Mom of a 15 year old

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Hello. I am glad I found this forum. I just wanted to take some time to introduce myself. My name is Carrie Ann, I am a mother of a 15 year old who is just about to go through an assessment for aspergers. He has had multiple diagnosis over the years.. ADHD, ADD, OCD, ODD, bipolar, depression, anxiety are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Every time an new diagnosis is given or mentioned I do research on it and learn as much as I can. Each time, some of what I found made sense, but never all of it. A few months ago his new therapist suggested aspergers (on our first visit) I started to do research. The articles and stories I read on line seemed like they were literally written about my son. The more I look into it and the more I read the more it makes 150% sense.
I am so upset and dumbfounded as to how no one else saw this until now. He has seen several therapist and physiologist, counselors at school, etc. Not one of them ever brought AS up. And in all my research, the things from all the other disorders that did make sense I am finding are part of AS. This makes more sense than I can say.

Yeah Aspergers can be pretty hard to spot at times but its not uncommon for other disorders to coexist with Aspergers, he might have some of those diagnosis he might not. I didnt get diagnosised till I was 18. Many people just thought I had high levels of social anxiety and depression. Not that I didnt, recognizing that I had aspergers on top of that makes a huge difference then just any other anixety, depression case.

Hi Carrie, I am in a similar situation with my 14 year old daughter and I can understand the relief, shock,devastation and enlightenment all at the same time. It is all so clear now but such a shame that we didnt spot this earlier. I am 6=7 weeks since aspergers was suggested and we are still waitnign for the start of assessment. It s all rather diffcult as she is so stressed confused and will not recognise the traits or help we are offering/

Keep reading as its complex until you get the hang of it

Cloudy, I am so glad to hear someone going through the same as me. You nailed it with all the emotions that are going on with me at the same time.
What really frustrates me is he has been going to therapist, etc. on and off sense he was 4, I started feeling like something wasn't right when he was 3. When he was 4 he was assessed by the local special ed. school for a pre-k placement. The assessment recommended he go to a pre school, but they wouldn't take him because his academics scored to high. They told me they only take kids with problems all around. (he never went to prek, I couldn't afford it, and made too much for the government funded one) I just don't understand with all the professionals he has seen, why no one has ever picked up on this before. I know I have to stop dwelling on that fact and just look at the future.

I am having daily "ah ha" moments, when he does things and I realize why he does them. Before I just thought they were annoying little things he did, or that he was just misbehaving.

He is currently begging me to homeschool him. His school life is horrible. He has no friends (never has actually) he is picked on ALL day long. It really affects him and his grades. He is so much smarter than his grades reflect. (he is failing 2 classes)

His assessment starts Friday with a parent discussion for background info.