My son was diagnosed today with aspergers syndrome

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

I would look into nutrition and supplements. Organic, natural... etc.

I am already looking into that.

I watched the interview with Jenny McCarthy, her son is autistic and she sd she has him on a non dairy, no bread diet, and she noticed a huge difference. she sd when he isnt eating those hes almost like non autistic but she gave him bread one time and he sunk back into severe autism.

So yes im going to be researching a nutritional diet for Joshua. Thanks

She has a book too.

http://www.amazon.com/Louder-Than-Words-Mo...7499&sr=8-2

[jego ryu 0]

im sorry for your son,,,its good you found out early,,,,i know its really hard for you .....your in my prayers,hope this site can help..http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aspergers-syndrome/DS00551/DSECTION=6

Edited June 19, 2008 by jego ryu

[Jon-n-Michelle 0]

My 7yr old son is autistic. I've raised him and his sister by myself for the last 5 years. We recently went through a bout of mild seizures also. PM me, and maybe I can at least share some of my experiences with you.

[Eveline 9]

My husband's aunt has aspergers syndrome. I don't know much about it but if nobody had told me I would have never known that she is autistic in any way. She is very good with numbers, remembers every birth date etc. Also, she lives on her own, has a job and drives a car like everybody else. I'm wishing you all the best and much much strength.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I am sorry to hear this. Wishing you and yours lots of strength!

[o0pink0o 3]

i'm sorry to hear this you and your kid will be in my prayer.

[HAL 9000 96]

Lean on us for all the advice and sympathy you could ever want (and then more). Hang in there kiddo! I echo the healthy diet. If I am not mistaken you want his brain to get as many amino acids and even good fatty acids as possible to allow better myelination of white matter nerve tracts as well as to allow any excess neurons to get weeded out over time with positive, loving reinforcement.

[Aubrey 10]

I used to be a teacher, and I had quite a bit of experience with children with autism. I had two specifically with Aspergers, one of them over a two year period of time.

I'm no expert on autism, however my experience with my students definitely taught me not to lump aspergers and classic autism cases into the same boat. Children with Aspergers syndrome tend to be much higher functioning as they grow older and often have average to high iQs. Their lack of social functioning and often poor ability to write can lead to serious frustration, but I've also seen those same kids score brilliantly with little effort.

I strongly recommend you find support in your local community - other parents with children that have autism. You can learn so much from parents that have already been where you are. More importantly, you'll want to, if you are able, get treatment with professionals to improve your child's social/verbal functioning as much as possible. Otherwise entering school will be more difficult than it needs be.

And I know this is down the road a bit, but when your child does enter school, be sure that you know all of your child's rights under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). It was amazing how little the parents of my students with disabilities knew about their child's rights or needs, and it all starts with knowing the law and your protections.

Best of luck to you and your family, and if you've got any education-related questions I'd be happy to help you.

[almaty 19]

sister tara..let me know id you need anything..here is a list of famous folks..per a researcher

Michael Fitzgerald, of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin, has speculated about historical figures with autism in numerous journal papers and at least three books: The Genesis of Artistic Creativity: Asperger's Syndrome and the Arts,[4] Unstoppable Brilliance: Irish Geniuses and Asperger's Syndrome[5] and Autism and Creativity, Is there a link between autism in men and exceptional ability?[6]

Fitzgerald speculated the following were autistic in The Genesis of Artistic Creativity:

Writers – Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Carroll, Bruce Chatwin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Herman Melville, George Orwell, Jonathan Swift and William Butler Yeats.

Philosophers – A.J. Ayer, Baruch de Spinoza, Immanuel Kant and Simone Weil.

Musicians – Bela Bartok, Ludwig van Beethoven, Bob Dylan, Glenn Gould, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Erik Satie.

Painters – Vincent van Gogh, L.S. Lowry, Jack B. Yeats and Andy Warhol.

Unstoppable Brilliance discusses Daisy Bates, Samuel Beckett, Robert Boyle, Eamon de Valera, Robert Emmet, William Rowan Hamilton, James Joyce, Padraig Pearse and W.B. Yeats.

Autism and Creativity says the following may have been autistic: Lewis Carroll, Eamon de Valera, Sir Keith Joseph, Ramanujan, Ludwig Wittgenstein and W.B. Yeats.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I am very sorry to hear about your son. May God give you strength and direction.

[Aymerlu 3]

Welcome to the world of autism. As a mon of an autistic child (Aspergers as well) I don't recommend you read anything on the net. It will freak you out. Many times anyone and everyone with autism is lumped into this huge group and each person is so different and so individualized that the information with totally mess with you. There will be a lot of changes in your family, not necessarily for the worst. You learn to adapt to your sons needs and you set goals for him now. I hope you can find a good doctor that will really work with you and your son in reaching set goals for him. My son was diagnosed with OCD ADHD, Tourettes and PDD. Now I'm totally convinced all the other diagnoses are from the aspergers.

Here we have an organization (Boone County Group Homes) that has been wonderful. They are his advocate as well and his caseworker will show up at his school with me at any time to go oven his IEP. The group also pays for him to do things like swimming lessons, crafts, camps, educational material, etc. In a few weeks he'll go to a camp for Aspie kids. It was $800.00 for the week and they paid half for us.

Let me say this. Kids with aspergers are too smart for their own pants. Don't EVER let anyone tell you different. Be your sons advocate as I know you will and fight, fight, fight for him. I was told when my son was 8 that he'd never ride a bike and that he'd need daycare assistance as he got older. Well he's riding his bike all around the neighborhood!!!! He walks home from school everyday and he's been on the A honor roll for 2 years. GO BABY! Your son is a smart boy and as my son always tells people....his brain is wired a bit different than others peoples brains. Stay on top of things, and yes, it will get stressful, but in the long run you will have a successful son that will function perfectly in society.

I'm sending you a PM with my email and # if you'd like to call sometime.

[Ban Hammer 13,332]

i have seen one or two vj members say they have this, i'll do a search and be back.

[Ban Hammer 13,332]

threads on vj about it:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1828

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=118650

the vj'ers i remembered are here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77524

Edited June 19, 2008 by charlesandnessa

[chri'stina 190]

When something happens with our kids that we didn't expect, it is shocking. You have gotten a lot of good advice so far from people who have first hand experience. I hope you are able to find the right Drs to help you and that your son will function very well in his life...I am sure he will. God bless all of you.

[Sinergy 3]

First i want to say thank you for the amazing support! This is why i continue to come back to VJ daily, i love the flame wars, but the support for one another is more beautiful to read.

Aymerlu: I have recieved your email and i will be intouch with you, have also added you to my yahoo msger.

Bro Dean: i was hoping you would stumble upon this and give me some professional/personal guidence. love ya bro

Charles: thank you! I will read thru those today when i get a majority of work done, got a days work to catch up on.

rebeccajo: hugs are always good

I am in heaven with all of the advice and knowledge given to me. I will respond to everyone, and i will take all of your advice's. Thank you so so much!

My Joshua is incredibly smart, he was counting to 12 at age 2, and was potty trained at age 2...i was in denial for so long that there was things he was doing that didnt seem right. My husband and my mom fought with me about this for 2 years. But my heart said to wait. I am going to be by Joshua no matter what, im going to continue to treat him the same way i always have. adding in extra kisses now and then I will work harder on his speech, ontop of the speech therapy he is going to start attending, It will be alot of time away from work, but im prepared to cut back hours and go part time if need be. Im also going to apply for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), to protect me from losing my job because of time away from work by going to specialist and therapy.

He is the same son ive known since the day he kicked me when i sang to him when i was pregnant, and he will never be viewed different.

I do think its good to get another opinion or 2, and i will. His prediatrician has seen him since the day he was born, and has been monitoring him since age 1 when he began showing some signs. So when he said it yesterday, it looked like hed been wanting to say it for a long time but waited. But indeed another opinion is welcomed, so i will get on that asap.

Ok ive rambled ALOT i should get some work done now, but my mind is spinning.

Wanted to add something important,

Right after he turned 1 yrs old, he suffered a 17 minute seziure in which paramedics had to give him a shot of valum to stop the seziure. Im wondering if this is something that played a roll in the AS, bc it was shortly after that we saw some changes in Joshua. I dunno, just a thought.

Edited June 19, 2008 by Sinergy