Testing my 5yo son for Asperger's

[satiglenn]

Isaiah will be 5 in September, and I'm taking him to the Dr tomorrow to see if we can get a referral. I'm not sure if this is really anything, or if I'm just being paranoid. He has a lot of trouble in social situations, like not ever answering anyone's questions. Ever. Even people that he's known all his life, like family. They'll ask him about school (we homeschool) or his friends, or even what he had for lunch, and he'll smile at the wall and make some noise, like "tck tck tck tck" or something crazy like that. He's really smart and doing great in school, but he can't seem to "act right" around other people (for lack of a better expression. I never say that kind of thing to him.) He also has a thing about numbers/music. He know exactly how many minutes and seconds for every song on every cd in our house. He has a pretty big collection of calculators, and he counts by (enter number here)s for different songs. He got upset at his dad the other day because he (dad) wouldn't replay a song when Isaiah wanted to count by four's to it. Like, he literally had a melt down. He knows how many pages are in each one of our books on the bookcase just by naming the title. He also has serious anger issues, and is completely incapable of controlling his emotions.

Does this sounds like something, or is he just a "normal" little boy, and I'm a paranoid parent? Any insight, ideas, or experience is welcome.
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[MunchkinWear]

I'm definitely no expert, and don't have anyone in my family who is on the spectrum, but from what you described, your layman's diagnosis sounds very possible.

Roz, even when she was 2 or so, would answer questions posed to her, so at 5, your son should easily be doing the same. His lack of interaction sounds like he could be on the spectrum, and with his phenomenal skills with numbers, etc., sounds like that of someone on the higher functioning end of the spectrum, such as Aspeger's, since they sometimes tend to have savant-type skills.

I know it will be a bit of a blow if you find out he does have Asperger's, but then you will be able to get assistance and guidance in how to help him through life and make the best of all his skills/talents.


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[satiglenn]

Thanks, Mary. The doctor saw us today, and is concerned enough to write the referral We should have it be Monday, and start the process. Not sure whether to be relieved or not, ya know?
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[MunchkinWear]

I know it may be tough to hear that your concerns are accurate, but once you get the diagnosis, you will also have other doors opened for you to help get your son through school in a way that's easier for him (via the Disabilities Act).

We are always here, too, for when you need to get advice or vent, etc.
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[whidbeymom]

Don't get too worked up about this. Yes, it does sound like the referral is the way to go, the sooner you know something the faster you can start getting the help for you son and even if he doesn't end up being anywhere on the autism spectrum, the doctor might have another idea on why he's acting the way he is. Just think about the possibilities that can be opened up for you son now instead of waiting until he's older!

If you get a chance, do some research about Temple Grandin. She suffers from autism but has gone on to become a doctor and worked to redesign slaughterhouses so that the cattle don't get nearly as stressed out as they used to, among other things. Had to read about her for a psych. class I took and found her life very interesting to say the least.
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[MunchkinWear]

[aLittleBouncingSoul]

It very well could be something other than a spectrum disorder, but I hope you're able to find some answers either way!
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[satiglenn]

Thanks, y'all. Support makes it easier, and I will def check out that movie
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