I am the father of a very bright, sensitive, and sweet 9 year old boy who may be soon diagnosed with Asperger's (or some other label on the high functioning end of the spectrum). He was just diagnosed this past summer with ADHD, primarily inattentive. The medication has definitely helped with distractability, some of his impulsive outbursts and generally helped him focus better with no visible side effects. His third grade teacher raised some concerns with communication and his getting "stuck" on one idea or detail and difficulty with transitions in general. My wife and I have noticed these differences (and others) with him for years now. He began receiving early intervention services for a mild speech delay at age 2, PDD was periodically raised but there was never much agreement from those who knew him to warrant a recommendation of a full evaluation. We are also in the process of getting him some comprehensive intellectual testing to see if there are any specific LDs. He is very good at Math, average at reading (though fluency is a bit of a problem) and writing has always been a real struggle. He has no problem articulating very creative ideas, its just a real struggle getting them on paper and in a timely manner.
I am mostly concerned about his emotional development. He is extremely sensitive to mild, typical 3rd grade peer rejection. He'll hold it in at school - but then have a meltdown at home over something seemingly insignificant a "friend" said or did during recess. He does have some friends at school and is overall a very affectionate loving little boy. He also has real difficulty with transitions at home at times , i.e. coming to the dinner table and leaving whatever he's involved in. Starting homework is a recurring (but improving) problem. Brushing his teeth at night is a particular struggle for some reason.
Though I have seen improvement with many behaviors with medication, my wife and I fully understand that regardless of whether he is on-the-spectrum or not, ADHD symptoms are only part of the story. I hope to use this site and other resources to figure out how best to help my son, regardless of whatever diagnosis seems to fit. I welcome any well meaning questions or comments. Thank you.
16 Dec 2010, 4:42 pm
To WrongPlanet!! !
