I too am just beginning to study Aspergers. My son will be 11 next month.
His doctor has recommended I read up on this, and talk to him next month
about testing. He is a wonderful child, bright faced, but has no friends
(except family). It is breaking my heart to hear him say "I have no
friends". I think he tries too hard, and overwhelms other kids. He also
tends to entertain instead of being a friend. Other kids (older and
younger)see him as an easy target to tease and pick on and he doesn't
understand that they are not really friends. I have worked with him to walk
away from these situations, however my older son insists I teach him how to
protect himself. I have many anxieties about this.

Sam uses facial expressions, he does have speech/language difficulties so
cant get his thoughts verbalized fast enough. He an excellent speller, yet
does very bad in math. He is frustrated for many reasons, and wants to lash
out but doesn't process the action fast enough. He doesn't stay focused in
school, but tells me he is bored. I'd be interested in this gluten-free
diet. Anything to offer?
DEBORAH HASLETT
----- Original Message -----
From: "samantha_roper2000" <samroper@...>
To: <AIPL@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 2004 5:41 AM
Subject: [AIPL] Re: newly diagnosed


> --- In AIPL@yahoogroups.com, "kkherald" <kkherald@y...> wrote:
> I am very glad that you wrote this email since your situation sounds
> a lot like ours. My son, James is five and for about a year we have
> had his teachers tell us that something seems off. I am a senior and
> I will soon be a teacher,so I have noticed the problems with other
> children. He doesn't seem to answer them or interact with them but
> he plays near them. A little girl asked him if this was his sister
> and she pointed to our other son. James harshly turned around and
> snapped why are you so silly, he is a boy. I saw that James didn't
> recognize that she had simply used the wrong word. James dose fit
> the characteristic pretty closely except for the lack of facial
> expressions. He is normally smiling, but sometimes he pretends to be
> frighten or amazed. I have been cruious about how children your
> son's age coope with this, because abstract thought normally develops
> around age 8. Does your son do well in mathmatics?
> I understand what you are going through I have been wanting to know
> what is going on with James for a while, but then it the same thought
> I want the answer to be nothing he is a bit of an odd ball and will
> grow out of the awkardness. I am glad that children with Asperger's
> have been known to attend college and marry but I realize that James
> has some unique struggles ahead of him.
>
> Samantha
>
>
> > My son, Logan-8 has recently been dx with Aspergers. It is sad and
> a
> > relief all in one. I have known something "wasn't right" since he
> > was about 2 or 3. Now atleast I know what to research to help
> him.
> > But needless to say I was also hoping for something more "curable"
> >
> > They say he is on the "mild" side but still, it is frustrating
> > knowing what to do. As a nurse there is that part of me that
> > struggles with the "unknown" of treatments that will work for
> Logan,
> > and even if we know for sure if we have the exact diagnosis for
> him.
> > I want to take him to the Doctor, put him on the exam table, draw
> > blood and hear "yes it is positive" or better yet "negative"
> >
> > Logan hits some of the charagteristics right on-other areas he does
> > not. I guess this is probably the case for all Asperger's. He is
> > very interactive with family and friends. Wants relationships with
> > peers but has none. He does not have the monotone voice or avoid
> eye
> > gaze but he just seems "quirky" when dealing with other children.
> He
> > does not "fixate" on any one thing. He never throws fits like they
> > say Asperger children often do. He is quite the opposite.
> > Accepts "no" and moves on--- Like its "no big deal" as an infant,
> > now that I think back, he was just kindof "there" He was
> interactive
> > but never smiled a whole lot nor cried a whole lot either. It was
> > like if you wanted to play with him he would entertain the idea but
> > if you were busy great-- he was content wherever you put him for as
> > long as you wanted just by himself.
> >
> > I really dont know why I am writting this email. I guess as a
> parent
> > of a child newly diagnosed I have so many quesitons I feel like I
> am
> > fighting just to float. Dont know where to start. To top it off
> > Logan is 8- almost 9 and has told me "I want fixed.. I dont care if
> I
> > have to have surgery" this is before he knew he actually had
> > something called Aspergers. It is agony having your child telling
> > you he wants "fixed" and you cant find the answers fast enough.
> > Naturally I tell him he is not broke. We talk about Aspergers with
> a
> > positive spin. I tell him it is NEVER a reason not to do anything
> > but that together we have to find a different or "special" way for
> > him to do things.
> >
> > Where he does hit the Aspergers right on is the processing side of
> > things and this is what I believe frustrates him the most. Knowing
> > he knows something and cant get it out on paper or even copy words
> > from the chalk board without it taxing him...He has the low muscle
> > tone and gets "lost" in space a lot. He is easily fatigued. Also
> > the recognizing that others dont "like" him at school. I see that
> he
> > does not know how to initiate conversation or even have anything in
> > common with peers. He talks above them like Aspergers children
> often
> > do. I am wondering if other Asperger children find it much easier
> to
> > interact with adults then other children. Logan can interact with
> > adults-even teenagers much easier then children.
> >
> > I am sorry to vent so much. I am just so full of emotions. My
> > husband understands what is going on but is in the "don't talk
> about
> > it" phase so I really feel all alone sometimes
> >
> > What have people found with the Gluten free diet? I have Logan
> > scheduled for a complete peptide and food allergy testing in
> > September. We are really wanting to treat him mostly naturally if
> > possible and using phamacology only as a last resort.
> >
> > Also if someone could tell me that their child only fits in some
> > areas of the characteristics and not fit the "mold" it would be
> nice
> > to hear. I know it is the case but like I said it is driving me
> > crazy.... that maybe we dont have the right diagnosis when I am 90%
> > sure that we do.
> >
> > Thanks so much
> > Logans mom, Karrie
>
>
>
>
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