son may have Asperger's

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We are starting to think that may my son has Asperger's syndrome, but it has not official been diagnosed yet. My son's behavior has been getting more and more odd lately. I am not sure what it is. He is having some pretty wild mood swings, particularly late at night. That is why I am writing this at 2:30 am when I have to get up at 6 am. He has difficulty relating to others and making friends, has a horrible time expressing his feelings and often seems to lack common sense in his decision making though I believe he is really intelligent. He can spend hours playing the Wii game and do it pretty well, but he never wants to go anywhere and doesn't do any socializing.
He has been labeled with ADHD because of impulsiveness and his aggressiveness, which can be severe. I don't know what quite to do to help him. I'm exhausted and so is the rest of my family. I love the little guy, he is 9, but he is driving me insane.

He fits the criteria of the diagnosis. I would get someone to see if he does have Aspergers.

Sounds like it could be worth investigating. My daughter (3.5) has very similar issues to your son. However, she is a little small to really know much about her social interactrion. Everyone is a little "weird" at 3.5!! I relate to the sleeping part very much and also the mood swings (ie temper tantrums) and aggression. My daughter is in the process of being assessed right now. Her doctor is considering PDD's (she hasn't decided if it is Asperger's or some other PDD). She is also considering OCD. I recently read a comparison study of children with Asperger's and children with OCD. It was AMAZING how many similarities there are. Basically, both children are ultimately seeking stability and predictability in their environments. I am glad that the doctor is wise enough to carefully consider other diagnosis because it is not uncommon for autism spectrum folks to have more than one diagnosis. In light of this, it is an interesting observation that many autistic people seem to face their greatest difficulties with life in areas that are comorbid to their autism. Autism for them is actually the LEAST of their problems. Weird, huh? I think this is why many AS folks half way resent being labeled "autistic". Their autistic traits may be some of the most possitive traits that they have!! ! Seeing a doctor would definately be wise! It is nice that you are open minded and willing to face the issues head on, by they way.

How old is your son?

Definitely pursue a diagnosis. Dealing with AS is different than dealing with ADD, and many AS are mistakenly given the ADD diagnosis without anyone ever considering all the sensory issues that come with AS and make life so difficult.

Meanwhile, see what happens if you look for triggers and try molding the environment to his needs, instead of trying to mold him to the environment. And what happens if you allow or even encourage some typical autistic behaviors at home, like pacing (my son's is loud and involves climbing furniture), swinging, jumping, stimming, chewing, etc? In other words, how do things change if you start acting on the assumption that he IS AS?