CassandraD wrote:
Okay, my daughter is 8 years old and was recently (January) diagnosed with ADHD. Now that we are getting some of the impulsiveness under control, we are finding a lot of other (Hmmm...) "symptoms" that we just never really put together before. Her neurologist thinks that she may have Asperger's Syndrome and I am FULL of questions. My daughter does not fit a lot of the "sterotypical" characteristics---I am learning that these are just that----stereotypes. Can anyone help me understand? I am back and forth on this. She is such an amazing child. VERY talented and VERY smart! She almost seems like she is an extrovert personality rather than an introvert...is that possible with AS?
She does have some obsessive interests, but they were always easy to overlook...very 'typical' such as my little ponies, littlest pet shops, spongebob...but now it is an anime cat named splash, and, well, cats in general. She is a very talented artist for her age...I have seen crowds gather to watch her draw. She was having a lot of tantrums at school this year. One of the biggest things she complains about is "__________ is staring at me" whether they are or not and :it's not fair". She loves to make jokes...generally word play. She doesn't really have a lot of sensory issues...never liked toys that make noise though (or balloons popping). She is okay with schedule changes, but sometimes does not transition well. I need some comparisons. HELP!
Some symptoms of ADHD can seem similar to AS, while not actually being autistic in nature. Some people with AS are extroverts, yes, although it is not extremely common. Oftentimes special interests (even non-stereotypical ones) of AS cannot be overlooked because they are so all-encompassing. For example, I could spend hours upon hours on my interests, and only want to speak about that particular thing. I had many special interests, but it was usually only one or two at a time. Did you know that many people with ADHD are also able to hyperfocus on things that interest them? You can do a quick google search as there are articles which explain the differences of AS and ADHD obsessions. I don't know.....your description of her doesn't seem to be AS to me.
I have one nephew with AS, and one niece with ADHD. Your daughter definitely seems to have more in common with my niece than with my nephew....