At what age was AS dx? Warning..Long!! !

Post Reply New Topic

I know parents shouldn't compare our kids but it is hard not to. I'm feeling quilty, my oldest was dx at age 3 with PDD-Nos. I have researched and got him all the help the doctors recommended. I have fought the school over and over and finally have him in a private school through a Autism scholarship. He is 11 and can't read or write due to the severe SID. It has always been appt. after appt. and still is. I can't even begin to touch on the struggles we have went through with him in 11yrs. Then with my 7yr old, speech came with some struggle in letter sounds nothing that the doctor recommended ST for. He is currently on an IEP for ST which they are DC in April. This has caused him to be a little behind in reading but now he is caughting up fast. This information came from his teacher, myself, thought he was fine. Again, As a parent with a 11 yr old that can't read I was jumping up and down that my 7 yr old could read. I had no clue he was behind. Math is his best subject, he hates to read. School comes easy for him, he doesn't even really need to study spelling words and with all the other homework my little guy comes home with there really isn't enough time. He has always been overly shy and hyper, I thought many times he was ADHD but wanted to wait it out just so I felt comfortable before I accepted med's for him. Which brings me to now, I called the doctor and they are thinking AS but stated he is really to old for the behaviors to start. I know some things he is doing like staying in his room, hiding under bed, and repeating his spoken words just started. Looking back, I can see things leading up to these behaviors. Was I to consumed with my oldest to seek out help for him? Now that my oldest is doing much better is my 7yr behaviors hitting me in the face? Has any other parent's noticed behaviors changing or should I say get worse around age 7. Could it be that I'm just expecting more from him at an older age and he is not able to do? I'm I alone at not realizing that my younger child might be on the spectum due to my oldest being more severe? Please, I do need advise!! !

Our son was DX'd in 4th grade, which made him about 9. We had lots of early warnings, but never heard of AS until his DX. Still, everything was manageable until 9. Then BOOM, it was pretty bad. So I think that it can be recognized at almost any age. As for guilt, try not to go there (easy to say, huh?). Parenting "normal" kids is a full time job, parenting one or two with issues is full time plus plus plus. Every parent does they best they can and guilt over something like this only harms you. Try if you can to channel the destructive energy of guilt into the positive energy you need to cope with all you are facing. Good luck!

I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS in 1991 at age 11, then diagnosed with AS at age 16 in 1996.

Tim