My journey down the road named Asperger’s Syndrome has been long, full of twists and turns, bumps, and patches where the pavement has been washed away. Still, I push on as giving up is not an option when it comes to Ben. While Ben has been diagnosed recently, my family has been living with Asperger’s since his birth. Getting an accurate diagnosis is difficult, as Asperger’s Syndrome has symptoms of other disorders. My family was given many different diagnoses: Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is defined by Autism Speaks as a label given to those individuals that have mild symptoms of autism but not severe enough to be given a dhttps://contributor.yahoo.com/content/article/pending/?content_type_id=9328747iagnosis of autism or Asperger’s Syndrome (http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/pdd-nos). From my personal experience, this diagnosis did not help Ben receive assistance in the school environment as it was too generic, a black and white label one often sees on food products. My husband and I pushed for further testing; we wanted an accurate diagnosis to help our little boy. We then received the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Asperger’s Syndrome has similarities to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Your Little Professor states that children are tested regularly for ADHD but not autism (http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/adhd.html). Children with ADHD often talk a lot as do those children with Asperger’s Syndrome. The similarity between the two disorders ends at this point. Ben will talk for hours on a subject even after those listening have tried to change the subject. He does not understand the give-and-take in a conversation, as Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized by the inability to communicate effectively. As Ben can stay on a topic or an activity for hours at a time, I knew that ADHD was not the correct diagnosis just a similarity between the two conditions. My Asperger’s child also exhibits extreme anxiety yet he does not have an Anxiety Disorder.
A characteristic of Asperger’s Syndrome is an extreme dislike for any type of change, whether good or bad. Changes in Ben’s schedule, his “plans” for how his day should turn out, or loss of control of a situation cause him stress and anxiety. These events will trigger a “meltdown” and a full-blown anxiety attack. We currently have him on an anti-anxiety medication that helps alleviate these symptoms and get him through his day. While I did not approve of the medication when it was first prescribed, I have seen positive results in his behavior during his time at school.
Getting a proper diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome is difficult but along the road with the same name it is not impossible. My husband and I are Ben’s communicators, his biggest cheerleaders. While the road is long, with many twists, turns, and obstacles, the joy that is “Ben” is worth the journey.