NEW HERE: Couple of quick questions...

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*First of all, what is the difference between ADHD and Aspergers? (The school psych has already decided ADHD without even meeting my son, but I think maybe Aspie...) I have a meeting with her next week, and would like to be able to clarify...

*Out of curiosity, is there a genetic connection for Aspergers? Is it hereditary?

Thanks! I'm sure I'll be back with lots more questions as I do my homework...

Karen

well it's pretty funny Karen, cause I have been diagnosed with ADHD until i was checked again and i had been diagnosed with AS by a differet doctor, and i am pretty confident with the DX... but i do know one thing, that a couple of symptoms relate to those with AS, but AS is a bit more serious... also, people say that AS and ADHD/ADD are on the same autism spectrum, but it isnt a factual thing yet. anyway, you should get the kid to a psychologist. and see what they say, cause believe me, the school psych dont help much. but try to get professional help, listen to what they have to say
-JERICK

Last edited by Jerick on 17 Mar 2006, 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well, I'm an Aspie, and my son's an Aspie. My 97-year old grandma is a classic case although a dx isn't among her current worries. I'd say there's a genetic connection of some kind.

I would bet my life on it that there is a genetic link. I am aspie, my mum is, we are certain her dad was , his mother seemed to have the traits too although I never met her to give my own opinion on that and I think my youngest daughter is too. I have the traits of ADD now but I would have said ADHD in my younger years. I am sick of all the psych business and meds so I am not going to bring it up though next time I see him.

Hi, Karen. Welcome to Wrong Planet.

I know its common for Aspies to be misdx'ed as ADD/ADHD but I'm missing on how that happens. My 14 year old has ADD and my 13 year old has an ASD and they don't present at all alike...sometimes I even wonder how they both came out of the same gene pool.

The general consistance is that there is a heritary component in ASDs (Autism Spetrum Disorders) but that there might be some other part as well as one twin can be ASD while the other one is not.

Its interesting that the school psych feels its ADD? Did she say why? I'll try to post some good links on ADD and ASD later.

BeeBee

My son's kindie teacher tried to convince me he was ADHD. I read up on it, and explained to her he was too young to be diagnosed by a dr, much less his kindie teacher, and that he didn't quite fit the profile. Too many loose ends. I think a lot of the confusion is that many kids with AS have comorbid SID and this can present like ADHD in the wrong/right setting (depending on how you look at it).

Our son was dx'd by a professional as a no doubt about it aspie last year, at age 10. It's a pretty common age for an AS dx.

As for the genetics, most of what I've heard is anecdotal, but my husband is on the spectrum and I recently found my bio family and my cousin has a child who is autistic. However, I have 40+ relatives who are more NT than I am.

Ah...Sensory Intergration Disorders could present as ADD! That makes sense.

cacahuate,
If I may ask, where are you located? Different countries, different rules.....

BeeBee

I'm really trying to get my momentum going for my meeting with school psych next week, and can use all the confirmation I can get!

We're in So California, and I had a friend look into our rights / school district obligations etc. for me yesterday (she's an aid at another school in the district). She told me to...

Bring a letter to the meeting with me asking for an IEP and assessment for occupational therapy, and stating that we suspect possible Aspergers. She then said that the district has 60 days to comply, and that the school psych will be the one responsible for the dx. Does that sound right?

My question today is how do I approach the subject with my son?

He's 12, in the 6th grade, in an entirely GATE (gifted) classroom. He tests in the 98-99th percentile across the board on state tests, but is failing (getting Fs!! ! 0%! !!) in school because he doesn't manage to turn in his work, bring home his books, remember when things are due, etc. We've tried getting him organized, setting up filing systems for him, etc. and it just doesn't work. It's like as soon as he's off of a task, it completely disappears from his brain.

Yesterday, he overheard me discussing the meeting next week with my friend (mentioned above) and what sort of "help" I could expect the district to provide...

He burst out with, "I don't need any help" and that was all he had to say about it. I let it drop, because I was not prepared to discuss it with him. But I know I need to involve him soon, or he will be entirely against it (he really doesn't like things that were not his idea to begin with!)

ADVICE???

Thanks to everyone for providing me with a place to come and ask these questions, and to feel like I might have a chance of helping my son achieve what I know he is capable of...

Karen[/list]

Your son sounds so much like mine!

What you describe, with the disorganization, is classic executive functioning problems, which is a very common problem associated with AS. My son gets "commended performance" on the annual standardized testing, but gets B's - F's on his report card. It's frustrating.

My son is 11 and in 5th grade. He doesn't want anyone to know what he has, no matter how positive a spin we put on it he feels it makes him different in some way. I certainly can't point out to him it isn't the label that makes him different....

The school has been great in helping, and getting him into his accomodations and extras, such as handwriting class. Since he isn't alone in these pullouts, he doesn't feel so different. Rather than presenting it to your son directly you may just want to let it work itself in.

The only dr our son ever saw was one the school sent us to, she was a psychologist, and the school paid for it.

Check out www.wrightslaw.com for more info. I'm not familiar with the particulars of CA law.

I have heard on another board that in CA the state doesn't provide outside benefits (speech, etc) for an Asperger's dx.

Hope this helps.

That's my other MAJOR concern. His penmanship is SOOO bad it's affecting his grades. He often gets his answers marked "wrong" because they are unreadable. Also, he gets marked down for not using cursive (my husband has taught him to use an "architects" printing because it's easier for him to maintain uniformity and legibility. But his teacher insists on his using cursive!)

And, even more frustrating...
He is incredibly gifted as a writer (that big vocabulary mixed with a limitless imagination) and can turn out essays/stories that sound like they were written by a college student. However, he so HATES the physical act of putting pen to paper, that he abbreviates his compositions when he has to do it by hand. His sentences are incomplete, he chooses his words according to how few letters they have in them, and he doesn't fully develop his arguments because he doesn't want to have to write that much. Verbally, he'll go on for hours. Then put it onto paper in a couple of half-sentences. DRIVES ME CRAZY!

I'm off to check out the website you recommended...

Thanks!

ADHD is a case where you don't have social issues, and AS is a case where you do.

I'm going to have to move this post to the Introduction forum. You clearly introduced yourself.

Karen, (sorry for calling you Kate last time) I have 90% of your sons characteristics:
1. I myself am in the gifted program (8th Grade) (also entirely gifted)
2 in the state standardixed tests (FCAT for Florida) all of my tests (especially in math) were in the high range (as a MOF, my math NRT score last year was a 99 percentile, compared to the rest of the state taking the same test)
3. I get bad grades too (only in the core classes, but my electives are straight A's), for instance my language arts grade a C, and my Math grade a D!
4. I don't like to acept other's people suggestions/ideas too
5. I am about his age, i am 13.
Karen, do you think you can give me some more information about him, cause he is very intriguing, for he has very close traits that i possess myself (it scares me so!) lol
-Erick

OOps... i didnt see that newer post.... i have a couple of new additions:
-My mom and teachers say my handwriting is ATROCIOUS and sometimes i can never read it myself... for some reason i keep switching between cursive and normal print... weird huh? but marked down for NOT WRITING CURSIVE?! i never had that problem, in fact, my teachers say "DO NOT WRITE IN CURSIVE, ERICK!! !"
-i once got an F on a test cause i abbreviated a couple of states (like S. Dakota for South Dakota, etc) but i dont like to write.. i like typing better, not so m uch muscle power. sometimes i wish i could do it with my brainwaves instead of with my fingers, lol
-my language arts teacher always gave me the highest score possible (a 6) on my essays cause she said i wrote it perfectly... ??? and i hate Language Arts!
Questions:
Does he have an "ear" for music (can he like hear a song or jingle and play it, or can he play an instrument? (i taught myself how to play the piano, no lessons required)
does he LOOOVE math??? i do, when i get to SEE the math, not hear it or do it myself
-does he enjoy the interests of computers, again, i do.
-what does he like? i am soo curious... lol!
-WHATS architect writing??? i wanna learn!
-Erick

Yeah, I think you and Luc have a lot in common. He does tend to be more "math minded", enjoying math and science as subjects... though he hates the "busy work" associated with Math and tends to miss a lot of answers due to his poor penmanship (he can't keep his columns straight, read his own writing, etc.) He'd rather work the problem out in his head, or as you said, "see it".

While he doesn't like to write, he LOVES to read. He'll burn through a book in a day, easy, and re-reads books he's already read over and over again.

He's never really messed around too much with musical instruments (his older brother is a musician and Luc tends to avoid anything that Nick likes!) but he does have a knack for hearing things once, then repeating them (sometimes incessantly!) at a later time. Song lyrics, movie lines... whatever. Sometimes I think half of what he says he heard somewhere else!

As far as interests, he does love the computer. Though more for games than for productivity (again, his brother is a "hacker" so I think Luc doesn't go there...) He likes RPG's, and strategy games like chess.

He also likes to collect things. (You, too?) No intrinsic value neccessary, he'll collect bent paper clips, plant pods, whatever. Sometimes it feels like I'm living with a racoon!

"Architects printing" is the uniform sized, all caps kind that architects and engineers use on blueprints. It takes some practice, and I don't know if it's any easier to write, but in Luc's case, it's definitely easier to read.


If I can ask...

Have you been diagnosed AS? Who diagnosed you (your doctor or your school?) What age?
Do you have an IEP? What, if anything, is your school doing for you to "help"?

Thank you for your interest. I look forward to seeing you more on the boards...

Karen

Hello..
My Dad, Myself and my sons are ont he spectrum. The only thing is my youngest is atypical (orig diagnosis is Autism, then upgraded to HFA or PDD), My youngest sister also is most probably PDD.

That all being said.

Oldest's school problems include, being bored because he isn't kept on task and the material just isnt interesting.
His printing is VERY neat, but that has its own problems, he can only write very llittle because he is gripping the pencil too tight.
He collects as well, presently it is glass soda bottles.
His repetitive thing is touching things, and a mouth tic that he does, oh and he picks.
HE is very schedule conscious, and has difficulties with pragmatics and semantics, ie a sign says employees only and he cannot enter etc. Rule conscious etc.

His origional diagnosis when he was 3 was ADHD.
He does have severe sensory integration disorder.

I have heard through an email listserver that California has great school based programs for those on the spectrum. Have you got a parent advocate (to help you get the services that your son needs on his IEP)?

Well, currently A.D.H.D is considered to be a part of the Obsessive Compulsive spectrum(the same as Tourette Syndrome), instead of the Autistic spectrum. But some "aspies" do have some obsessive compulsive traits. But at least untill the doctors update the DSM, Asperger's is regarded as being autistic, and A.D.H.D. isn't.