Our son’s Aspergers / Autism Diagnosis
So, this post is a little different than the usual posts you’ll find on Coupons & Freebies Mom. But, since April is Autism Awareness month, it’s something I wanted to share with you. One of our sons was recently diagnosed with Aspergers / high functioning autism. To be honest, the official diagnosis wasn’t really a shock to us, as we had suspected he it when he was as young as 6 – 10 months old. He wasn’t like other kiddos. People kept saying “he’ll grow out of it”, but the older he got, this simply hasn’t been the case.
We love him to pieces, but living with a kiddo with Aspergers definitely has its challenging moments. He is way beyond his years in intelligence, but he doesn’t “connect” socially with people, at least not very easily, and this creates for some exciting moments when we’re out & about! 
Plus, tantrums go beyond tantrums, turning into total meltdowns that can last for hours.
I recently heard the new statistic for autism is that 1 in 55 boys have autism. This number is astounding! We live in a rural area, and resources are somewhat limited here, which makes life even more challenging. I’m not going to go into the details of our journey here (I’ll save that for another post)… But with that being said, I know we have lots of readers who also have children or grandchildren (or other relatives) on the autism spectrum. Please know that you are not alone! We’d love to hear from folks who have kiddos or other relatives who have been diagnosed with autism. Feel free to leave a comment & share your story below, or contact us to share your story! We’d love to hear from YOU!
-Jaime (aka “MOM”) @ Coupons & Freebies Mom
My son will be 15 next month and he has Aspergers Syndrome. I used to think “I cannot wait till he is a little older so things will be easier”. I was wrong. My son is constantly made fun of and bullied. He has been hospitalized twice in the last two years for suicidal thoughts, and he tries to ask every girl out that he knows. He sees a counselor weekly and a psychiatrist every other month but I am still at a loss with him!
Both my daughter and my 6 yr old nephew have been diagnosed with autism. Luke is more severe than Mariah. Most of the time she appears to be a normal 8 yr old little girl. She is VERY routine oriented and we have meltdowns when her routine is changed. We’ve learned over the years to control them and most times can even stop them before they happen. Having a quiet spot for her works wonders, she now recognizes when she needs to calm herself down and will go sit in her spot until she’s ok. We’ve also discovered that by changing her diet, a lot of the markers have lessened. We SEVERELY limit sugar and processed foods. I make everything I can from scratch.
Jaimie, thanks for sharing your story. I hope things better better soon. We have been warned by our therapist that the teenage years are very difficult for kids with Aspergers, and also the college years. We just take one day at a time, and I’m a very spiritual person, so I also pray, and that helps me.
Kim, our son is extremely routine oriented. Anything out of the routine can easily cause a meltdown that could last for hours. This is especially hard when we are traveling (we have to travel a lot this year for various reasons), but we try to create a routine even then, and that helps.
We pray often and he does too
I sometimes get down about it thinking it’s my fault, but then I realize God must think I am pretty awesome to be able to handle all of this!
I have a six year old boy with autism. He communicates through his IPAD primarily. He has very little safety awareness. But he is such a loving and happy boy. He is the joy of my life!
My little 2 year old nephew was just diagnosed with autism and one of my close friends has a four year old who is autistic. My nephew is so different than my friend’s son that I question the diagnosis. The muscles in his body are only developed to about the age of a 12 month old. Is that related to autism? My friend’s son can use any electronic device and is crazy over iphones- he still is not talking or using the potty. I know it is difficult for parents and these children. I’ll pray for you.
Jaimie, yeah it is easy to blame yourself as a parent. But, please don’t blame yourself. No one has figured out what causes it yet. I’m hoping one day soon it is figured out, especially as fast as it seems to be increasing in our world. I do agree that God must think you’re pretty awesome to trust you with one of His most special kiddos!
YOU ROCK! 
Mandie, thanks for sharing your story. I have heard that the iPad is being used a lot for kiddos with autism. Are there any special apps that you’ve found useful on iPad?
Katy, thanks for sharing your story and thanks for your prayers. I do know there is a wide range of kiddos on the autism spectrum, and each one seems to have unique abilities and struggles. I do think doctors are quick to diagnose autism, and it’s best to get a full diagnosis from an actual center on autism, or from a Ph.D psychologist. For example, here in Kansas there is the University of Kansas that has a special clinic that can diagnose kiddos with autism. The diagnosis usually done by a team of individuals. This is the most accurate way of diagnosis. I’m not saying other diagnoses are incorrect, but if there’s any doubt in the parents’ mind that the diagnosis may not be accurate, then definitely seek out another diagnosis. Link to KU website here (just an example since we live in Kansas): http://kcart.ku.edu/
I have 2 grandsons with Autism and 1 grandson with Aspergers.It is so hard sometimes.But they are the light of my life.The number for Autism is now 1 in 88,and it is scary.It makes you wonder what it is going to be 1 year from now.I believe all parents of autistic children are special.The love and commitment that you all share is beautiful….Yes,I believe God must think you are all pretty awesome to trust you with His most special children!!
Lue thanks for sharing. Grandparents of kiddos with autism are also special. I know our son has a very special relationship with his grandparents. He is able to connect emotionally with them in a way he is not able to connect with other people. So there is something special about grandparents as well. It’s been this way from a young age for our son, so the bond starts very young!
I use to work with autistic children and we used to put together books for these kids when their routine would be different. It seemed to help if they can picture the differences so when you travel you might consider getting some pictures of where you are going and where you will stay. You probably already know this but I thought I would put it out there.
Thanks Debbie, great idea!
My 28 year old nephew has high functioning Aspergers/autism syndrome. He is an engineer, makes good money, owns his own house. He has a great deal of trouble actually fitting in socially with his age group, but he has a good church family who love him. But when he was a kid, the hours-long meltdowns, not sleeping, and intense concentration focused on video games were a TRIAL to all. But hang in. There is hope. Get the treatment you can, then expect as much of him as your do your other kids. He’ll respond, you’ll see.
Thanks Pat. I’ve actually heard that folks with aspergers tend to end up often in scientific, engineering, or mechanical fields. I’d love to see our son as an engineer some day. My husband is an engineer, so maybe our son will follow that path too! Thanks for sharing your story!
Thank you for sharing your story. Our 9 year old daughter has Aspergers and it is definitely very challenging some days. We would be totally lost without the wonderful Psychologist we see weekly as well as the rest of her mental health care team. We may go completely broke with the medical bills but know we have to do what we can. Thinking of the future for her is sometimes so scary but we’ve learned to take things day by day and to look into the mirror at night and say we did the best we could for that day.
Our son was diagnosed with PDD (pervasive developemental delay) which is a cross between Autism/Aspergers but still on the spectrum. He has Sensory Processing Disorder which I would say is our biggest challenge. He hates to be barefoot even in our hot summer months. Routine, routine, routine! As he is getting older, he is a little more flexible but not much. He has to know every single place we go to before we even leave. He wants to know what we are eating for supper for the next year if he could.
School has been a big challenge as we have his IEP, but I sitll have to stay on top to make sure they follow it. Oh gosh I have horror stories but I won’t share. Some parents are really fortunate to live in a very accomodating area, but I don’t. We also live in a rural area so I know what you mean about limited resources. I’m tempted many times to move to a better area. I started a website about our journey and eventually turning it into a informational site more than a blog. I am so busy with school. You are definitely not alone and my son is improving so much with occupational therapy and speech therapy. He has both dysgraphia (handwriting) and apraxia of speech. Sorry for rambling but this is a great first step in getting your son the right help.
My son was diagnosed at 11 months old.He started at the local ISD when he was 18 months.He is now almost 12 years.In the beginning I had a really hard time dealing with everything,I was a 21 year old single mom with 2 small children and was very overwhelmed!! Back then most people had never heard of autism,and sopport groups were few and far between(or non-exsistent).My son did grow out of most of his issues.He does amazing in school and is very mature for his age.I do have attitude problems on a daily basis,but we are figuring it out.
I think that an early diagnosis plays a big part in how well they are able to adjust.Taking it one day at a time,and a LOT of trial and error is also important.Find an online support group if there isnt one in your area-sometimes just talking to others in the same situation can be a HUGE help.
My son is 11. He’s not diagnosed but I’m certain he has Aspergers. He’s high functioning and does pretty well when he has a set routine. This last year he moved from elementary school to middle school. Man was that rough. I’ve dealt a lot with child protective services this year as well because of the things he says and does. I pray that it gets easier because some days I just don’t know if I can take one more thing.