Asperger's Syndrome - Hammond,IN

Reach out to the Social Worker at your preschool and ask her if she would be willing to link you up with a Mom (or two) in the district that has a child with Asperger's. Because of privacy issues, she won't be able to give you a name -- but she probably knows who would be willing to talk with you and can make the contact on your behalf. If your school doesn't have a support group for children with special needs, perhaps you should charter a group! My best wishes to you and your family.

Hi C.:
One of my daughters is an Aspie - it's often referred to as a "spectrum" because it encompasses a wide range of behavior levels, so what it looks like for one family can be quite different from another. There's a *wonderful* online community for families with children on the autism spectrum here http://childrenwithasd.proboards.com/index.cgi , where we share both the challenges and the little triumphs (child having a good playdate or not freaking out on a field trip).
For me personally - I see a lot of my childhood social challenges in my daughter so I can sorta identify with what kinds of things might cause her to be anxious or melt down. But the main thing I'd say is that *you* are the one who knows your son best and you'll find that you can trust your instincts on a lot of things. Also even though it can be heartbreaking when a child doesn't seem to "get" social interactions as easily as his/her peers, on the positive side they often don't "get" the down-sides of neurotypical social behavior - for example, my aspie daughter at age 9 is not likely to be a "queen bee" or bully because she really doesn't get how to be manipulative in what she says to other people. Granted, she might *unintentionally* hurt someone's feelings by being a bit blunt and saying something like "I hate cake with icing on it", but I've never seen her purposely say something to be mean to someone else.

Look into Easter Seals- I keep hearing they have fantastic support groups for children and parents, as well as therapies, etc.

My daughter is not an Aspie, by clinical diagnosis, at least, but has similar aspects to her personality- so much so that we were shocked when she did NOT test on the spectrum. She does, however, have PANDAS, which you might also look into, since those things can be linked (as well as Lyme, Tourette's, etc.)

One thing that we have found to help is going to a gluten-free diet. I know this is pretty standard procedure for Autism/Aspergers, but I wanted to throw that out there lest it get lost in the flood of information (I know, I know! It's totally overwhelming!)

I have a food blog if you are interested in trying diet changes-
www.chickiepea.wordpress.com
and Feingold.org is a great place to start as well. There are also excellent forums at ACN forums if you are looking for an online community.

Hang in there- once you have a diagnosis, it does get easier to find community, support, resources, and peace of mind. I'm not one for labels, but sometimes we need them to figure out where we "belong" in situations like this and to find help.

Many hugs,
M.

My daughter is an aspie. She is 10 and in a mainstream 5th grade classroom. Social workers have been some of our best resources. Brian King is a social worker and an aspie. He has a very positive approach. Brian has a website and blog. Parents write their comments too so you get a mix. Brian's website is http://spectrummentor.com/. You can also friend him on Facebook to find out when he posts a new article. Best wishes.

I'm not familiar with resources in Indiana but in Illinois the Department of Human Services could tell you about support groups, etc. in your area. Autism Speaks is a good group. I believe they have a website and they sponsor walks each year. I know there is one in Chicago most years. You can also get on their email list. They send research news, tips for parents & siblings and they also have a section called "in their own words" where parents, siblings & people on the autism spectrum share their stories. The doctor or psychologist who diagnosed him should have some resources for you too and will be able to tell you what sites/sources are legitimate. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming for you now.

My son doesn't have Asperger's, but he has many of the same characteristics as he has severe Sensory Processing Disorder. My son is 3.5, and every day is a whole new experience. We have good days and bad days, the good being absolutely wonderful, and the bad is we have to stay home. I know when it's going to be a bad day right away in the morning, and I just make those "jammie days," where we stay home all day so I don't have to endure the stares and judgment of others. It gets easier, and I just remind myself to view things from ds's perspective. I do well most days, but some days I feel like a terrible mother. Don't be hard on yourself. I also find that I need to have our life scheduled out, with plenty of time to warn ds of any changes. For example, he has therapy every Wednesday and Thursday. If there is going to be a day or time change, I need to prepare him several days in advance. We talk about an upcoming change several times a day, just so he knows what's coming. If you have an understanding family, it is wonderful. If they just "don't get it," you'll find yourself explaining things over and over! Visits to my parents are great, but visits to my dh's parents are a nightmare - they just don't understand how ds just works differently than we do. So, I just had to find a simple way to explain, and we have to be very firm about the importance of why we do what we do. I wish I could tell you that it gets easier, but you get used to it. I wouldn't trade my hair-pulling days for anything! If you need someone to talk to, feel free to pm me!

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but there's a show on NBC right now called Parenthood, and one of the families featured has a son who is diagnosed with Asperger's at the beginning of the series. I worked in a classroom for a semester with a kid with Asperger's and the show seems pretty close to how he acted.