in awhile, but when you're bored you can just toss them or walk away. He talks incessantly at school and also likes to hug/hang onto other kids, wrestle around, etc - even when the other kids don't want to. Even when they're annoyed or angry at him - he just doesn't seem to comprehend this.

Our son's teachers keep wanting us to "fix" his behaviors. He's not broken! He's just very different, and that can be hard to deal with sometimes, especially if you're trying to run a classroom full of kids and one of them is demanding ALL of the attention.

Good luck - we chose not to have more kids after our Aspie son. It must be interesting to see how Aspie kids respond/react to siblings.

Welcome to WP

Well, L did have a bit of a language delay. He never did use single words and spoke his own "language" that we understood in general meaning even if we didn't understand the specifics He was never delayed enough to be truly considered delayed, but was "bottom average" all along...

Sinagua, your son sounds a lot like mine. I think mine is a bit more empathetic than you are describing, but at the same time he just doesn't seem to have that bond you would normally expect. It wasn't really until last year that he'd bring home names of kids when talking about his day and even now most of the kids don't have names to him. They are just "Kids". One seems to be just as good/bad as another. There are exceptions though, he does have some preferred friends, some "bullies", and has even had the odd "girlfriend" or "crush". At least they are not blaming anyone for his behavious at school, but it is really hard to draw the line between what he can and can't control.

It took me a long time to decide whether to have a second child or not. We almost decided to adopt. I am glad about my decision though The new little one is a delight (even though she can be pretty fussy at times) and I am eager to see how she turns out in the long run

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Just wanted to say "Hi" and that I'm glad you decided to have another child, in all honesty my 6 year old autistic daughter has brought me pure, unadulterated, JOY. And dare I say, I'm a "better person" because of her. I also have 2 NT daughters so don't worry too much, whoever your children turn out to be, it'll be o.k.

Welcome to WrongPlanet!

Welcome to Wrong Planet.
As there are five disorders under the autistic spectrum (Autism, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Rett's), and each autistic person is affected differently he very well may have an ASD. You could take him to a psychologist or neurologist for evaluation.
Language Delay is not the only difference betten HFA and AS, generally specking it is the most noticable one.

Welcome to WP!

Tim

Welcome,

Lots of folk to chat with lots of parents, Have fun.