HI Have not posted on this board before I have posted on others on this site.I feel like that my son may have been misdignoised. HE is nine years old and has some sensory problems like sounds that hurt his ears clothes that feel funny <I had to buy socks without seams> certain foods will taste funny to him even though there is nothing wrong with them then he hates having his face and hands washed he says that it hurts. I just feel really lost as to why these things bother him. And I read a little about Aspergers but not enough to know much. Can it show up later in life or is that rare? Is it hard for doctors to know if that is what is wrong. He has been on meds for one thing but so far none have worked the way they were supposed to and I am at my wits end. Any advice would be so good right now. Because he also has behavior problems and has been dignoised with severe ADHd and Bipolar disorder. I am taking him to be tested for ASpergers. Hopefully that will rule out anything else . Thanks alot in advance. Tylersmom29
Hi Tylersmom. I don't think that apsergers just shows up later in childhood. However, it can be misread as something else. Autistic tantrums can have a remakable resemblence to bipolar mood swings. I have a 9 year old bipolar child and a 5 year old autistic child. I can see that it would be very easy to misdiagnose a child on the autistic spectrum with bipolar, especially if there were no language delays. It is also possible to have both disorders. I think you are wise to get your son re-evaluated. I really believe that there is something to mother's instincts. You need to keep pursuing things until you are comfortable with the answers you are getting.
Would you be willing to share some more information about your son and his early years?
HI Have not posted on this board before I have posted on others on this site.I feel like that my son may have been misdignoised. HE is nine years old and has some sensory problems like sounds that hurt his ears clothes that feel funny <I had to buy socks without seams> certain foods will taste funny to him even though there is nothing wrong with them then he hates having his face and hands washed he says that it hurts. I just feel really lost as to why these things bother him. And I read a little about Aspergers but not enough to know much. Can it show up later in life or is that rare? Is it hard for doctors to know if that is what is wrong. He has been on meds for one thing but so far none have worked the way they were supposed to and I am at my wits end. Any advice would be so good right now. Because he also has behavior problems and has been dignoised with severe ADHd and Bipolar disorder. I am taking him to be tested for ASpergers. Hopefully that will rule out anything else . Thanks alot in advance. Tylersmom29
Hi tylersmum
My ex partner has aspergers syndrome, he is now in his 40s and when growing up was thought to be a difficult kid. We were together a number of years, and I also thought he was just plain difficult. It is only really been the last couple of years after he did a test on the net, that we have recognised that all these years it was Aspergers all along.
The thing that I recognised in your post is the food problems and also the fabric irritation. My ex has to wear only 100 percent cotton items, otherwise it 'irratates' his skin, also can't wear certain shoes, no labels in clothes etc etc. As far as food goes, he hates most foods, can't stand tastes, textures etc etc, and gets by on the very minimum of food stuffs.
He also can't control volume when he talks, and doesn't realise he is shouting, gosh the list goes on and on.
My son has tendacies towards aspergers, but not as obvious as his dads.
There is a very helpful young lady here on these boards called Gatsbyluvr1920 who has Aspergers, and is very helpful to speak to someone who actually has the condition themselves.
Hi bestyann I was nineteen years old when my son was born newly married and did not know anything about babies. I had nothing to go on I had only know that from the begining nothing seemed right. He was always moving always into something and had huge impluse contorl problems. BEfore he was school age he would bolt right out the door before you had time to think and he would run away from you when you tried to catch him. It got so bad that we had to put alarms on the windows and doors so we would know he was going out. It was the most stress ful time and then kindergarden started and you can see what happend there. He was so out of control they told me to take him out of school and wait another year to see if he would grow out of it. I was so young that I just did not know what to think ask or do. and I feel so stupid now for not doing something then. I really think somthing is wrong. I can remember him being in the car in his carseat and trying so hard to get out of it and crying like it hurt him to be in it. ANd then the list goes on. This time I am going to try to remember all I can about his younger days so that we may be able to get a proper dignoises. He has certin foods he will avoid and clothes that bother him (tags socks with seams certien colors smells) I never knew what all that meant but now I guess age make s us wiser. HE also has the behavior problems with mood and anger . So hopefull y soon I will get some answers in the meantime I will try to hang in there these past few weeks have been really hard on me and my little boy. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
I would recommend going to the library and getting the book. The Out of Sync Child. It explains sensory integration disfunction very well. Your son sounds as if he is very hypersensitive to his enviroment. That can cause a lot of meltdowns as the world can be just too over stimmulating and even painful.
Did he have any language delays or odd speaking patterns?
You will be my thoughts and prayers. I do know how overwhelming this can all be.
Hi, My son, who is now 11, was diagnosed at the age of 7 with Aspergers. A pediatrician was visiting his school and was in his classroom with another child when she witnessed him reacting extremely badly to the music that was being played. She said I need to see him. He has, luckily, only mild Aspergers but there are definate symptoms that go along with his disorder. A ridgid routine is good as some Aspergers suffers feel in better control of their busy, loud and fussy world if they know when, where and what they are doing each day. Always inform them prior to any changes so they have time to process, as they don't cope too well with change. Also I'd advise to carry on tell your child if their behaviour is innapropriate, even if you know it can't be helped. This will eventually get through and they will know what is expected of them when out in society. Sound, Light and a chaotic life are problems for kids with Aspergers. Good luck.
HI Have not posted on this board before I have posted on others on this site.I feel like that my son may have been misdignoised. HE is nine years old and has some sensory problems like sounds that hurt his ears clothes that feel funny <I had to buy socks without seams> certain foods will taste funny to him even though there is nothing wrong with them then he hates having his face and hands washed he says that it hurts. I just feel really lost as to why these things bother him. And I read a little about Aspergers but not enough to know much. Can it show up later in life or is that rare? Is it hard for doctors to know if that is what is wrong. He has been on meds for one thing but so far none have worked the way they were supposed to and I am at my wits end. Any advice would be so good right now. Because he also has behavior problems and has been dignoised with severe ADHd and Bipolar disorder. I am taking him to be tested for ASpergers. Hopefully that will rule out anything else . Thanks alot in advance. Tylersmom29
Just from reading what you wrote, it's obvious there are some sensory issues. However, I have read from an autism book (and heard from my son's OT), that sensory processing disorder does not necessarily mean your child has Autism. SPD/SID can occur in kids who are not on the spectrum. My daughter is almost 5, and has some sensory issues herself- not as extreme as my son's, but still. There has not been any reason for us to suspect she is anywhere on the spectrum at all. She never had real behavior issues, she never had a problem with speech, and she is quite a social person. So my point is, sensory issues in and of themselves, aren't necessarily telling.
However, with the behavioral issues, perhaps it is worth getting a second opinion. When my son was diagnosed just after his 3rd birthday, the results of a behavioral checklist "survey" we took, showed that he had issues with hyperactivity, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.. I know that he's a boy, he's little, etc.. but I also know that sometimes, it's his Autism playing a role.
Best of luck to you! I hope you find somebody who can give you the answers you're looking for.
The sensory issues definitely sound like a red flag to me, but does he have any "special interests," areas of obsessive fixation that he must always talk about and pursue? This is a hallmark of Asperger's, and there are few Aspies who do not have this trait. I find it interesting that your son says getting his face washed "hurts." I, too, am not fond of getting my face and hair washed, especially as a child. When I'm home from college, my mother always insists on washing my face, and I constantly am pushing her hand away, while she does it. I think, really, it's to reduce the pressure. I hate getting my face wet. I'd say that it may be number one for my sensory issues. It's horrible. Being wet by itself is misery for me, but I just simply cannot stand having my face wet. If your son truly does have Asperger's, it makes sense that they thought/think he's bipolar. Like others have said, it is possible to both be on the autistic spectrum AND have bipolar disorder, but a lot of the time, Asperger's is mistaken for bipolar disorder because Asperger's isn't well-known. I, too, was mistaken as possibly being bipolar (several doctors thought I might be cyclothymic, bipolar IV, and I also suspected it), and that's why I currently am on the mood stabilizer Lamictal, which has helped immensely with my mood swings. Still, I know I'm not bipolar. My mood swings are always related back to abrupt change and/or sensory issues. And they are very short-lived. Bipolar individuals cannot simply switch their mood swings on-and-off. They are cycles, and they must be completely lived through. There is no trigger, either, other than the neurotransmitter levels. Anyway, I think you are very wise to check into Asperger's because there is a good chance that it may be the problem. I'd be interested to hear your son's other Asperger's symptoms, if any. Good luck, God bless, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
__________________
"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
Hey GatsbyLuvr! It's nice to see you on the boards again. You have been missed!! Your insight is always so helpful. This last post helped me realize why I do not consider my oldest son to be AS. He pushes towards the spectrum in so many ways-- he is close, and I was not really sure why I think it is not all the way to AS-- well he does not have the special interests in a manner consistent with AS. After reading your post it was one of those ah-ha moments.
my son was recently diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome. he was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 years old. and i just had feeling that it was wrong.
now that we know exactly what is going on i feel much better about his treatment.
Hi, BetsyAnn! I'm glad I was able to be of help to you, and I'd be interested to know what it was in my post that led you to your conclusion that your son isn't an Aspie. Hope to talk to you soon.
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
__________________
"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
Hi GatsbyLuvr. Since studying AS I have always considered my oldest son to merely "push" towards having aspergers. He is highly intelligent, he has sensory issues, he is a bit ocd (germ phob.). Yet there is something about him that just isn't aspie and I wasn't really sure what that was in my mind. When I read the first line of your post I thought ah-ha. That is what is missing--the special interest. I am sure there are some doctors that would still consider him AS while others would think he is not. Actually, all of the autism research has really helped me understand him alot better. It was not until I started researching autism that I learned about sensory integration dysfunction. I believe I also have a degree of this.
Okay, I see. Yes, the "special interest" is pretty much a given. My one friend is an Aspie, and he doesn't have any "true" special interests, so it's not an absolute necessity, but after social deficits, the perseverations really are what defines the disorder. I'm not horribly socially deficit, but my Asperger's definitely shines through with my "special interests." I'm a "rambler," and if you get me started on one of my obsessions, I'll talk for hours if you'll let me. I have trouble ending conversations, so I'll just go on and on and on. It gets pretty bad when I'm with my two Aspie friends or with my one friend who isn't an actual Aspie but who has strong traits. They ramble, too, just not to my extent. So, I'll go with the intention of talking for five-ten minutes, and I'll end up staying an hour. Yes, if your son is gifted, then he may have strong obsessive-compulsive and Asperger's tendencies, though he may not qualify for a true diagnosis. The three often overlap, and many Aspies have OCD, too (I'm one of them). It can be a very fine line where someone crosses over from being "gifted" to having a neuropsych disorder, and your son may be right on this line. At any rate, it's great that you have been able to help him with reading books about Asperger's and Sensory Integration Disorder. I hope to hear more about your son's successes.
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
__________________
"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
I just wanted to mention again that is so nice to have you back. It just wasn't the same while you were out.
My youngest son, who is autistic, was very hypo-sensitive. I thought it is was interesting when we were filling out of all of the behavioral check lists when we were in the process of getting him diagnosed because so many of the issues deal with hyper-sensitivity. I remember marking no .. no .. no .. and thinking hey these don't apply to my son who is autistic but they sure do describe his brother.
I am also a rambler. I frequently avoid calling my favorite people because of time restraints. I do the same thing--plan on a 5 min. conversation and end up talking for an hour.
My 9 year old son has Asperger's. He was diagnosed when he was in Kindergarten. It is my understanding that Asperger kids are diagnosed later than other kids on the spectrum. While my son has sensory issues and has undergone sensory integration therapy, that wasn't his only issue. I read a book titled "Parenting Your Asperger Child" which gave 6 characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome. (I don't remember the author.) My son happened to have all of these characteristics.
1. Difficulty with Reciprocal Interactions
(They don't comprehend the give-and-take nature of social interactions.)
2. Impairments in Language Skills
(especially with pragmatic use of language, which is the social aspect)
3. Narrow Range of Interests and Insistence on Set Routines
4. Motor Clumsiness
(gross & fine motor skills - also motor planning to complete a task)
5. Cognitive Issues
(The inability to make inferences about what another person is thinking.)
6. Sensory Sensitivities
(can be in one or all of the senses)
I hope this helps. "The Out-Of-Sync Child", which was recommended by another post, is a terrific book.
I haven't read this whole thread yet, but my son- who was diagnosed with Autism back in September- has really blossomed since the diagnosis. He is talking almost as well as his sister did at his age. He is 4 months shy of his 4th birthday, and is reading and writing now. He still has some social issues, and definitely has behavior issues (has a hard time with transitioning, or having things different from the norm, not to mention being told "no". LOL), and there are some slight motor issues.. but I am wondering if when he's re-evaluated before Kindergarten, if he might be diagnosed with Aspergers instead. (and what would that mean in terms of services he's now receiving?)
Could my child have Aspergers? 
I'm glad I was able to be of help to you, and I'd be interested to know what it was in my post that led you to your conclusion that your son isn't an Aspie. Hope to talk to you soon. 
Since studying AS I have always considered my oldest son to merely "push" towards having aspergers. He is highly intelligent, he has sensory issues, he is a bit ocd (germ phob.). Yet there is something about him that just isn't aspie and I wasn't really sure what that was in my mind. When I read the first line of your post I thought ah-ha. That is what is missing--the special interest. I am sure there are some doctors that would still consider him AS while others would think he is not. Actually, all of the autism research has really helped me understand him alot better. It was not until I started researching autism that I learned about sensory integration dysfunction. I believe I also have a degree of this.
(and what would that mean in terms of services he's now receiving?)
