new member- honing diagnosis...

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I have enjoyed catching up a little with your posts and seeing that you struggle

with so many of the same things we do here. My older son just turned 9 and is

currently dx'ed with high functioning Autism and Bipolar Disorder-nos. He was

diagnosed bp an ADHD when he was 4 but after a month-long outpatient

hospitalization at UCLA (last Jan/Feb) they changed his dx and dropped the ADHD

and added the autism. The thing is, I really think he has Asperger's instead of

HFA because I don't get how a kid who spoke at 12 months (and in phrases by 18

months and was fluent by two) had a language delay. His IQ is a bit weird in

that he is above average in some areas but has really slow processing speed. Of

course if you ask him to write anything all bets are off. His processing score

just blows his whole IQ. So it averages out to be 89 on the WISC-IV (one point

below " average " )but honestly I don't feel that is a fair representation for a

3rd grader who does 4th grade math and comprehends 5th grade reading! I have

heard of a different kind of IQ test called the Ravenswood Progressive Matrices

that is supposed to be more accurate with our kids and I may pursue that. Some

people have told me it's silly to worry about the distinction between HFA and

Asperger's and maybe they're right (especially if both diagnoses will be

" subsumed " in the new DSM V) but I have a nagging doubt. What happens when my

son is old enough to " come out " to the general population? There is a certain

cache that Asperger's carries that autism does not- namely that people assume a

higher level of intelligence and functioning. Won't it be easier to get him

comfortable with his condition and his place in the world if he has an

Asperger's dx? Besides, I truly feel this is more appropriate. I usually have

to defend his HFA dx with every " expert " I meet because they see him and

immediately say " Asperger's " . Am I just being " silly " as some have said or does

anyone see my point? I just want my son to get his " due " in a world that gives

precious little understanding to people on the spectrum anyway...