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...

I have found someone who also raises an Aspie and she has most kindly agreed to share some of her experiences here. I continue to look for other contributors but soon, Mrs. Marine will be joining and posting a little about herself!

My Aspie struggles with socks that have uncomfortable seams and she will have a little "tantrum" if they "hurt" her toes. Anyone else face this problem? I remember from my childhood that my brother was exactly the same way!

Thank goodness for Smartknit socks. I think I'm going to have to buy a bunch for stocking stuffers!

The other day, we went to a Red Lobster for dinner and while we were waiting for the food to arrive my little Aspie piped up with this question:

"Do they have bubble gum in Iran?"

I looked at her a moment in that stunned mom silence that we sometimes get.

"I really don't know, but why do you ask?" I said.

"I was just curious."

"Oh, well I'll see what I can find out for you." I said

I then turned to some friends and facebook and got the answer that yes, they do have bubble gum in Iran, though it is rude to chew it in public and even more so for women. Which I can completely see how they'd have problems with that.

Any new little questions from your Aspie?

School has been a difficult area for us since... well, forever. In previous years, we would have mornings or afternoons when she would cry and have a meltdown over how much she didn't want to go to school and how bad her days were.

She is now in the 5th grade. She has now presented me with the "Why do I have to even go to school?"

I'm finding it a difficult question to answer for her. Trying to reason, trying to explain, doesn't really help. So I've resulted to using the "it's a rule" method and telling her it's the law that children must go to school, when I say it, she accepts it, but the question has popped up a couple of times. Honestly, I'm not quite sure how to answer her.

What do you suggest?

My Aspie visited with the PsyD, LP in November of 2008 and received her diagnoses of Asperger's after a two day evaluation. Here is a segment from that evaluation:

"Meg was evaluated over the course of 2 testing sessions. Meg presented as shy and quiet. She was neat, well groomed, and carried a black notebook wherever she went. Meg generally displayed good eye contact and appeared to easily engage in social interations with the examiner and to share her interests. Almost immediately, Meg told the examiner a long and detailed story regarding one of her school projects, and it was somewhat difficult to redirect her focus back onto the testing."

Communication of "stories" with our Aspie has always been difficult. The stories have many interruptions and sometimes take quite a long time to get to the point, if there is a point at all. I'm curious, how is your experience with the stories?

I don't ever want to rush her and I see how people who don't know her can become frustrated by the length and disorganization of her stories. Lately, they've been getting worse. I'm looking for tips on ways to help her with her story telling. What do you suggest?