AS and depression - Sylvia (was Re: OTRS - Sylvia)

August 30, 2012

Hello again Sylvia,

I can well imagine the confusion if your daughter was late dx'd! AS girls just

seem to slip under the radar, sometimes being inappropriately labelled and even

more inappropriately medicated.

It is good to know that you have had the gumption to take the necessary steps to

secure your daughter's future. Since you had to do much of this at a time when

knowledge of AS (especially in girls) was still not widespread, it must have

been quite a battle. And the road ahead is still hard. Sylvia, you are so

strong! But you're on it and you laid the groundwork in a timely way. Wise mom!

How horrible for you all - and how untimely - that your AS daughter developed

seizures as your other daughter was dying. Your resources must have been

stretched to the limit.

I probably know less then you do about adult testing, but Meyer may have

some sage words in this department. All I know is that the WAIS-IV (which

measures verbal and performance IQ) is a current and common one used on autistic

and non autistic adults. But the criticism is that it tends to undervalue areas

of autistic strengths.

, who has actually been here for four years, has quite a lot of knowledge

about nutrition and wellness, and how diet can worsen or improve autoimmune

issues and even behavioral issues that can be co-morbid with autism. It might be

time to revisit this topic again in this group. We have not explored this

subject since the days when ASPIRES on the FEAT server, and and her

husband were on the list. ?

- Helen

>

> Thank you, Helen, for your kind support and incredible insight.

>

> My daughter got herdiagnosis at age 17, so imagine the confusion during her

> lifetime. We do have options for support and I am working to find the right

> psychiatrist who will listen and monitor anti-depressants, as well as her

> seizure meds. (The seizures started during our extended caretaking period

> in 2010-12.) And yes, she does present as a teenager, but wants to be

> treated as an adult. We are starting with appropriate dress and will move

> on to transitional help leading, which we hope till lead to employment.

> Very low self-esteem, no friends locally; friends are from all over the

> U.S. who have the option to gather twice a year. They, for the most part,

> have jobs or are in school and this is increasingly depressing for her. She

> tried higher education twice; didn't work out. She tried working in my

> office; didn't work out, even with two job coaches. So of course I wonder

> if there are tests that a psychiatrist can administer that will show us

> exactly where she is intellectually and what her strengths are. I've got

> the name of someone highly recommended but we have to wait until October as

> a " new patient " .

>

> Since it has become apparent that she will never be able to live

> independently, I have obtain legal guardianship and that has set a new

> dynamic in motion and she seems relieved. This has allowed me to be more

> responsible for her emotional and financial issues and she is more willing

> to work with me on establishing new behavioral patterns. Fortunately she is

> receiving SSD, and has Medicare and Medicaid. She is warming to the idea of

> an independent living arrangement but in order to qualify, she has to have

> a Major Depressive Disorder diagnosis. The psychiatrist will, I assume,

> assess this possibility.

>

> The autoimmune illness could be part of the picture. I will look into the

> testing options and see if we can get an answer there. I'll also look for

> K.'s posts in the archives.

>

> Sylvia

August 30, 2012

Thanks for alerting and , Helen Please and , your input would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.My daughter goes to Communication Disorders Clinic tomorrow and they have agreed to do some testing. I will suggest WAIS-IV as a start. As for diet/nutrition, Tiff wants to lose weight but won't give up dairy. There are also the medications that contribute to weight gain. She asks for my help, then refuses it. Sylvia Sent from my iPhone

Hello again Sylvia,

I can well imagine the confusion if your daughter was late dx'd! AS girls just seem to slip under the radar, sometimes being inappropriately labelled and even more inappropriately medicated.

It is good to know that you have had the gumption to take the necessary steps to secure your daughter's future. Since you had to do much of this at a time when knowledge of AS (especially in girls) was still not widespread, it must have been quite a battle. And the road ahead is still hard. Sylvia, you are so strong! But you're on it and you laid the groundwork in a timely way. Wise mom!

How horrible for you all - and how untimely - that your AS daughter developed seizures as your other daughter was dying. Your resources must have been stretched to the limit.

I probably know less then you do about adult testing, but Meyer may have some sage words in this department. All I know is that the WAIS-IV (which measures verbal and performance IQ) is a current and common one used on autistic and non autistic adults. But the criticism is that it tends to undervalue areas of autistic strengths.

, who has actually been here for four years, has quite a lot of knowledge about nutrition and wellness, and how diet can worsen or improve autoimmune issues and even behavioral issues that can be co-morbid with autism. It might be time to revisit this topic again in this group. We have not explored this subject since the days when ASPIRES on the FEAT server, and and her husband were on the list. ?