my name is Julie and I am curious as to what tests need to be done to diagnose aspergers.....i have been a few times to a pediatrician and also a counsellor who has a lot of experience with this. She has told me that he is aspergers and all the tests done have been her observations at the doctors rooms, me and him answering questions from her checklist and the diarieses me and his preschool teacher have kept over many weeks......i feel that this is a hasty diagnosis and am curious as to what else my son will endure after i take him elsewhere.......

i understand where your coming from. we are still in the process of the diagnosis at the moment feb 6th 2007 is the next specialist appointment. we get comments from the family and just random ppl. ppl really can be hurtful it really p****s me off to no extent. i dont feel i should need to explain why my child does not listen, or is difficult.. what business is it of everyone elses. i am just sick of all the stares and the whispers.. yes i hear them. i am looking at getting my child some tshirts.. just to help them see what the issue is and get over it and move on instead of stare and make judgements. i am so sick of this. does anyone else get made to feel so small. i love my child. i am here to try to protect her and sometimes its hard for me to deal with that i cant always protect her i am just happy she doesnt care or really understand. we love her and thats all that matters.

we have had a nasty dr appointment where a paediatrician told us that our daughter was stupid and an oddball.. so we are getting used to bastards being assholes. some ppl just cant understand my hostility when they begin to lecture me or whatever.

i am getting angry while i write this. she is not naughty. she is autistic. its time for ppl to be able to see a difference. YES she makes noises... deal with it ppl.. what is classed as normal anyways!!

my 2c worth.

I know exactly what you are going through your children and my children are the same age.  I have a 5 1/2 boy and a 2 1/2 boy.  My oldest son is PDD (Pervasive Delayed Disorder) he was diagnosed with this lable of Autism when he was 2 1/2.  He has since then been in all the right therapies with all the right people.  He communicates on the level of a 3 year old. Also functions on this level as well.  Not long after his 5th birthday he has received another diagosis, This one called him Mild Developmental Disablity just another way to tell me that he is not at the level he is suppose to be at.  After all the doctors and therapist I have come to realized their help is needed to aid me with the proper care that must be given to him.  I am the one who knows my son best.  My advise to you would be do what you feel is best for your son and family but also what is best for you.  You need to keep yourself together and don't listent to the people that make comments in public and stare because if they had to walk a mile in our shoes they would be reacting totally different.  I say this to you because I am now waiting on the assements to start with my 2 1/2 year old son who is showing most of the signs.

Give yourself a pat on the back you can only do what is humanly possible even though as moms we think we should be able to do everything for them in reality we just can't.  We can only do our best.

I also have a six year old son who has been diagnosed with an ASD, and my heart goes out to you. It's so hard to shake that feeling that if ONLY I had done something different, this wouldn't be happening; it's also difficult to explain to people who don't have an autistic child what life in your house--or mine--is like. I'm so glad you're here, at Minti, and I hope you will join the Autism group.