Well, that explains a lot

After several years of looking at my now 10 year old son and wondering why he had problems keeping friends, why his social skills were lower than other kids his age, why he did certain things the way he did, we now know. He was recently diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

A friend of a friend's son has it and she works with special needs kids. She told me that she wouldn't be surprised if Kyle has it. So I got him tested. I told the doc exactly what I wanted her to look for. I never thought that there might be something "wrong" with my kid. He was always just Kyle, ya know? So I have a meeting with his teacher and the school counselor to create a 504 Plan for him. It's basically lower than an IEP that gives parameters for the teacher to follow when working with Kyle. Things like - he doesn't have to do cursive writing or timed tests or verbal spelling quizzes. That's what Jennifer - the friend's friend said I needed to get.

She also has recommended that I take him to a different pediatrician because the one we saw - just one of the docs at the office we go to - wants to put him on meds RIGHT NOW. I've never been comfortable with medicating my kids. That doc also said he's got ADHD and is extremely clinically depressed. Well, no kidding! I'd be depressed too if no one understood me, I didn't have any friends to speak of, and I was struggling in school. So the first thing this doc wants is to put him on some ADHD med that starts with an F - can't recall what it is. I didn't pick it up. Then she wants him to go to counseling and behavior therapy. Jennifer thinks developmental therapy would be better. She explained it to me and I think it sounds more of what we need for Kyle. And the cool thing is that she does it and she might end up working with Kyle, which would be really good since he already knows her a little and he has a super hard time with strangers and new environments (again, I never thought there was a condition - it's just Kyle!). We have an appointment with the recommended doctor in 2 weeks - her earliest opening.

Any one else with experiences with Asperger's that would like to share? I'm new at the idea of my kid having a condition (hate calling it that) and have always just thought it was my unique kid. Now, though, everyone wants to do something to him or for him. Yes, some of it I think would be helpful but a lot of it I think is crap. We've been dealing with Kyle's eccentrics since he was 4 and we're doing just fine, thank you very much. I don't know if I should just keep doing what I'm doing or try to get him some skills. I'm thinking I should get him some skills as eventually he's going to want to be on his own and the rest of the people in his future might not understand him.