Re: Are these signs of aspergers?

September 14, 2008

O sweetie I am so sorry. Your son sounds so much like my lil guy don't give up on your son fight fight. To me he sounds like he has a fourm of Autism. It took us 6 years and 20 diff dr's to finally get one to listen to me. Plus last year he was in a reg kinder class they kicked him out after 3 days. This is what the Principal told me was he is not 6 so legally you can home school him or keep him home. I was po'd so they tested him with the school Physcolgst and they gave him a diff teacher every day complaints and complaints. My son has speech delays and sensory issues. Like your son sounds and lights bother him and colors and textures. O he is Ultra sensitive too. He has PDD adhd and explosive behavior. He has Bi polar he is on 3 diff med's. He take risperdol for the agression he takes the liquid because he refuses to swollow a pill. He takes adderall for the adhd and clonidine for his sleeping and he is in a special ed class he is so diff. My son has a Neurologst what they usually do is blood work and go by what you say. Plus he has a Physcologst and physcrtist and therapy speech and will start ot. Finally we got our lil boy he is so diff to what he used to be. Just never give up on him reading your e-mail made me cry I know what you are going through. E-mail me any time Hun

papa@...

Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com.

September 14, 2008

Even if it is, to my knowladge, the neurologist isn't the guy to see

for getting a diagnosis or anything. As far as I've been told, going

through the ADOS process is the only way to diagnose autism spectrum

disorders. Here in Oregon, you have to go through OHSU or the school

district specialist to get it administered.

>

> Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from

> all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2

> YEARS

> to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is

> coming

> up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these

> signs

> of aspergers?

>

> 1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be

> depressed about?).

>

> 2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park

> rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically

> scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.

>

> 3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate

> family.

> He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When

> approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face

> from

> them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and

can

> look us in the face.

>

> 4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying

> lunch,

> coloring, etc.)

>

> 5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like

> to

> eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.

>

> 6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.

>

> 7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to

> High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything

> else.

>

> What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like

> to

> be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital

> when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his

> developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from

a

> laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was

> just " lazy "

> and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational

> therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't

> eating

> and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range

> (from all the formula he drank).

>

> I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I

> see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there

is

> nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will

> never

> be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and

> they

> will refuse to see older children!

>

> Any advice would be helpful!

>

> Thanks!

>

September 14, 2008

,

Yes, in theory these issues may be Asperger's Disorder ... the question is in

which country are you and this Neurologist. If they use the Aspergers Protocol

from University College London UCH, then the hypersenses issues will be noted in

an MRI as part of the intensity of Sensory, Memory, Frontal, Temporal Lobe, etc

if found in the 400 - 500% normal range - if above 250% this will be indicative

of other HFA.

In the USA for example they base entirely on a document written in he 70's and

80's (1990 obsolete DSM IV) tests and Psych assessment work under this, and a

Neurologist would likely not be looking at these issues, as they can barely look

at Asperger's Syndrome. Have you taken part of the Genome Projects assessment

of genetic triggers, such as the mutant intelligence gene, some 100 centres and

hospitals like Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York look at family history and

bloodwork to find the appropriate Genetic markers and mix - these together with

reactions to food and medicines can also confirm Aspergers, as can mobility and

sensory responses - no longer is it a set of symptoms which leads one to believe

something is " wrong " , which is the definition of something unproven " syndrome " ,

thus we use on basis of physical, sensory or neurological assessment and proofs

the term Disorder for Asperger's as the way the brain works, and is intensity,

particularly on right side, and front

/top are given beyond any other known diagnosis?

Don't get your hopes up, because if they do not know and cannot handle the more

modern assessment and diagnostic methods, they may decide that on average such

highs and lows may " almost " be normal - many of us are diagnosed in later life,

but as they do not take a general picture, as each take their own field - i.e.

Occupational, Speech and Language, Psychologist and Physiotherapist look at only

their issues atypically, as presented at a particular time, and do not have a

multi-disciplinary assessment, based on the grand picture, unless a particular

event or trigger makes observations less anecdotal (parents often accused of

transferring their issues and anxieties on to their children to bring out

age-specific traits and issues, previously not noted in us - but of interest -

do not portray yourself as too interested in what he exhibits, or this may

happen to you), and overseeing a lifestyle or environment which makes these

issues come out - whether or not these were identified by

other health professionals first) and obvious beyond the otherwise pigeon-box of

each, so that they have no choice but to agree - our 7 year old, has been

waiting since 2003 on a Multi-disciplinary assessment, and for the last few

years having noted hearing issues, for which she is awaiting brain stem

audiotrometry and MRI.

Our thoughts are with you,

Damon Wise (AD) and Wise (NLD [similar trends in all of

Asperger's 20 issues and 1 extra Non-Verbal Learning Trait as well)

At 05:23 2008-09-13, you wrote:

>Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from

>all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2

>YEARS

>to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is

>coming

>up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these

>signs

>of aspergers?

>

>1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be

>depressed about?).

>

>2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park

>rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically

>scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.

>

>3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate

>family.

>He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When

>approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face

>from

>them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can

>look us in the face.

>

>4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying

>lunch,

>coloring, etc.)

>

>5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like

>to

>eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.

>

>6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.

>

>7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to

>High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything

>else.

>

>What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like

>to

>be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital

>when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his

>developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a

>laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was

>just " lazy "

>and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational

>therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't

>eating

>and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range

>(from all the formula he drank).

>

>I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I

>see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is

>nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will

>never

>be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and

>they

>will refuse to see older children!

>

>Any advice would be helpful!

>

>Thanks!

>

Damon Wise,

Chair, Trustees of Federation Trust; Co-Ordinator, Charity-OnLine Consortium and

Irish Equality and Human Rights Alliance;

AspiesOnly2 Co--Moderator; The mind behind AUTINET

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September 14, 2008

,Is there any other hospital in the area who can see him?I do not like the sounds of this hospital. To tell you that your son is lazy at 11 months old is bullshit! excuse the language.They of all Dr's should know not to make such assumptions.I don't think I would trust any dx from them.But if this is the only hospital you can take him to. MAKE THEM listen to you.Most times at these appt's they will do a lot of questioning of you like when did he first sit up,walk,use utensils to eat etc... all the milestones.If I remember correctly they will order blood work.Bring any kind of documents that you may have on your son regarding tests,school placements(like if he is in a learning support room).They will also examine him,I honestly cannot remember all they (my boys) have

been to so many Dr's I forget which was which. With my sons and I think a lot of other ASD kidsloud noises can either make them cry/freak out or doesn't affect them at all by this I mean like it isn't even happening.mine freaked out over the vacuum or loud tv/radio. having a room all lit up also made them really hyper.All kids can be shy. I think it is to the extreme that they do it or that they never unshy(prolly not a word but couldnt think of how to phrase it lol)that makes it the symptom.My son will non stop talk at home but there are Dr's/teacher's that he has never uttered a word to.He is also the one who listens/watches to music /tv shows over and over and over.watch,stop,rewind,watch again.ABSOLUTELY LOVES HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL AND HANNA MONTANA. lolWith food also the same some would never eat food when it was hot or even warm he would wait til it got cold off and then eat it ,he would put his

mcdonalds in the fridge and eat it later.COLD MCDONALDS YUCK!Yes kids can be depressed at this young of an age may be more anxiety also.my kids have the anxeity.To me it sounds like he is on the spectrum just going by what you said as to what degree and what part I wouldn't say for sure.If by chance they still do not think anything is going on, I'd get a 2nd opinion.good luckVickie WwW.SparkleTags.Com----- Original Message ----From: D. <robdirienzo@...>Autism and Aspergers Treatment Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 12:23:38 AMSubject: Are these signs of aspergers?

Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from

all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2

YEARS

to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is

coming

up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these

signs

of aspergers?

1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be

depressed about?).

2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park

rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically

scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.

3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate

family.

He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When

approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face

from

them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can

look us in the face.

4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying

lunch,

coloring, etc.)

5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like

to

eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.

6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.

7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to

High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything

else.

What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like

to

be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital

when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his

developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a

laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was

just "lazy"

and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational

therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't

eating

and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range

(from all the formula he drank).

I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I

see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is

nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will

never

be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and

they

will refuse to see older children!

Any advice would be helpful!

Thanks!

September 14, 2008

Yeah, they shouldn't tell you your son is lazy at 11 months!

Support your friendly local autistics...........I'm one of them.

Are these signs of aspergers?

Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2 YEARS to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is coming up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these signs of aspergers?1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be depressed about?).2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate family. He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face from them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can look us in the face.4. He cries and

stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying lunch, coloring, etc.)5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like to eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything else.What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like to be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was just "lazy" and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't eating and they would not help because he was in

the normal weight range (from all the formula he drank).I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will never be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and they will refuse to see older children!Any advice would be helpful!Thanks!

September 14, 2008

I completely agree with Vicky! Be firm and make sure they aren't blowing you off. If need be, find a checklist about possibly symptoms of autism or aspbergers and fill it out before you go, so that you can show them in a "clinical" way what you are seeing. ____________________________________________________________

Click to reduce wrinkles, increase energy and drive - anti-aging.

September 14, 2008

Neurologists and psychiatrists are useful for certain things, but what

may help you the most is a detailed neuropsych evaluation. Check out

your state psychological organization or local listings for a licensed

Ph.D.- level Clinical Psychologist or Clinical Neuropsychologist. Pre-

screen the person on the phone and make an appointment for a neuropsych

assessment.

A detailed eval with list of recommendations specifically for your

child may be useful for your child, esp. when it has specific

recommendations for home and school settings. The evaluation, if done

properly, will give ample evidence supporting a specific diagnosis as

well. Good luck.

-JS

September 14, 2008

Here's info on some issues that are concerning you:

sensitivities to noise and temperature are often associated with "Sensory Integration Disorder" intro article on that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_Integration_Dysfunction and here:

http://www.kid-power.org/sid.html

I googled Neurologist Autism Diagnosis and found these articles.

http://www.neurologychannel.com/neuroexam.shtml

http://autism.suite101.com/article.cfm/autismtesting

expect to fill out a lot of questionaires /surveys about your son before the appointment. (You can call the office and get these now so you can fill them out at your liesure). At the appointment, they'll ask your son to do tasks, participate in activities, answer questions, and observe his behavior. They'll also ask you a lot of questions. You'll probably have to also fill out post-appointment questionaires about your son and his behavior. They'll weigh him, measure his height & head circumference, observe his gait. They may not do an EEG, CAT scan or MRI. You may not have bloodwork done prior.

You may want to ask about referrals and scripts for auditory testing, allergy testing, occupational therapy, etc. Are you in the USA? If so, you can ask your school district for an evaluation by a child study team, which includes Occupatial Therapist, Child Psychologist, Speech Therapist, Social Worker, Pediatric Neurologist. The child study team can sometimes get you a quicker neuro appt. than you can on your own. Me, I'd go to the local children's hospital for the appt., or even out of state in order to get it done well & promptly.

Google things like "checklist" "questions" and "autism" "autism signs" etc. Get your paperwork together for the neuro from pediatrician, teachers, etc. and other professionals and get it to the neuro prior to your appt.

Its a lot to contend with, and a lot of homework that no one else can do for you, but it comes down to this: no one will advocate or fight for your child the way you can. He needs you in his corner, fighting hard! Good luck!

bloom where you are planted

From: jhsgpsy <june.shapiro@...>Subject: Re: Are these signs of aspergers?Autism and Aspergers Treatment Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 9:34 AM

Neurologists and psychiatrists are useful for certain things, but what may help you the most is a detailed neuropsych evaluation. Check out your state psychological organization or local listings for a licensed Ph.D.- level Clinical Psychologist or Clinical Neuropsychologist. Pre-screen the person on the phone and make an appointment for a neuropsych assessment.A detailed eval with list of recommendations specifically for your child may be useful for your child, esp. when it has specific recommendations for home and school settings. The evaluation, if done properly, will give ample evidence supporting a specific diagnosis as well. Good luck.-JS

September 14, 2008

- I have a son who is now 14 who we had diagnosed when he was about 3 1/2. Before I got a diagnosis, we had to go through a number of steps before we could get a definitive diagnosis.

1, First, went to a church preschool a couple of days a week and the teacher noticed he was "different". He didn't want to play with the other kids. She sent us to the Early Childhool Program in our school district. They tested and said he had learning disabilities - about 6 as I recall. I was very suspicious of this because if someone has that many learning disabilities, I had to believe there was something not quite right about this conclusion.

2. I went to the pediatrician who sent us to a neurologist who "wasn't sure" if he had Asperger's and was reluctant to diagnose.

3. Since I still didn't buy that conclusion, I brought to a wonderful orginization in St. Louis Missouri called the Judevine Center for Autism. They don't do "medical diagnosis" but they do many educational tests. They conclude almost immediately had asperger's and the test scores confirmed that conclusion. (I had to pay 600 to get the testing done or I would have had to wait over a year to get the testing paid for by the County), well worth the investment in light of the time we saved in getting a diagnosis, but obviously a burden.

4. I took the test scores back to the first neurologist, who was now willing to confirm the diagnosis when I brought the test to him with a second opinion from another neurologist.

So, the moral of this story is, keep pushing and be suspicious.

The observations you have made certainly sound like possible Aspergers and were all traits I saw in , ie.

1. What appeared to be depression to us was really more lack of affect in .

2. Ultra sensitive to sound - could only attend a baseball game for one or two innings and he hated going to six flags at the ages that almost any other kid would have LOVED to go. Too much noise and distractions

3. Introverted and not interested in playing with other children.

4. Got frustrated and sometimes angry when there was a change of activity - especially if he didnt want to change his activity.

5. What you are describing with High School Musical and the toys is that they are his "topic of interest". This is a big signal of possible Asperger's - we have gone through many of them (fortunately about the time you think you will lose your mind with one topic, they will move on to another) went through lemurs, history, Sponge Bob, the Tank Engine, Pokeman, ocean creatures and right now its sports (which is conveniently age appropriate.)

The good news, the sooner you get a definitive answer, the sooner you can work with him on these issues.

Make sure you bring a list of each and every issue you are concerned about. (The one you wrote is a good list to start from.) Also, note if you are seeing gross or small motor delays.

Review a book on Asperger's for parents before you go, so you know what questions to ask.

Best of Luck - I will let you know that is a freshman in high school and is doing pretty well. He does not have lots of other kids hanging around, but he does feel comfortable at school, going to parties and school events with other kids. While they know he is a little different, they are amazed at his memory and "special interests"

Hope this help.

Autism and Aspergers Treatment From: robdirienzo@...Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:23:38 +0000Subject: Are these signs of aspergers?

Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2 YEARS to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is coming up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these signs of aspergers?1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be depressed about?).2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate family. He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face from them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can look us in the face.4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying lunch, coloring, etc.)5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like to eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything else.What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like to be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was just "lazy" and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't eating and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range (from all the formula he drank).I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will never be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and they will refuse to see older children!Any advice would be helpful!Thanks!

September 15, 2008

Hi , welcome!

Your son sounds identical to my Aspie except that mine always has been a

good eater.

My 8 y.o. son was diagnosed finally by a psychologist after years in

therapy (5) - we're on a waiting list for neuro at KKI which is a couple

hours away. The main question I have for you is where do you live? Are

there any other resources around that you can use? We have all been to

appts that were a waste of time, perhaps where you are going isn't aware

enough of Autism?

>

> Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from

> all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2

> YEARS

> to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is

> coming

> up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these

> signs

> of aspergers?

>

> 1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be

> depressed about?).

>

> 2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park

> rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically

> scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.

>

> 3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate

> family.

> He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When

> approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face

> from

> them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can

> look us in the face.

>

> 4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying

> lunch,

> coloring, etc.)

>

> 5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like

> to

> eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.

>

> 6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.

>

> 7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to

> High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything

> else.

>

> What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like

> to

> be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital

> when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his

> developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a

> laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was

> just " lazy "

> and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational

> therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't

> eating

> and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range

> (from all the formula he drank).

>

> I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I

> see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is

> nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will

> never

> be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and

> they

> will refuse to see older children!

>

> Any advice would be helpful!

>

> Thanks!

>

September 18, 2008

Hi ,

I found your letter interesting about the symptoms of autism. My daughter and I have wondered about my little grandson Lucas for awhile now. He is 4 years old now, and has had some of the symptoms you describe such as the fear of loud noises and many other things. But he has overcome several things and we are soo happy with him, but a few remain.

For one, he is not so afraid of noises now. He used to freak out completely at the sound of water coming out of a faucet, if you tried to get him to hold his hands under a faucet you would have thought it was acid falling on his fingers. Not any more, now he will hold his hands right up there, soap up, rub, rinse, and dry on a towel. He also used to be afraid to go into a public bathroom, just freaked at being in there, but not any more, he will go in, pee, wash, and out. Also he never wets his pants, is dry all night long. The 8 year old hasn't figured that out.

His speech was kind of slow but we have noticed this year he is saying more words, and is more expressive. He still likes to hold up objects and look sideways at them, and loves to point out shapes such as "circle, square, octagon," loves stops signs. And he loves music, memorizes movies he watches, ands sings the songs to you. He still likes to rock on the sofa when tired, but not as much, he has to have the strongest abs of any kid in town as he lifts right up off the seat when he rocks.

He is starting to color with pens, wouldn't do it last year. Oh yes, he also LOVES to swing real wild bouncing swinging. I was going to take the swing set down because the other two kids are too old, and he would freak if you set him on a swing, or the rocket thing. Now he LOVES the rocket thing, wants me to take him out every day and push him until he hits the fence and the whole thing rocks, and he shrieks with JOY. Wow, what a difference.

Only thing still worries me is he won't eat. Every time we offer him food he only takes one bite, sometimes two. Yesterday day he told me he could not eat a sandwich, he could not chew it. His mom has kept him on chocolate milk from a bottle all this time, he lives on bottles of chocolate milk. If she doesn't give him one and gives him food he has a tantrum, most kids would be eating the food by now! But she can't let him starve. There is hope there though also, the other day his sister was making a tuna sandwich and he wanted some the can to eat some tuna out of it, my daughter called to tell me Lucas was sitting there eating tuna out of the can.

Finally something he will eat!

We still know Lucas is quirky, he does not talk as much as the other kids in his class, and his teacher has already called my daughter to harass him to be tested for a "communication disability," sheesh, she had only seen him for 2 days and said she couldn't understand him. She got it from last years teacher when he was 3, and we always turned down the evaluation, didn't want him labeled, but we have been keeping an eye on it, just think he has improved enough now he doesn't need it.

I took him to class the other day and the teacher asked him if he wanted a certain toy, and he said emphatically, "No I don't want it," and she went to get it, and I said to her, "Didn't you hear him say NO to you?" She put it back. I think she needs to listen to him is all, he talks when he wants to.

Kind of a different slant on things I guess, but we have been real worried about him, and now think he is overcoming whatever was bothering him when he was younger.

Oh yes I have a grown son who has always had severe challenges such as autism, retardation, seizures, non verbal, food tube, cerebral palsy now from so many seizures all his life....

Carolyn, a loving mom and grandma in Oregon ; ) )))

Are these signs of aspergers?

Hi! I'm brand new to this site and am hoping to get some help from all of you. My 5 year old son has been on a wait list for 1 1/2 YEARS to see a neurologist at our local hospital. His appointment is coming up in November. Here are some symptoms that he has. Are these signs of aspergers?1. He seems depressed a lot (What does a 5 year old have to be depressed about?).2. He is ultrasensitive to loud sounds (fireworks, amusement park rides, military gun displays, cannon fire, etc.) and will typically scream, cry and hold his ears for the duration of the sound.3. He will not interact with anyone other that his immediate family. He has no friends and will not talk to anyone in school. When approached by others, he will look down and try to hide his face from them. However, when he is with us, he can be very talkative and can look us in the face.4. He cries and stresses a lot over unimportant things (buying lunch, coloring, etc.)5. Ultrasensitive to temperature and taste of food. Does not like to eat and will take FOREVER to finish a meal.6. Lags behind others in walking and eating.7. Only plays with a stuffed dog and bear. Obsessively listens to High School Musical songs. Does not seem interested in anything else.What should I expect at the neurologist appointment? I would like to be prepared. My son was seen by a neurologist at the same hospital when he was around 11 months old. I was concerned about his developmental stage. He wasn't crawling and could not sit up from a laying down position. The neurologist told me that he was just "lazy" and there was nothing wrong with him! I also saw an occupational therapist and dietician at the same hospital because he wasn't eating and they would not help because he was in the normal weight range (from all the formula he drank).I am scared that these people will give me the same response when I see them in November. I'm afraid that they'll tell me that there is nothing wrong. If they say that there is nothing wrong, I will never be able to get an appointment again. There is an age cut-off and they will refuse to see older children!Any advice would be helpful!Thanks!

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September 21, 2008

One more point on this issue to share. When was little, we lived in Missouri and kids with Asperger's are treated by the Neurologists. When we moved to Wisconsin about 4 years ago, I was told that the neurologists don't treat the kids here. Instead, I was sent to a Neuro Psychologist for an extensive evaluation and then to a Psychiatrist for meds.

Has anyone else noticed a split in who handles these kids in other parts of the country?

Autism and Aspergers Treatment From: charper777@...Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:33:39 -0700Subject: Re: Re: Are these signs of aspergers?

Hi Mahala, I am in Oregon too. Yes I would agree about the neurologist. When I took my son to them they mostly wanted to know what was causing his seizures, did all the tests, then prescribed drugs to try and control the seizures, none of which worked. I think neurologists mostly diagnose brain problems such as a tumor, etc., which also they never found in my son, and the prescribe meds.

I would think a behavioral psychologist specializing in autism would be more appropriate for a diagnosis of autism, or other learning disabilities, somebody with experience in children and the latest ways to diagnose, etc., but even then it could be slanted as to the psychologists perspective, not really unbiased. We had this problem, of course the wanted to rail road my son to the institution and were trying to prove he needed to go there.

No way! This was the 60s, but I do believe it still exists, all that biased manipulation, etc., has to still exist. So I would just say be careful, be alert, try a variety of people, you will get many answers, probably a different one from each you use. I just resorted to using my gut instincts as a mom and have loved my son and protected him, believe me he needed it. I think kids still do.