Aspergers misdiagnosed as ADHD?

Gatorsgirl731 · August 2012

Hello! I have a 10yro DS who was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and ODD at age 7. I was wondering if anyone has gotten an ADHD diagnosis and it turned out to be Aspergers? The things I am reading on Aspergers are earily similar to my son. I feel like I am doing things all wrong with him. Half the time I wonder if I somehow speak a totally different language than him with the way he just looks at us like we have two heads. I may just be having a bad day, but it just seems as though he doesn't care. I feel horrible, like he needs something and I am the one who doesn't "get it". Any advise?

sweetie0228 · August 2012

My son is 12 going on 13 and last year was diagnosed with ASD. Previously, was only dx'd w/ ADHD in 3rd grade. Last year, 6th grade middle school, having the right dx made a huge difference in school. Starting the social skills classes and having the right supports in place just helped him to thrive and excel.

Also second the OASIS guide Auntie recommends.

d.f · August 2012

Mine kiddo is only almost 4. At the end of the appointment with the Developmental Pedi she said based on her clinical eval and feeling she did not think he had autism but wouldn't be surprised if he got an ADHD diagnosis. She referred us to the pysch because he has some markers for autism and the language the SpEd team used on their forms. The psych who counting breaks spent about 4 hours with DS gave him a PDD-NOS Dx.

Gatorsgirl731 · August 2012

I am looking at the OASIS website now. He does great at school work A's and B's. They are always telling me he has trouble reading, but last year the reading teacher got to the bottom of it while working with him. He CAN read anything, but he can not give you a back cover version of the story. I notice more and more if he has something to say if you try to stop him from saying it, well that's it you can only try, he will get it out one way or another. Listening is our biggest problem, how many times do I have to say "turn off the hose when you are done" before he remembers? His dad and I have been thinking that he is not being respectful and he isn't listening. But really? We have the same conversations every single day and he just goes blank and says OK. At school I get all good news, he follows the rules, they rarely have trouble with him. Only with talking sometimes, and when there is a melt down.

One thing that has always got me, that I just thought was really odd.. My grandmother and him were close. He has always had a fear of people dieing. Almost 2 years ago she died suddenly. We were all really concerned how he was going to react. I spoke with my dad who is a pastor and we sat him down and told him. He was fine. We went to the funeral, he was fine. I thought at the time he was taking ques from me. I deal with death differently, I grieve privately, so I just thought his grief will come in time. But it never did. She could be at Walmart by his reaction. Here is the odd part. About a year later we had this dog. He really didn't care much for the dog. Never wanted to play with it, got annoyed when it went in his room, just basicaly it was just in the way. But the dog got sick one day, I took it to the vet, and he didn't make it. He lost it! He still cries over that dog. So a person who he cares greatly about he has no emotion over loosing, but a dog he cared nothing about is the one he mourns. Is that odd to anyone else?

I have other examples of things that just do not add up to me, but that is the first that came to mind.

I should add that I myself am Bipolar with GAD.

Oh and while researching Asperger there was a test online to test yourself, I took it but answered with my opinion of him and he scored a 35 if that means anything. Is there a questionare I can fill out online to take to his doctors with me? We have an appointment next week.

Thank you for answering my questions and listening. I am sorry this is so long, and the spelling and grammar is all over the place.

light52 · August 2012

When my oldest was tested last year they diagnosed him with ADHD and ODD. They said he didn't have enough of the criteria to be clinically diagnosed on the spectrum, however, that didn't mean we were in the clear. They said as children mature a diagnosis becomes more obvious. We were asked to come back in 18 - 24 months for a re-evaluation to see if the diagnosis needed to be updated.

Gatorsgirl731 · August 2012

That's good info to have. We go in for check ins every 3 months, but it is mostly to check his weight. Me and the Mr. are having a talk about it tonight, I am going to show him some of the stuff I have looked at. He is more "old school" than me. Getting him to accept the ADD ADHD was hard, this will be even more so. I know sometimes he thinks I am making excuses for DS but I just KNOW when there is something more that needs to be looked at. Kinda like when your child has a fever. I don't know about y'all but I can look at mine and tell, no thermometer needed. Unless I want to know how high it is.

Gatorsgirl731 · August 2012

Auntie I can't thank you enough for your help. I am going to the Dr's visit well armed next week.

What you have said makes sence so far. Yes I can see where he has trouble re-telling an event or story, he gets hung up on all the details and misses the point. After hearing "the story" you as a listener are left wondering if you can get the past 15 min of your life back. (That is aweful I know). At his last evaluation by the therapist he was asked "What time does school start?" The answer started "when his alarm goes off, and ended with when the second bell rings and the teacher puts 2 fingers in the air". There was 3+ min in the middle that covered every moment of his morning, but not once did he mention a time.

Gatorsgirl731 · August 2012

"This is perseverative behavior. It's an anxiety driven compulsion. What sort of topics does he get stuck on? Does he have special interests? Does he reepeat dialog from movies or TV? Does this dialog have an almost fantasy feel to it? Like "oif I were president"?"

Mostly hunting and fishing. He knows more about fishing than most adult "fishermen" do. My FI, DH in 32 more days and we call him dad, was the first person who was ever able to "teach" DS anything about fishing or hunting. Meaning he is the only one he will take instruction from. Based on that we thought the transition from "fishing buddy" to being a father figure would go pretty smooth, and it did at first, but that was 2 years ago, now things are a struggle. But now we are noticing the struggle is not just with the two of them but with me as well, which makes me think that DS is changing. He's a talker which never concerned anyone because I was a talker. Mostly yeah he will talk about something that couldn't happen.

"AS is a developmental delay of about 1/3 chronological age. His emotional development is not where you would expect. He likely has glitches in his auditory processing. How does he do with verbal multistep instructions? He may need instruction broken down, visual prompts or gentle reminders."

As I am still learning about AS but the delay in age really just knocked me over because DH and I have talked about how some of the time he acts several years younger than he is. And I have noticed as far as playing with other kids he does better when they are younger than him.

The verbal mutistep instructions. Hmmm I did this last night, with the way he comes in the house. The door sticks on the jam and if you don't turn the knob all the way and open it slow it makes an aweful noise and will eventually pull the door jam out. It needs to be fixed, but we are fixing to pull the whole door out and put in a slider until then we just need to be careful. I explained it all to him, broke it down, and told him why he must be careful. Thinking if I gave a reason for it he would understand better. I made sure to make my point but also be brief. He gave me his blank stare (aka the I'm in trouble face) and said OK. Turned walked out of the house to get something from the car came right back in the same way he always does. Some days are better than others. The *I'm in trouble face* is what I would call as his "odd facial expressions". It's there all the time, he will make it when we are just hanging out etc, but he looks like a kid who just got in trouble.

"Sometimes the structure or school and the clearly stated behavior expectations there are an easier place to be better behaved."

Again after reading about AS I am thinking the reason for the difference between school and home, IS because of the structure. We have routines at home dinner time, bath time, bed time etc, but at school it never wavers. You go to lunch at the same exact time every day.

"Sometimes their literal interpretation of religious explanation "Grandma's in a better place" means they don't grieve."

At the funeral when the pastor was going over the process before hand with the family about 40 of us he asked if anyone had any questions. DS raised his hand and said "We don't need to be sad about grandma, because now she lives in our hearts. When ever we miss her we can look up and say hello, and feel her smile through our hearts". I have no idea where he got that from it is not how I explained things to him everyone involved with DS agreed that we be honest, so he did not get confused but also be sensitive. We were, and he was like OK. Then he pops off with that.

"Why not bring the questionaire. I'd ask the school for a MFE, including a ADOS, GADS and Vineland. You might want to see a developmental pedi as well."

This I will do. For sure.

I am so glad I posted this question, I can not thank you enough for answering all my questions. I hope you don't get the idea that I think I have a "bad kid". I love my boy very much, and I do get frustrated, not at HIM but at our inability to connect. I know he needs something further from me as far as instruction and probably comfort but I just don't know what I am doing wrong, or what I need to change.

Aspergers misdiagnosed as ADHD?

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