a.d.d to aspergers syndrom

[diggerdickson]

I had a post going here a while back, some of you guys might remember us talking about suffering depression and coping with a.d.d or a.d.h.d

To bring us up to date, my boy suffers from a.d.h.d, my wife and I were both hoping that he would grow out of this with age Unfortunately he has been diagnosed with aspergers syndrom. My wife went to the doctor today and it didnt take them to long Looks like this is something he cant grow out of

We are home schooling my little boy Noah, this is going really well, we both decided we are better off being poor and losing a wage, never owing a house, but giving my lad the best chance in the world to succeed by getting a good education and not slipping through the gaps at school. His behaviour is quite asperges like, with a good temper, very emotional, very high strung, high high mantience, but he is a great kid.

At least with this diagnosis we will get support and visits to the pychc's funded, plus tracy can get a careers payment to help with the loss of a wage.

It brings my backyard shaping to a whole different level. I really need to concentrate on this and hopefully Noah will fall in love with surfing and I can teach him how to shape well. Hopefully if I build up some contacts might be able to even guide him to a career for him.

If anyone out there has aspergers kids please let me know how you are going, what your doing, how your helping.

He is a bright kid, its not like its a death sentence or anything like that, we as parents just have to give him the best oppurtunities to succeed in his life in whatever he decides to do.

[diggerdickson]

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/ ... ptoms.html

[diggerdickson]

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthT ... 87&id=2339

oh man this is so not fair, oh well

[diggerdickson]

ok, this has changed my outlook, im going to get a surfmat for my boy, 3 times a week after work take him to the beach to ride the whitewater in so he just gets that buzz from the ocean. This was suggested to me by a good friend. With this I can also not allow him to go surfing if his behaviuor is not up to scratch during the day he misses out on the beach that day. Rewards for good behaviour. Im just going to have to work harder at being a parent

[Yuke Hunt]

Hey digger ... a lot of very successful people have had Aspergers ... Albert Einstein for example.

My bet is that it is far more common than we think.

They can tend to be a bit on the compulsive obsessive side ... but this can work as a positive if the object of this passion is a worthwhile pursuit.

There are varying degrees of aspergers ... but it seems that all people who have it do tend to struggle socially to some extent. They need to have social interaction ... and they will meet good friends.

You say that you were told they never grow out of it ... I disagree ... it becomes less prevalent or harder to distinguish as time goes by ... maybe its a coping mechanism ... but it does seem to become less discernible as time goes by.

I would also like it to be known as Aspergers Gift ... for reasons that i will disclose to those who need to know.

[diggerdickson]

Hey digger ... a lot of very successful people have had Aspergers ... Albert Einstein for example.

My bet is that it is far more common than we think.

They can tend to be a bit on the compulsive obsessive side ... but this can work as a positive if the object of this passion is a worthwhile pursuit.

There are varying degrees of aspergers ... but it seems that all people who have it do tend to struggle socially to some extent. They need to have social interaction ... and they will meet good friends.

You say that you were told they never grow out of it ... I disagree ... it becomes less prevalent or harder to distinguish as time goes by ... maybe its a coping mechanism ... but it does seem to become less discernible as time goes by.

I would also like it to be known as Aspergers Gift ... for reasons that i will disclose to those who need to know.

wombie, I can see it being a gift also, I know my boy well and when he is hooked on something he is brillant. I mean the kid is a walking encloypedia of anything to do with star wars. He will be successful at what he puts his mind to as ive never seen that sort of concentration on one topic before, its like a fixation if you know what I mean, its almost like a drug that drives him. As a parent I just need to guide him well

[Yuke Hunt]

Hey digger ... a lot of very successful people have had Aspergers ... Albert Einstein for example.

My bet is that it is far more common than we think.

They can tend to be a bit on the compulsive obsessive side ... but this can work as a positive if the object of this passion is a worthwhile pursuit.

There are varying degrees of aspergers ... but it seems that all people who have it do tend to struggle socially to some extent. They need to have social interaction ... and they will meet good friends.

You say that you were told they never grow out of it ... I disagree ... it becomes less prevalent or harder to distinguish as time goes by ... maybe its a coping mechanism ... but it does seem to become less discernible as time goes by.

I would also like it to be known as Aspergers Gift ... for reasons that i will disclose to those who need to know.

wombie, I can see it being a gift also, I know my boy well and when he is hooked on something he is brillant. I mean the kid is a walking encloypedia of anything to do with star wars. He will be successful at what he puts his mind to as ive never seen that sort of concentration on one topic before, its like a fixation if you know what I mean, its almost like a drug that drives him. As a parent I just need to guide him well

... he and you will do just fine ... he's in good hand ... of that I have no doubt.

[yanks r us]

Sorry to hear about the difficult situation, hopefully you get some good support.

I just had a little look at a proper website, and it did say that around 15% of kids do grow out of it as the move through adulthood.

And to add to that, I do know (not personally) someone with Aspergers who is doing medicine at the moment, so the sky is still the limit. Hope he gets into some surfing though

[Haz]

Digger, I've always liked this video of Clay Marzo with a doctor talking about aspergers... It's a bit dumbed down but there are some pretty profound quotes in there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKRIRZEV4B4

Hope everything works out mate.

[otway1949]

Digger congrats mate, you are doing something important, working as a family to discover the reality of your son and working with it and being flexible in approach.
So many people find it too hard to do what you are doing an their child's potential is never found.
No advice but hope and applause for you and your wife. good stuff!

[Trev]

Agree with otway, Digger.
You know you've got some friends up here.
And I admire the way you and your wife are approaching the problem.

[diggerdickson]

Fong just put in all in perspective for me after telling me about surgery on a 14 year old kid, my boy is healthy, intellegent, focused on what he loves. Now that I know his diagnosis, its up to tracy and I to guide him, help him understand how special he is, and watch him have a fulfilling life.

That clip on munro is a classic, noah rubs his hands in excitment as well, classic, it made me laugh.

[Grooter]

Wish I could say or offer something digger but I haven't been done this road with my kids.

But you definitely sound like you're on the right path though, nothing is more important than your kids and home schooling sounds like a good idea. I know a few kids that are home schooled and they are really great children

Lastly I agree totally with what otway said, you should be commended for putting your children first like this. It's the job of a good parent mate and I'm sure in the long run you will be richly rewarded for doing so.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I can't recommend highly enough reading the book "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Normal Doidge. The brain is very plastic and powerful at adapting to challenges, you just need to pick the area of brain/information processing that its having difficulty in and it will adapt and improve it.

This book will give you some amazing optimism about whats possible with a bit of time.

[Quangers]

Hey Digger,
PM me or send us an e-mail. I can give ya a hand with work for the kid and strategies. Kind of my area...
Dan

[otway1949]

I can't recommend highly enough reading the book "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Normal Doidge. The brain is very plastic and powerful at adapting to challenges, you just need to pick the area of brain/information processing that its having difficulty in and it will adapt and improve it.

This book will give you some amazing optimism about whats possible with a bit of time.

I second that! You can change your mind and keep the change

[daryl]

A lot of Aspergers kids like you say have a magnificent ability to remain focused on particular subjets, try introducing him to heavy mathematics, algorythms etc. Could keep him focused, entertained and make you a motza later in life when he sells patterns to hedge funds...

The Things to do are: the things that need doing, that you see need to be done, and that no one else seems to see need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done — that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often gets buried inside a character that has acquired a superficial array of behaviors induced or imposed by others on the individual.

Letter to "Micheal" (16 February 1970) Micheal was a 10 year old boy who had inquired in a letter as to whether Fuller was a "doer" or a "thinker"

this could put the problem in perspective,
because thinking is such a mixed up thing compared to going ahead and doing it

family and friends of Bucky have told me people like him don't succeed until later
than some of you

[diggerdickson]

pm is on the way dan, ive been so caught up lately havent looked at this thread, ive just shut down for a while.