aspergers, how do you help someone who is firstdiagnosed at 31 years old?
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Develop coping strategies help them understand the idiosyncrasies in everyday life.
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the athritis foundation is the best source to go to...my daughter was diagnosed at the age of 6 and they helped me alot...also ...your doctor who diagnosed the jra should have plenty of information at hand for you.
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I am female and now 49, and was diagnosed w/MS when I was about 24.  At the time I was diagnosed, there was no 'proof positive' test for MS.  I believe the best test now is the MRI.  \nDepending on your relationship with your PCP, I would try to explain about your concerns and possible sysptoms and that you would like to talk to a Neurologist; who would be the doctor to be treating you if you did in fact have MS.  \nThough, remember there are literally thousands of diseases connected to the nerves, and a lot of the symptoms are the same as MS.   \nAs for your concern about being diagnosed '...until it's nearly too late to do any good about it...'  there are no preventative drugs for MS.\nThere are 4 types of severity of MS, and each person can differ from one to another. Also even if family memebers have MS, it doesn't mean they will all have the save 'type' of MS.\nThe newer medications now on the market have been proven to 'keep' the disease in remission for longer and longer periods of time.  (It's been over 5 years for me now, and I contribute it to the new medication - so there is almost always 'something' the doctors are able to do to help with the symptoms.\nThe only real advice I will offer is not to get 'stressed' out by thinking about it. Talk to a Neurologist and get some information from the Hospital Library.  \nI really haven't heard of anyone actually 'dying' from MS, more from commplications of the disease.\nWhen I was diagnosed, I was told the 1st requirement for MS is: a sense of humor! And trust me that piece of advice has helped me through the years...
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Try writing a social story.  Carol Gray's website is very helpful for this.  Clearly identify when and why you have to wait.  This really works for kids who can comprehend the verbal and/or written story. \n\nIf they are lower functioning, use a picture schedule or pair a "wait" card with the action of waiting.  You might really have to practice this in various settings before generalization will occur.  \n\nAnother thing I have tried is giving a "stim" item to take the pressure off of waiting.  Often these kids don't have a clear concept of going from one place to another due to unfamiliarity or excitement.  Think of it as something really uncomfortable for them.  Give him or her something to do while waiting.  This can vary...it can be a koosh ball, a walkman, headphones, jumping jacks...etc.  \n\nRewards can be key as well....try to shape the behavior by rewarding key steps.  \n\nThe key with autism is it might take several trials of unsuccessful strategies until the right one clicks.  Keep good data, provide lots of practice and direct instruction....and don't give up.
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Please keep pressing for solutions other than psychological! Go to as many doctors as it takes and make a nuisance of yourself if your concerns are brushed aside or put under the "mental illness" umbrella. \n\nMy 5-year-old nephew was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease (a severe allergy to gluten). This disease is commonly screened for in parts of Europe, but only now catching physician's attention in the US. It was once thought to be rare in the US and most well-meaning physicians simply don't think of this as a possibility. My nephew was extremely lucky to get a correct diagnosis so quickly as this disease has symptoms (including those you described) that can mimic many other diseases. Making it even more complicated is that the symptoms, severity, and age onset vary from individual to individual. At any rate, this will give you something to be ruled out if it has not been explored as a possibility.\n\nFor more information go to www.celiac.org. I hope you quickly find a solution. If doctors are leading to dead end diagnoses, I can see where you would post on forums like this for any ideas that think "outside the box" for a possible cause/solution.\n\nGOOD LUCK!
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Hi... I'm sorry you guys are having to go through this. I can totally relate to this... I am 21 and am diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression that's recurrent and severe, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and DDNOS. In the past year and a half, I've been hospitalized 9 times and have seen several psychiatrists and therapists. I've been on many different medications. So I do know what he is going through. \nI have been out of work since January of 2005. I first had to apply for Temporary Disability and be on that for 6 months before I could apply for Social Security Disability. But when it came time to apply for SSD/SSI I was nervous because I had heard from MANY people that it was a long process, and you almost always get denied on the first try. It took 8 months for them to give me a decision, and thank god, I was approved on the first try. I think that I was approved on the first try because of all the documentation I had... from the doctors, hospitals, and therapists. So I would definitely recommend getting as much support as you from his treatment team. \n\nI hope that everything will work out. Don't listen to the people on here who are saying nasty things. They have obviously never had to deal with severe mental illness before. You and I and everyone else who has suffered from it either personally or through a loved one knows that mental illnesses truly are debilitating. \nGood luck!\n~Julie~
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Stare with your gp who should refer you to aspecialist and a psychologist. Its gonna take years, so be patient.
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Here is info on asperger syndrome from WebMd.\n\nhttp://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/...
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Your question doesn't make any sense. Do you know someone who has it and you want help caring for them?  Do you know someone who might have it and need help geting them diagnosed?
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I have a Diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome and I went to a special school called Hillingdon Manor. It's an Inderpendent special school which was set up by a group of parents looking for a school for their children. It's been going for quite a few years now and they're always looking for staff. I'd suggest contacting them, I don't have their number so either search for it online or if you can't find it e-mail me at: Morpheusy2k4@hotmail.com Good Luck ;-)
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Does your son have aspergers?  I know that this is often referred to as High functioning autism.  I personally know one young man with aspergers and my mother has worked with autistic children and adults for many years now.  I hope you and your son are both well!
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I am looking for those answers too. I have a 16yr old brother who has Aspergers also. I found a website before, but it required me to go to work shops and buy books when time didnt permit me to. This is a link to a good site. I read some more and it has a test that you can purchase and will give you information about your child and the training he needs. http://www.autismtoday.com/index.asp\nThis site has a lot of info. Good Luck......\n\nDid this site help you?
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You have to stay on the school and the teachers. Let them know that you are a concerned parent. If your not there call them. They should have given you a parent rights book when they made that decision. I have a 16yr old brother with Aspergers.  A good site to get onfo also is http://www.autismtoday.com/index.asp. Remember dont let up. They will see that you want whats best for him, not any special treatment.
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Asperger's is a very confusing experience, not just in adolescence.  It is a mild form of Autism, so everything is confusing and strange.  Can't be put into words.
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I am a special education teacher, and also the mother of a child with special needs (learning disabilities, ADHD, OCD, and a bunch of other diagnoses).\n\nMom to mom.... don't freak about this.\n\nYou hit the nail on the head when you noted that HE is not phased by the idea of doing kindergarten again.\n\nThe BEST time for repeating grades is in Kindergarten and/or 1st grade.  This allows him to get a good foundation of those basic skills, rather than falling farther and farther behind while being presented work of greater and greater difficulty.\n\nEven at higher grades, if he did the repeating thing early on, most kids won't notice that he's that much older than them. However, bullies will be bullies, and they find something to pick on with everybody... just report them and the school should deal with it.\n\nWhen he is 30 years old, nobody will care if he graduated at 18, 19, or even 21! All they'll care about is whether he has a high school diploma or not. If he goes to college...the college won't care what age he got the high school diploma, either!\n\nYou said he is in a private school. Is he getting speech therapy for his apraxia? Is his teacher trained in special education methods? You do know that the public schools will still provide speech therapy and special educator resource services for children in private school (required by law).  \n\nIf this private school he's attending didn't get you and him linked to the services he needs, if their teachers do not have special education training... I would strongly recommend that you seek a different school for him. With his learning differences, he really needs teachers highly trained in instruction methods for kids with language disabilities and ADHD, as well as speech therapy. How's his handwriting? Have they discussed Occupational Therapy for him? \n\nTwo years retention is really the most he should ever have. In public school, especially in special education, retention is rare and usually only involves repeating kindergarten once and/or 1st grade once. Additional instruction needs are taken care of through pull-out special education with specialists trained in helping students with learning differences build their learning skills.\n\nThe earlier the correct intervention, the better off he will be in the long run. \n\nIf you want to keep him out of public schools for faith reasons, you may need to look at moving to a place where there is a Christian private special education school.  If you can't afford to move, you may have to trust that your and your church's instruction of faith will be enough to compensate for the concerns you have with public schools, and send him to the special education teachers and therapists that can give him the academic help he needs. \n\nLook at these sites:\n\nhttp://www.wcris.org/WebFiles/ResourceFiles/ESeries4.doc\n\nhttp://www.policyreview.org/jan99/fox.html\n\nhttp://dpi.wi.gov/sped/doc/prischpart.doc\n\nAn example of public school provision of special ed to private school students: http://www.sandi.net/comm/factsheets/special_ed_pppss.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat)\n\nFinding a new private school? Try these:\n\nhttp://www.privateschoolreview.com/\n\nhttp://www.stlrcga.org/x439.xml (many states and large cities offer this sort of listing)\n\nhttp://www.napcse.org/\n\nhttp://www.schoolfinders.net/\n\nhttp://aerkis.com/\n\n\nTake care, pray on this, and trust that G-d will guide you.
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I'm surprised that your doctor can't provide any answers. Is this a your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist? Your primary care doc may not have the best information, but if it's your psychiatrist, geez... \n\nGo back and get more specific. Ask for options or reading material. Do a Web search (www.webmd.com is a good place to start), and get your own information. Sometimes you have to take charge of your own care. \n\nYou also should ask the school about adaptive teaching for you. This is a disability and they can make accommodations. My son has ADHD and needs extra time to complete papers becuase he has trouble focusing. He also takes his exams with a headphone playing classical music. It helps keep him from getting distracted by other things in the classroom. \n\nGood luck, and I wish I could offer more insight. I know there are medications for this, but you already may be taking them. One key is to take them all the time. People with bi-polar disorder tend to drop the meds when they're in the "good mood" phase.
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Theories suggesting a psychological cause were originally the most widely accepted, but the majority opinion is now that Asperger syndrome is at least partly genetic.\n\nThe overwhelming majority of available information on Asperger syndrome relates to children; there is currently more conjecture than hard evidence on how it affects adults. It is thought that most people with Asperger syndrome learn to cope with their social impairments later in life.[citation needed] However, there is no "cure" as such, and some people, including prominent clinicians such as Attwood and some of those diagnosed with Asperger's, would strenuously argue that a cure is neither possible nor desirable (see "A gift and a curse" and "Culture" below), mainly pointing out that the syndrome is a hereditary trait and attempts to "cure" or eliminate it would be an example of eugenics. Organizations such as Cure Autism Now disagree; this remains a highly controversial area.\n\nAlthough they are not recognised as often, there are adults with Asperger's. Adults are not as regularly treated, yet they still have similar problems as children. They may find it difficult gaining a job or getting into undergrad or graduate schools because of poor interview skills or a low score on Standardized or Personality tests, due to this they may be more vulnerable to poverty than the general population. If they do get a job they may become victims of bullying or be misunderstood at work. They may also have difficulty finding a life partner and getting married because of poor social skills. Even later in life, many people with Asperger's report a feeling of being unwillingly detached from the world around them. On the other hand there is a large group of Asperger adults who do get married, get a doctorate from a fine university, and hold a job; it just depends on the individual. More research is needed on adults with Asperger's.