Boston area - Asperger's expertise

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My cousin lives in the Boston area (Billerica), and she has been having

trouble with her son's behaviors. I haven't seen him, but the symptoms

she is describing to me sound a lot like Asperger's and she has asked me

for info about it. One piece of information she would like is someone

who is excellent/known for diagnosing Aspergers in the Boston area. I

already warned her that a pediatrician or familiy doctor will not know

much, and may even discourage her from pursuing help. So do any of you

New Englanders have any recommendations for psychologists or

psychiatrists who are good at diagnosing Aspergers. Being a strong ABA

proponent, I would like to give her names of folks who could help with

recommendations for programming as well (hopefully ABA based).

This does lead me to a question I get occasionally - for example, I have

another friend here whose son was diagnosed with Aspergers at age 4. I

had my suspicions for a couple of years before that too. But since his

language is excellent and he is pretty strong in all the academic areas,

what might an ABA program look like for a child like this? Would you

still be doing DTT? What sort of specific program would be included?

Or would you go right to working on peer stuff? I am trying to convince

her to do ABA, but she sees that my kids' programs teach a lot of focus

on language and academics, which her son doesn't need, so she doesn't

see the need for table time. Although her son's behavior is pretty out

of compliance, and socially he is just not interested. Plus there is a

fair amount of obsessive compulsive behavior as well.

Anyway, let me know about the Boston Asperger's situation, thanks very

much and happy belated Turkey day!

Barb B

Ann Arbor MI

[Guest guest]

Sorry, forgot to mention the boy in Boston is only 5 and not yet in

kindergarten, so pretty young, if that makes a difference in getting an

Asperger's diagnosis

Barb

Ann Arbor MI

Barbara Byers wrote:

> Hi all,

>

> My cousin lives in the Boston area (Billerica), and she has been

> having trouble with her son's behaviors. I haven't seen him, but the

> symptoms she is describing to me sound a lot like Asperger's and she

> has asked me for info about it. One piece of information she would

> like is someone who is excellent/known for diagnosing Aspergers in the

> Boston area. I already warned her that a pediatrician or familiy

> doctor will not know much, and may even discourage her from pursuing

> help. So do any of you New Englanders have any recommendations for

> psychologists or psychiatrists who are good at diagnosing Aspergers.

> Being a strong ABA proponent, I would like to give her names of folks

> who could help with recommendations for programming as well (hopefully

> ABA based).

>

> This does lead me to a question I get occasionally - for example, I

> have another friend here whose son was diagnosed with Aspergers at age

> 4. I had my suspicions for a couple of years before that too. But

> since his language is excellent and he is pretty strong in all the

> academic areas, what might an ABA program look like for a child like

> this? Would you still be doing DTT? What sort of specific program

> would be included? Or would you go right to working on peer stuff? I

> am trying to convince her to do ABA, but she sees that my kids'

> programs teach a lot of focus on language and academics, which her son

> doesn't need, so she doesn't see the need for table time. Although

> her son's behavior is pretty out of compliance, and socially he is

> just not interested. Plus there is a fair amount of obsessive

> compulsive behavior as well.

>

> Anyway, let me know about the Boston Asperger's situation, thanks very

> much and happy belated Turkey day!

>

> Barb B

> Ann Arbor MI

>