General Chat

My son has Aspergers, he is nearly 17.

His GCSE results this year - 8 Bs and 2 Cs

He's currently studying for his HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and plans to go to University to convert HND to a degree.

His fixation has always been science and space.

He doesn't have meltdowns, although he sometimes gets frustrated.

I know other people look at him and see someone 'odd'...I see my handsome son.

Sue
xx

my boy is autistic, he's 9 he's also dyspraxic,
had to change schools, its taken him 2 years to have new friends there..
the worst part was when he was in infants and he had school dinners, at home i have to cut up food and feed him, the school said he was fine eats ok, so i goes in one lunch time to watch....... i cried... he was eating with his fingers, he put all the food in a pile flattened it and eat it like a piece of bread....

i do get upset when i see other children run out after school and give their parent a cuddle and kiss, ...i know he misses me at school but you know he's not very cuddly and he stands real close and doesnt run of which is good....
he loves collecting, cards, figures he has to have them all, everything must be complete
temper he's got one, everyone hates him games go flying, cards get ripped up, baby makes to much noise...

best is now seeing him learn violin..playing with his brother....he loves pc..

i think ive gone slightly off subject....sorry
there's plenty of books to help you with symptoms, but just talking with others is the best help...
((((hugs))))
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

More information about Aspergers at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/autism2.shtml

Is anyone learning Makaton?? I have 2 books going free if any one wants them. Ther are what was given to me when we started to use it with our daughter

I have posted this link in the past but thought I would add it again. This has to be our daughters most fav web site worth a look

http://www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/resources/videos.htm
Sharon

nudge

hi valium and liz, i think your wonderfull people for helping these kids wish id known you at the time i felt i was having a breakdown, as i never had anyone at all to help me and david, no wonder looking back i felt that way, especially with 2 other demanding children to cqare for, but its made me the person i am today strong and able to help others xx

My grandson has Autism he is 10 now he is lucky he has been in a Autistic unit since he started school he can talk and goes to the toilet with no aim but cannot clean his shelf. He is never full and will eat all day if you let him he loves the computer when i came home from work the other day he had left me a note Callum had some sweets and a drink please in my family tree note book. He is some times violent. We nearly lost him in august he had appendicitis he did not complain of pain it was not until he was sick and had a temprture that we knew he was ill he had to have his appendix's out and part of his bowel removed doctor said he must of been in pain for at least a week he he has just start back at school. I think all parents of these wonderful people should get all the help they need if you go to work you are not expected to work 24/7 for love. Son is a one parent he has three children. Valxxx

What amazing stories, I have helped look after many children when I childminded and had one little Spanish boy with autism whose mum and stepdad were both doctors but would not accept he had a problem and were hopeless at handling him, the stepdad would play madly energetic bedtime games with him so he wouldn't go to sleep as he was so excited, and the mother just got short tempered with him. Sadly they moved away to work in different hospitals in another county so I don't know how they got on but I was worried about that poor little lad.
Anyone who fights their child's corner as you, Puss, and others too, has to be the best mum.
There is never enough help for all the different problems around so well done you Mums for trying hard to make your children's lives as good as possible.
Kirsten, I wonder if it would be worth copying a short piece about Aspergers and if someone is really unpleasant about your child's behaviour when you are out, just give it to them and say 'I shouldn't have to explain my child's behaviour to you, and I don't have the time, but in case you see another child with similar problems, if you read this you might understand them better and not judge them.' The more people are educated about these problems the more help might be available.
Good luck to all of you.
Lizx

Hi Kirsten
Aspergers can also mean above average intelligence bordering on genius sometimes.
My brother was diagnosed late in life, and he was a top medical scientist. I have a friend, an engineer, with Aspergers, and he has recently been elected a Shire Councillor- his son also has it, and he is an actual Rocket Scientist ( astrophysicist), who has written a lot of books about the rocket ships in the Star Wars movies. Never despair!
xxxxxx Mick

Hi there Kirsten, I have 4 children, 2 of whom have autism, one severe,one moderate degree. My son is 6, that daughter is 9. Their 7 year old sister has ADHD, also part of the same spectrum. My oldest daughter age 10 has mercifully been spared significant difficulty but does have headaches & emotional issues associated with having the others in the home. The 2 with autism also have epilepsy.
This is not intended to be a "sob story". We survive by having routines, by being able to laugh at some of the huge messes Sarah creates, by not having time for a breakdown when the telephone comes crashing down the stairs,thanks to a 6 year old "meltdown". My mother lives with us as does my sister, between us we manage. Their father left to look for someone who could give him"normal children".
This week's challenge for my son has been for him to learn to go to the toilet standing up, not an easy lesson in a houseful of women/girls!!!!
I have found one of the greatest treatment effects has been changing the diet to gluten -free and dairy-free. It CAN be done, it's not easy but there are definite benefits, My son is finally speaking, simplistically, but he IS communicating. 1 1/2 years ago he babbled sounds. Now he can usually make his needs known.
I try not to look at their lives being a "life sentence" but rather a challenge to learn about yet another subject. These kids have taught us all so much. Regardless, there are times when the tears flow, it is a great outlet when one is feeling overwhelmed. To see my little boy go to my mother and hug her and say "I you" (rough translation I love you) is worth every tear I shed.
I developed epilepsy myself as a small child, and at 13 concluded I had this diagnosis so I could understand other peoples problems. Now I've been chosen to have special needs children, hopefully I can continue to encourage others in the same boat.

You CAN do this - you sound like a great Mum, it's a challenge but gives rewards other parents can never experience.
Colleen

kirsten i know exactley how you feel, you sound a lovely mum, and jack is a lucky boy to have you, if i can be of any help let me know, your entitled to DLA and statement of needs at school too xx love puss xx

thank you for all your kind messages its nice not to feel so isolated everyday is a struggle with jack but the joy he gives me outweighs anything else i just wish sometimes people who dont know jack or the reason he is the way he is wouldnt judge him or his ways as quick as they do

meant to add depression is a big part in aspergers, my son has it but doctors dont want to go down the route of meds at his age its hard when the hospital did though, he would forget them i forget my own so mayby its worth trying again with dr specky here kirsten have sent you a personal message if you click on mesage it should be there, love lorraine (puss)

thanks \ollin will pm you xxx

Whilst working as a secretary on a Brain Damage Unit within a psychiatric hospital, where I worked for thirty years, we had a young lad brought in with Aspergers. They couldn't handle him elsewhere and we had specially tranied staff for the job. His family were unhelpful, did moire damage than good and virtually abandoned him. He was difficult to begin with but gradually we got to grips with him - I say "we" cos although I was only a secretary, my office was right in the unit and I had patients in and out all day and was part of the whole team. Peter eventually was discharged into the community and as far as I know is still living there and enjoying his life so there is hope at the end of the tunne;l. You just need the right guidance, the right people to help and put you on the right road - not saying it's easy by any means, we had some very hairy moments with him on and off along the way. We were all very fond of him.

There is a good article in 'Inspire' magazine that features a man (doesn't say how old but his picture suggests in his 20's) that has Aspergers and has been helped into work by Jobcentre Plus who provided him with a Jobcentre Plus Partner who gave him extra supprt and training. Pick up a copy of 'Inspire' if you can (its free from the Jobcentre-I am a regular there now i've been laid off by the airport!) or drop me a pm with an e-mail address and i will scan the article and pop it to you on a word doc

n for krysten

well done you colin for helping him, this is a fear of mine, when david starts work, he once told me he couldnt understand why groups of kids played together, so he stood by them and listened to what they talked about, so he could go up to another boy and talk with him, he got beat up for being a freak after school by ten boys, that day i vowed to move and never let that happen again, hence the move, although david was at a unit he still atended main stream school, and when a teacher shouted at him, boy was i up there and did i fly lol, they soon learnt how to talk to my boy

i work in sheltered housing for mental health.We have a young lad in there with aspergers.We have more trouble with him with the damage he does.He has to empty everything.(washing up liquid,soap powder,disenfectant)everything then has to be washed out.He throws everything down the toilet(carrier bags etc)we have had to have the drains unblocked many times.He has just ripped all the tiles off of his shower room.He has cut the cord off of the light switch to the shower room.I can fully understand what you mums are dealing with. Annie

aw Pusser hun... My eyes are leaking... think I've got your man flu!!

Love and (((((hugs)))))

Daff xxx

Colin, that is so good to hear. So few employers even attempt to understand, leave alone encourage co-workers to access information and resources that will actively help provide a good working environment for all staff, including those people label as *different*

Love

daff xxx