Diagnosed as an adult, no services.

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I am trying to get my adult son with Asperger's the services he needs to be successful in independent living. I have applied through the state and he was denied because he wasn't diagnosed until after age 18. Even though he had all the symptoms, behaviors, etc in school since age 6 he did not have an official diagnoses until about 4 years ago. Does anyone have any research or documentation that I could submit to DHHS that would show he had Asperger's even though he was not diagnosed?

A suggest a letter from your son's doctor and/or diagnosing clinician mentioning how ASDs are only diagnosed if symptoms began in infancy/early childhood -- they are developmental disorders and cannot begin in adulthood by definition.

It depends what state your son is in
Some states have some work programs and some have some charities that might help
But I find the best services for my child are one gave my child my self

1. Does your son want help?
2. If he does want help what are some things he wants to work on
3. Does he have a job?
4. Can he use the computer
5. Do you have a big library some libraries can get books on loan?

Your post surprised me and I wonder if animalcrackers post explains it: the hang up may be that they are assuming diagnosis is the same as start, which it is not. There must be history you can pull out that shows the symptoms having manifested since childhood (school and doctor notes, etc) and thus that it was only the label that was missing.

The services that were denied are related to independent living assistance, and not to his SSI?

Note that you may get more responses in some of the general boards. Just be wary that some of our membership can come across pretty harsh and can make false assumptions about parents.

Thanks for the tips. animal crackers, yes my son really, really wants help. His psychologist has agreed to send a letter to DHHS stating he had Asperger's as a child and I will probably have to take a run at he social worker who reviews his case (called an appeal) because I have a feeling he will be denied again. My son isn't able to wrok because his anxiety is so intense he dissociates and gets psychotic under the pressure of a job, he is a computer geek and would like to have a job in a phone in IT situation. Someday.

You might have better luck getting this punted to mental health instead of developmental disabilities.

Why...

My husband was told because he made it through high school and some college, his developmental disability was not the issue. His depression, anxiety and OCD are a huge issue.

Any help is geared to the very low end of the spectrum. Can he wash, feed, bath himself? Can he make a shopping list and go shopping? Read a bus schedule and figure out a route? Cook without burning down the house? Balance a check book and handle a bank account? Help is given for people who can't do that.

My husband's Aspergers is considered secondary to the mental health issues.

You son might help through some jobs work program. They might drop him into any job the counselor seems fit.

My state gives basically nothing to adults are not severely disabled (non verbal and need ADL care). My husband could benefit from speech therapy, PT and OT. There is not one provider who will work with him, even if we pay cash.

If he was my son, I would apply for SSI. It's a three year battle, and you have nothing to lose. With the mental health issues and ASD he might it get, and that will give him some breathing space with some money coming in.

Also remember, your son is not a red hot to the state. He lives with you, and you deal with the fall out. So they don't care if he works or what not because you are there. He isn't living out of the street, and pan handling. He's not starving, and single men get the shaft when it comes to government help.

Look into a community college. They sometimes have better programs for ASD people, than the state will prove.

We have the same rule about being diagnosed after18...ridiculous - it amounts to being penalized for the incompetence of the health profession.
Services for adults are few and far btween, but you might try an adult mental health service.