Aspergian Tales

Hi, I'm Mrs. Marine, I'm happy to be a contributor here! You may have seen me around the Blogosphere at my other blog Mrs. Marine & the Tiny Troops.
My "Tales" are just beginning and I'm learning as I go. I have a 7 year old daughter and a 3 year old son.
Back in October both of my kids were tested for Asperger Syndrome. What caused me to seek out testing for them was actually because of my daughter. She has been doing Neurofeedback therapy since January to help with her (current diagnosis of) ADHD and Tourette Syndrome. Several months ago her therapist told me she had noticed that my daughter had some symptoms of AS. I began researching about Asperger's and the more I read the more it fit my daughter. So I made the appointment to see about getting testing done. They had told me that it was likely if one child has Asperger's then the other will as well. So Hubby and I decided to go ahead and have both kids tested.
Oddly enough, I went in thinking my daughter would get the diagnosis, I saw the signs with her, I didn't see them with my son.

My daughter's test came back and she has many symptoms but not enough to make a diagnosis of AS at this time. They suggested I have her reevaluated in a year or two. They confirmed again her diagnosis of ADHD and Tourette's. And recommended she be evaluated by a Occupational Therapist to confirm she has a Sensory Integration Disorder (which sensory issues are common with Aspie kids). The more I read, AS still fits her, its been proven that girls can be harder to diagnose with AS. Her therapist and I are still convinced she has AS and I have figure when she is again reevaluated she will then get a AS diagnosis as well. Her therapist also said that since she has been doing Neurofeedback for almost a year now that it has helped to mask her AS symptoms.

My son, has been diagnosed with Asperger's. His major symptoms are he's lacking social skills and has a sensitivity to sounds, textures and food (hes a ridiculously picky eater). Also, 1 in 4 kids with Asperger's have a large head (macrocephaly)... Go figure (Dr.'s got worried when he was 6 months old because his head grew too fast in a short amount of time, turned out to be nothing, he just has a big head, which he is slowly growing into)... His big head is not what diagnosed him, its just one of the many factors.

The testing also confirmed that both my kids are very smart and have advanced language skills. Which I already knew.

I don't want to "label" my children. Their individuals, there both unique, their NOT a diagnosis, a disorder, a syndrome or a label. But here, on the web, among the vast number of other bloggers, I feel its the best way to find and connect with other parents who have similar children. I need to find other parents for advice and support, so I know I'm not alone. I'm still learning about my children, about Asperger Syndrome and I think Ill continue to do that for a long time...