I think my son is an Aspie

Post Reply New Topic

that's how my six-year-old is. he started with the states at age 3, moved on to world geography (africa in particular) in kindergarten, and now (even though he's still interested in geography) has moved on to the solar system.

rick, it sounds like your son is SO much like mine. i felt like i was reading my own words at times when i read your post. it took us a while to get him diagnosed with AS because everyone (including his pediatrician at the time) said, "oh, he's just a little genius". his ped even had the gall to say angrily, "most mothers would be thrilled to have a son like him." um, i am thrilled. i just want to get him the help he needs. the AS diagnosis has helped so much at school. his kindergarten teacher had a nephew with AS, so she knew exactly how to handle him. while the other kids were spelling "cat" and "dog", he was doing independent research projects on the animals of africa.

he's also always been extremely affectionate toward family (though he hates kisses, we have to give him head butts and hugs), smiles a lot, and makes up crazy language-centered jokes like the ones you mentioned. he started pointing at letters when he was 17 months old and learned them in a day, was spelling words on the refrigerator with his magnetic letters at 21 months, and was reading at two. he was and still is completely obsessed with alphabetical order and when he's stressed his go-to activity is making "letter piles" from the book "chicka chicka boom boom" over and over and over again. i'm an early childhood/elementary certified teacher, so i KNEW there was something not quite right about his behavior, but he was so engaged and verbal with our family that it just didn't seem to jive with what i knew about autism at the time.

anyway, sorry for the threadjack. it's just always amazing to me to read about other people's kids who are so much like mine. definitely push for a definitive diagnosis...i think it will serve him well at school.

btw, is the geography website you mentioned the sheppard software website? we have spent a LOT of time on there.

I'm actually kind of the same way, but my interests stick with me longer, I guess. I did the same thing with political philosophy, economics, the world of Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Mixed Martial Arts, and on and on and on...

I don't think that's a problem. Although I am ready to strangle him right now because he won't go to bed, I wouldn't want him any other way.

- R

I think yours got started a little earlier than mine, but otherwise, they seem like two peas in a pod. It's nice just to have people to talk to about this, because I am just so uncertain, even though I've read like a dozen books.

His school is really pushing the ADD angle, and so is the behavioural psychologist at the free clinic. She says things like, "Well, once on the ADD medication, you might find many of the Asperger symptoms go away." To me, that indicates she doesn't necessarily believe he has it, even though I am completely convinced. I mean, a kid that complains that his bed and clothes are always too itchy, that makes me re-strap his shoes all day, won't make eye contact, seldom lies, has intensely focused interests, etc - these things won't go away with Ritalin.

But I'm going to try it, cause maybe he has both. But I am going to monitor it very closely, and if it doesn't work, the pills go in the trash.

Not sure about the website, actually, but it had a lot of different geography quizzes for all levels.

- R

Personally I would try giving him some tea or coffee in the morning before jumping strait to Ritalin. As long as I am not stressed out my ADHD is not horrible with just some caffeine. I've known people who are now adults that took Ritalin as children who swear they can barely remember anything from their childhood.