Aspergers Syndrome - Could It Be Overlooked?
When people initially hear the word autism, it is often the more classic form of autism that they associate with. From our experience it is uncommon for people to link autism to it’s higher functioning forms, or even recognise that autism covers a range of conditions across a spectrum.
Jack’s diagnosis sits most comfortably with the condition known as Aspergers Syndrome. In one of our very early posts we discuss Jack’s diagnosis and how his characteristics fit into the autism spectrum.
Jack’s diagnosis was made during his year at Preschool, after we had already delayed his Preschool year due to his need for further social and emotional development. Looking back we started to see the signs very early on. But whilst we recognised differences in Jack’s development compared to other children, we really didn’t make any connection to a condition of any sort until things got to breaking point with how he was coping in his every day environment. And even then we only made a connection to autism because we really ‘pushed hard’ for answers.
An article we found in the American Chronicle outlines the signs of Aspergers Syndrome, and comments on the fact that often Aspergers Syndrome is first noticed when a child starts school. We ourselves were able to associate with this, and we felt that maybe this is because of the fact that Aspergers sits at the high functioning end of the autism spectrum and is such an ‘unknown’ in the wider community.
We still struggle all the time trying to get people to understand the condition, and we wonder at just how often this condition is overlooked in the community and school systems simply because people aren’t aware that it exists, or if they do know of Aspergers Syndrome they find it difficult to recognise the signs.
Before Jack’s diagnosis we had come up against people simply telling us that there were ‘behavioural and hyperactivity issues’. Now we can see Jack for who he is - but how many other children may also be facing ‘behavioural and hyperativity issues’ without people really understanding the depth of the child.
It is our hope that one day people will not only understand autism for what it is - but also understand the spectrum as it is, and all that it presents us with.
December 17th, 2007 at 5:35 am
This could’ve been a post on my blog - to a tee. What a great picture!
December 17th, 2007 at 6:15 am
For our youngest the diagnosis was easy and we were told by a children’s consultant that she was autistic when she was just 9 months old and the official diagnosis came when she was 21 months old by a Professor who specialised in autism.Beauty has very obvious signs of autism but her sisters who are high functioning never received a proper diagnosis as even 22 and 14 years ago the condition was not so well understood.My local doctor told me that SnoWhite at the age of 2 could not be autistic because she could pretend play pouring from a teapot!
Today as an older parent and having so much more personal experience of autism and having studied autism at university I am ashamed to say I would probably give a doctor who told me something like that a good slap.Sorry!
I agree with you that children who are high functioning autism or Aspergers definitely have it a harder time of it than than those whose behaviours are more obvious and getting help for them is even more difficult.
December 17th, 2007 at 7:19 am
I think it was only because Heidi was A) a girl and B) the youngest of 14 cousins that we realised so early that she has aspergers. Being female she is apparently supposed to develop communication and social skills a bit earlier than a boy and she just wasn’t. Plus she was different enough from her cousins that we started to ask questions and push.
I’m still kicking myself for listing to our EX paediatrician who said she did show typical autistic traits but not to worry until she was 4 years old (this at her 18 month checkup). It wasn’t until she was 2 and a half that I started pushing harder for answers and getting second and third opinions.
December 17th, 2007 at 11:43 am
That is my hope to.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I find one of the problems with those that have children on the upper end of the scale (severe, non-verbal dx - like my youngest), envy those that have children on the communicative end of the scale (my eldest). And think those with “mild”, “Aspergers”, “NVLD” have it easy.
I HATE low and high functioning… looking at my youngest… there’s nothing “low” or “slow” about him. He’s SMART!!!! He may not learn as quick or without help, but he’s learning, speaking, typing - and mastering - the 3 R’s - Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmatic. So what if he’s not fully toilet trained nor holds a conversation. Then I get “well his dx must be wrong”… makes me grind my teeth to keep from telling them that they have children and maybe they should learn to live with, accept and ENJOY them before they grow up.
My eldest has Non-verbal learning disorder with a s/l delay. Which makes his Dx - “a mild form of ASD” since NVLD does not have a s/l delay component. The s/l delay is now totally within the “normal” range for his age… it’s still there… language can give him problems but the school knows this so it’s a non-issue.
Had he not had the s/l delay he would have been missed. B/c of his dx a child last year - 2yrs older than he - was dx’d with Asperger’s b/c the child’s quirks and my son’s quirks are similar and it was time to get him assessed. I heard mumblings of “if he has ASD than this other one…??”
Given a choice… I’d rather take my laid back, happy, “severe” child on outings and leave my anxious, high maintenance “mild” child at home…
Easy… no…
S.
December 17th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Your son is so cute.
We had many problems with schools in that Maizie would behave well for the most part. She did not cause major problems or disruptions so we were looked at as over reacting. Our road to diagnosis was a long, bumpy and stressful one. We had every diagnosis except autism. Bipolar, PTSD, GAD, Mental Retardation and the list goes on and on. When I would bring up that I thought Maizie fit all the criteria for autism the doctors always said, “She is too loving.” or, “She makes eye contact so she can’t be autistic.” or the worse, “You don’t want to ‘go there’ yet…that diagnosis is too devastating.” I would get so frustrated because in my mind it was so obvious.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Thank you for this post! Asperger’s has definitely been overlooked. However, now that we have become more educated about the symptoms, the number of children in my own school that fit the criteria is astounding.
April 18th, 2008 at 4:40 am
Well, talking about Aspergers. I am 26 years of age. I was diagnosed several years back. But, should had been before hand but anyways, that is another story.
My husband is twenty-two of age and he has Aspregers, he has not been officially diagnosed just yet, we are going to have that done once we are finally finished moving. His sister is 18years, she has been in fostercare since she was 12, we just found out the other day that she had been diagnosed with Aspergers also. What pisses me off is that her case worker did not contact there mother and tell her. Or even the foster parent. There mother also most likely have it too. We have a daughter who is fifteen months and she most likely have it also. I am going to have her checked out when she is two or three. Nephew my elder sister her son seems like he has deffinant signs of Autism, not quite sure where on the spectun he’d lay. My other sisters three year old son(only child) we are also worried about too. My other sister, she has three childern. I am not woried to much about them.. only the baby who is a mounth younger than my daughter. She has always been sickly, almost died at birth. But, she extreamly worries me. She is really behind, but it can just be the fact that she has been a sickly baby her whole life. So she may not devlop no where near as fast because of it? o.o I just hope to god for her(the baby) and my sisters sake that she is not Autistic. Because of the father. I know he’d leave her and try to take the other two kids away. I just hope to god that the baby is ok. Sorry me rambeling. Just ignore it. Good bye. I go now. Sorry about that.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 am
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