Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional New here. I think my 7 YO, PG son has Asperger's

Oh Greenpalm. I have no expertise on AS or Autism. My DS7 falls into the camp of "doesn't seem quirky enough to be HG+". But he was absolutely adorable on that video! Thanks for sharing and good luck.

No, I did not say that and I do not think that every kid with AS has no sense of humor, never makes eye contact, and is not smart.

My son has met kids with AS online and he felt that he had a lot in common with one of them. The people with AS that we met online all seemed very, very bright.

I am the only one in my family that has trouble making small talk, especially with people I have nothing in common with.

My son is not shy like I was as a child and when I asked my very social former cheerleader daughter to rate her little brother's social skills, she said 10 out of 10. They talk to each other several times a day and enjoy verbal sparring with each other, just like his dad does with his geology professor sister. I am not sure, but I think that might be an example of social reciprocity.

He certainly doesn't lack the spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people.

He is good at making small talk with the friends who are interested in the things he likes. He doesn't want to talk about football or other sports that he can't play which is what most of his age mates want to talk about.

He doesn't have an encompassing preoccupation with one or more sterotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus. He likes video games, but no more than his friends, he likes history, but no more than one of his friends, he probably likes science a little more than most of his friends and none of his friends are into learning new vocabulary the way he does, some of his friends like trivia, but maybe not as much as he does.

There is no inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals.

He did do the repetitive motor mannerisms, but not so much now. I don't remember where, but I know I have seen this listed online somewhere as something that might be caused by sensory integration dysfunction. A child can have sensory integration dysfunction without AS.

I have looked at the criteria before and I still don't think it fits my son because he does have very good friends but they are several years older. He just does not have the required impairments in social interaction. There is only one that might fit--"failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level" --but when we told the developmental pediatrician that all his friends were gifted but several years older she told us that he had a "higher mental age" and that it was okay to have all older friends. If by "developmental level" they mean physical development then his motor issues, especially visual motor integration would be younger than his chronological age.

I just wanted to thank everyone again for your thoughts on this (and all the warm welcomes!) DH and I have decided that the only rational thing to do is to take him for an evaluation. We are exploring options for finding a good professional. Thanks so much for the support, thoughts and help. It's sticky jungle to navigate!

I'm glad to hear it, and I hope the assessment helps you in this crazy journey.

Greenpalm, you're very welcome.

Lori,

I am sorry if I upset you. But perhaps if others are routinely asking if DS has AS, it may be a good idea to get an evaluation? Then you will have it officially ruled out, and you will know that you have put the effort into it and can dismiss the idea completely. It may be that he has some aspie traits, but not enough for a diagnosis, but the test admins should still be able to help with recommendations and resources.

That's my last comment, and I hope you will realize that my intention is to help. MY DS with AS is struggling in some areas, and I wish that I had done more to help him develop certain skills when I had more influence. They grow up quickly, and then we can't make choices for them.

Just a quick non-scientific anecdote. I've found people and especially children seem to have higher compensating skills the more intelligent they are. Both my own girls have an issue or two that are "borderline"... I would say the symptoms are more borderline than the underlying cause actually is. They are both amazing compensators and are both extremely bright.
I think things get missed for some children who are superbright because they compensate so well.
My pediatrician recommends intervention when there is a diagnosable issue AND it is has to be somewhat problematic.
Example: DD8 cannot ride a bike or tie her shoes. We didn't get the scrip for eval until she became embarrassed about it. She has a mild swallowing issue which she has had therapy for when younger, but it is still a mild issue. Since there is no choking or aspiration issues he says, "just go ahead and let her drink from a straw the rest of her life. I have patients her age with feeding tubes so the straw is not the worst case". A little harsh, but somewhat sensical. I think they see a very high compensating kid and aren't as compelled to intervene with therapy. At least that's what I've seen, but maybe we have a bad pediatrician.

Or just a sensible one...I tend to think we're pretty quick as a culture to want a diagnosed label.

That's not to say that all labels are bad or that there aren't some kids who need intervention and get missed. Both are true sometimes. I think Greenpalm should seek help from someone who knows more than we do, and I have great sympathy for what Lorel has been through. I agree with what Lorel has written about the benefits of evaluation. In short, if your "Mom spidey-sense" is tingling, then I am 100% convinced that you should act to get professional help. You just should. Moms know. Trust that. See an expert.

But as a culture, in general, I think people have become much more comfortable with diagnosing and much less comfortable with quirks, and I find that troubling.

I'm with your doctor, 'Neato, if it is quirky but not problematic, then why meddle? Sometimes the fix is worse than the quirk. And why does everyone have to be the same anyway? When did we vote on that? I like quirky!

LOL!

I find this conversation absolutely fascinating! I'm in the middle of a very interesting book called, Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults by James T. Webb et al. (the subtitle is "ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders.") There is a 10 page discussion about the primary diagnostic criteria for Asperger's Disorder and the similarities between Asperger's Disorder and Gifted Behaviors. I got the book through an interlibrary loan, and highly recommend it. (at least what little of it I have read!)

I'm one of those moms who continually picks up and reads all of the books I can find on Asperger's, trying to find something that explains my son. He has never flapped his arms or done repetitive behaviors, although he would occasionally bang his head against things when he was really small. We found out that he had several food allergies (wheat, corn, dairy, soy, and eggs) and those behavior stopped when we adjusted his diet. This is very interesting since some autistic kids improve on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Oh and BTW, we had blood work done for food allergies, and my son always came back as negative. They seem to have a high incidence of false negatives. I have a really interesting article called "In the Dark about Corn Allergy" from the Living Without Magazine 2004. (unfortunately their web site only goes back to 2005). It explains how food allergies strongly effect kid's behavior. They don't always break out in bump or hives, or wheeze when they have an allergy. Corn in particular seems to make my son aggressive and angry, to the point where he lashes out at the world. Keep him away from corn (which is in everything... toothpaste, baking powder, anything with an adhesive like tape, most art supplies at school, and even toilet paper!) and he is as happy and content as can be.

He is an only child who continually has his nose pressed against a window, looking for someone outside to play with. But then he doesn't seem to fit in with the neighborhood kids. They are more inclined to ride their bikes or scooter up and down the driveways and not use their imagination. My son gets bored with sports and would rather invent complex stories and imaginative games. It makes for a very lonely childhood. The school psychologist thought that he had "sensory seeking behaviors", so I am intrigued by the comment about sensory integration disorder. Any one have any more info on this?

I also wanted to point out that I believe there is a wide range of behaviors in this world that can not be placed in any one category, perhaps because there are so few numbers in the population that exhibit them. My DH and I both exhibit a characteristic or two of Aspys, or are we just gifted, mathematically inclined adults who happen to be introverted or shy? What makes one gifted person highly social and other one socially inept? How do you separate out the personality traits of a fidgety, squirmy gifted kid and one who is ADHD. And what in the world do you do when your fidgety, squirmy, gifted kid might also be ADHD or an Aspy? It is hard enough trying to find out what to do when your kid is just highly gifted!!

I'm new to all of this and love to hear about the characteristics of all the gifted kids. I am learning so much from you. Hope the book tidbit and the food allergy comment help.

ebeth

Yes, my friend's DD is gifted w/ ADHD. Certain foods (dyes etc) just send her spinning around the room. It's tough to maintain the diet especially when they go visit other people or go out to lunch w/ dad. But the behaviour changes are significant.