o thank god!! !! !! !! !! !!

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my 19-yr-old son just got diagnosed. we've always known he was 'different' but had no name for it. i saw the infamous episode of law&order:ci and looked AS up on webmd...found a doc who recognised AS. i'm still crying with relief. he's a third year college student, trying to become a music teacher. can take the national tests but the general ed subject have been a horror (aced public speaking and spanish, flunked freshman english twice). i'm going to turn him on to this site. i didn't know there were so many of us...

I'm sure we'll all be happy to have him!

Why does that feel so weird to me? I've been here over a year and I feel guilty saying 'we', like I'm an obnoxious interloper intruding in everyone else's clubhouse.

Don't worry. It's the same here.
Some of it might be because I won't speak for others, I let them speak for themself, cause they know better that I do.

In this situation however, I'm pretty sure that he will be warm welcomed.
I would do so! (EDIT: Give him a warm welcome)

I've never seen the Law and Order episode and admit to being a little worried what it said about AS ...

Still, having a label has really helped my son understand "why" he is different, and to know that he isn't alone; that so many of his struggles are completely normal for "kids like him." Focus on the gifts, accommodate the burdens. It will all work out.

Welcome to you and I hope your son will enjoy this forum as well.

My son was also diagnosed at 19 (he has just turned 20).

He has always been different (his rocking has been a constant source of discussion among family and friends for years!! That includes open discussions with all his friends and his siblings friends). I became a single mum when he was only 7, we lived in a little town (and before that we had lived in a little village that was for the staff of the local prison only) and we have always had a fantastic support network of friends - wonderful for all of us. The kids dad had a new partner who was a total cow and picked on my son - which didnt do her any good because even her children totally supported Shea.

Nobody took too much notice of his differences - he was just Sheaboy to everyone but as he hit his teens and high school the problems became more noticeable and he left school at 15 (which you can do here in New Zealand). He tried to work but his lack of coordination and other factors meant that he never stayed in a job long.

We finally got help last year and now he is flatting, and living a good life, independent and with a huge suppport group of friends around him. His brother and sister are nearby (I am an hours drive away) and he is slowly finding his way through the maze.

He tells people he has Asparagus disease which certainly gets funny looks from strangers.

Its the little things that make him different, his rocking, inability to tie his shoelaces, he is unable to hurry even though he knows what the word means, his very strong opinions etc. Peer pressure was not a worry for this kid - he has very high morals and values and he sticks to them.

I have just introduced him to this website and am waiting to hear what he thinks of it as he has kind of lost his way since being diagnosed. He has a best friend who was born on the same day as him and his mate has ADHD - they are incredibly funny together, especially as Shea is 6'3" and Jared is only about 5'5"! !

It is nice being able to see how other parents are coping as well and discuss things. I cried all the way back to my home after his diagnosis - I felt so guilty for not getting him help when he was much younger - I just thought he was different to other people and that was okay. I still cry sometimes when I think what could have been done for him if it had been diagnosed back then but I cant change things so we just have to move forward. I dont feel like I have failed him anymore, but it did take a while to get over the fact that he actually did have something that put a label on him.