Does my teen have autism?
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be persistant and aggresive if you must. go to any doctor who will listen. you have the internet at your fingertips, find any info you can. but do not be a hypochondriac mom. gather facts of symptoms, and go to doc... my nephew has a mild form of autism and not diagnosed soon enough i think, but now after she fought for him it is better and he gets the help he needs... there are different forms that may not present in the same way. find a specialist and have him tested. his life is in your hands.
Maybe he has Asperger's Syndrome, a milder form of Autism.
From Wikipedia:
"Individuals with Asperger's commonly share characteristics such as an ability to focus intensely on areas of interest, hyposensitivity/hypersensitivi... to certain stimuli and sensory integration problems, self-stimulating ('stimming') behaviors such as rocking back and forth or verbal utterances, and difficulty interpreting facial expressions and other social cues. Some positive characteristics include things such as enhanced mental focus, excellent memory abilities, superior spatial skills, and an intuitive understanding of logical systems. These characteristics can often lead to fulfilling careers in mathematics, engineering, the sciences, music, art, or language."
I've read about of Asperger's and Autism before. If your son is autistic, then he is a highly functioning Autistic. Has your son been to a therapist lately? Perhaps his regular doctor can refer him to a neuropsychologist for a proper diagnosis. If one is unwilling to make a diagnosis (whatever the diagnosis may be), then you must move on to another. Don't give up, as you know, no one else is going to actually go the extra mile to try and help him like his own mother.
Good luck!
There's a whole spectrum of autism disorders.
These days, it's not safe to be male. What used to be called "he's all boy" is now defined as criminal behavior.
You need an IEP. The only way you get one is to show that he qualifies for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The state must identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities in the state who need special education and related services. To do so, states conduct "Child Find" activities. A child may be identified by "Child Find," and parents may be asked if the "Child Find" system can evaluate their child. Parents can also call the "Child Find" system and ask that their child be evaluated. Or —
Referral or request for evaluation. A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child's teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal or in writing. Parental consent is needed before the child may be evaluated. Evaluation needs to be completed within a reasonable time after the parent gives consent.
It won't be easy. This is a pain in the kiester for the school administrators, so they'll probably try to dismiss your concern with a wave of the hand. Don't let them do it.
He's right. Life can be very un-fun for someone with an autism spectrum disorder. He can't help himself, and nobody else is likely to care enough to help him, so it's up to you. I hope you're up to the challenge. Basically, you need to make it less burdensome for the school to do their job than it is to deal with a persistant parent.
well im not sure but i have a brother who has autism he is 9 and has been atending speical school and therapy since he was 3 or 4.. he was diagnosed when he was 2 and also been reading since he was 2.. well my mom can answer more questions about this then i can. or u can talk or something like that..let me know if u wanna ask my mom some questions..
mlwatson08@yahoo.com
your son can be a hyperactive child. he needs to see a developmental pediatrician for proper evaluation
It's EXTREMELY important that you have him evaluated. I understand your feelings, but I have to tell you that I think it is tatamount to child abuse to have been told your child may have an extremely difficult, life-changing problem and to have done NOTHING about it for what, a decade? I know this may feel like an attack, but can you say "Parental Neglect"? Ultimately, it doesn't begin to matter how you "feel" about his condition. What matters is a) How does HE feel? And you've reported he's miserable and acting out all over the place. And b) What are you going to do about all this, even if it's 10 years or more overdue? I need you to really look at what situation you and more importantly HE, would be in if he had a physical condition that you refused to look at or deal with for a decade. Is this not called Medical Neglect? It is a form of abuse! Every single weekday of this child's life, you have sent him to an institution where he is misunderstood, in pain, made fun of, punished and mistreated, and you think this is okay? Of course the school system isn't going to do anything about this! It's more expensive for them and causes them to have to hire additional personnel, make accommodations, hire people with more specialized training, etc. etc. It's really just so much easier to hide your head in the sand and make it the child's daily living hell, isn't it? My sister has a little boy, Luca, with high-functioning autism. She has been working with him as her full time job, her life's work since she became aware there was a problem with his development at about 9-12 months old. It cost her her marriage, because her husband is in complete denial, too, but it has made ALL the difference for her son. She goes to court to FIGHT for him when the state or the school system where they live will not give him enough hours of therapy.
Isn't it about bloody time you got off your denial and did something proactive for your child? Seven to ten years of unmitigated hell, misunderstandings, no diagnosis and mistreatment of your child and you did NOTHING because you couldn't deal with the fact that there might be something wrong? I wish I could say "Better late than never", but I can't considering a) you were TOLD to get him tested when he was 4 or 5, and b) considering how incredibly important EEE (Early Intervention) is in the life of autistic children. I could understand a 10 DAY delay, or possibly even a 10 month delay, but 10 years? Great job. Stellar performance as a parent.
Did you really deserve your son who is "Beautiful, intelligent and so unique"? What have you done for him on the most important issue of his life?
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