Diagnosing for Asperger's Syndrome - Pro's Con's & future concerns

[HealingComforts]

I am a newbie to MotheringDotCommunity forums and a longtime lover of Mothering magazine & attachment parenting.  I am the mother of 1 average teenage son & 1 adolecent son who very likely has Asperger's. Our local schools IEP team & his doctor both highly recommended that we have him diganosed. I am VERY concerned though. I read that they recently made a change to the DSM-IV-TR (big blue dianostics book of the mental health world) diganosisdefinition for Autism & grouped ALL forms of autism (both low & high functioning/spectrums) into one main diagnosis of just "Autism".  If this is true, THIS concerns me for my son's future in this world.  I am not one who approves of labeling, yet I do see the benefits to him & our whole family if he is diagnosed.  My major concern is the fact that he will be grouped into the label of Autisic instead of Asperger's by the new definitions in the DMS-IV TR & his future in the career world.  Any advice from anyone is sincerely apprecited!  Pro's, Con's and information about this re-definition in the DMS-IV TR, are completely welcome :)

(Below I have included a few links to the information about teh change in the DSM-IV TR)

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2695965/dsmv_aspergers_syndrome_to_be_eliminated.html

http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/opus/issues/2010/spring/autism_aspergers

Below was copied from Wikipedia (not a source I generally trust full-on, but thsi looked pertinant):

Proposed changes to DSM-IV diagnoses

Asperger syndrome

Main article: Asperger syndrome

There have been proposals to eliminate Asperger's syndrome as a separate disorder, and instead merge it under autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Under the proposed new classification, clinicians would rate the severity of clinical presentation of ASD as severe, moderate or mild. However, this proposal has inspired much controversy amongst Asperger's Syndrome specialists such as Tony Attwood and Simon Baron-Cohen and opposition groups, such as "Keep Asperger's Syndrome in the DSM-V."^{[11][12][13][14]}

Blessings, Love & Light~

[Linda on the move]

well, only you can figure out what is best for your child.

For my DD, who is both gifted and has Asperger's, it means that she gets the accommodations she needs to be successful in school, and that she'll be able to get accommodations right through university. Without that, she'd have NO future. She'd spend the rest of her life hiding in her bedroom freaked out and reading books. For us, it's a no brainer. The dx means that she can be who she is, not spend her time trying to pass as normal, and she can make her life something that is beautiful for her. Because of her dx, she could easily end up getting a PhD and going into research, without it there's no way she'd get through high school and she wouldn't really be employable.

I don't give a hoot about the Autism/Asperger's debate. My kid is on the spectrum, whatever they want to call it. I want her to have the best life possible FOR HER.

[rainsmom]

Thanks for that moving honest response.  

[HealingComforts]

Thank you so very much for your authentic & very respected reply!  We have decided to go through with the diagnosis for our 11 year old son...for the very same reasons you replied with.  I truly respect & honor yoru integrity & authentic answer. 

[Linda on the move]

I wish you well on this process.

I found the evaluation process a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me, but I'm not sure why and I don't think that it has to be. My DD really enjoyed the process. She liked the doctor she worked with and found the actual testing to be more enjoyable than school! She liked learning more about how her brain works, and felt relieved rather than burden by knowing the official name for the ways in which she is different. If what is going on with your son does turn out to be Asperger's, there are books written directly to teens with lots of quotes from other teens on the spectrum. I think 11 is a great age to get an evaluation. At this point, you know that they aren't just going to out grow it, but there is still time to work on specific issues. One of the best things we did for my DD was a social skills class.

There is so much hope, and so many reasons to be positive.

peace.

[beachcomber]

My DD was recently diagnosed with Autism Disorder. I asked at the outcomes meeting about PDD-NOS and Asperger's and they told me that in light of the upcoming DSM IV combining of the various diagnoses under the Autism Spectrum Disorders umbrella they were just going to diagnose her as Autism Disorder. The psychologist went on to explain that since all these disorders are treated the same way and using the same proven methods, there is little reason to continue with various labels. It also can make it more difficult for families to get supports if their child has a label that isn't currently accepted by their insurance, school district, province/state funding body, etc. This way, the definition is clearer, the path to supports is clearer and the prospects for the child (should be) better.

Yes, Autism has a stigma attached to it. There are a boat load of societal misconceptions about what Autism is and how it can impact on a person. Not every person on the Spectrum is Rain Man. Not every child is a savante who can play the piano like a virtuoso but can't speak. Not every child with Autism is going to grow up to be Temple Grandin (though thank the Gods she is who she is and is vocal about Autism!). Do I like that some people may make assumptions about my DD based on her diagnosis? No. I hate it. But some people will make assumptions about me based on my red hair and glasses. Ignorance is everywhere. It's a fact of life.

I know that being on the Autism Spectrum officially has helped my DD. We have access to provincial funding for early intervention. We will have accommodations made for her throughout school. We can access recreation, culture and sports with subsidies for her to help us defray the cost of individualized lessons, etc. We have access to supports for us as well. We can meet with other parents of kids on the spectrum to compare notes on how to navigate the government, school system, how to advocate for our child, etc. We can attend seminars and obtain tools we need to help her with behavior and more.

It's SO TOTALLY been worth it for us. Oddly enough, getting the diagnosis for my DD was one of the best days of my life. The shock of the ramifications of what it meant came later. The knowledge that the province considers her disabled really unsettled me later on. But that day, I was happy because I knew we'd finally get the help we needed for her to succeed.

[HealingComforts]

Beachcomber~

Thank you for this informative and well spoken response!  We ahve decided to go ahead with the diganosis.  For many of the very same reasons that you did.  I am now certain that having my son diagnosed will not harm his future, but only help it.  I was fearful of hte labels that he would possibly aquire, but I now realize fully that those are other peoples' opinions & they matter not to me (and hopefully not to my son either).  What matters is that my son gets all of the help he requires as well as feels STRONG & SOLID in who he is, no matter what people decide to label him.  His welfare means more than words or labels.  He is super smart, very talented and I am sure he will go to great heights whether he is on the Spectrum or not.

Once again, much gratitude for all of your openness & kindness. It is very appreciated!