My son is seeing the ed psych at school and I know he cannot dx anything like aspergers which is what we think he has.. who would he need to see for this proper assessment and dx to be done?

thanks xx

tweedle
Find a psychologist who does testing and also specializes in AS/autism and/or learning disorders.
It is important to get a good solid DX if you can, as it can make a huge difference for your son to get the proper care to mitigate his issues. The last thing you want is to have your son treated for the wrong disorder. With that in mind talk to your school psych and to your son's doctor. AS and autism are way out of scope for most MD's but his doctor ought to be able to put you in touch with someone who can help.

good luck

ME :D

I rang the GP after posting and it is a child psychologist/psychiatrist he has been referred to.. hopefully we will be able to get him some help in school as that is where he loses himself most often.. mainly due to the fact they have 3-4 different teachers each week.. it is so unsettling for him.

many thanks

xx

ETA.. is there anything I should ask or request directly?? I don't want to go in too knowledgable and make the psych think I am a know all PITA mother (which I am lol)

To the best of my knowledge, the only test I know of that's actually normed on Asperger's children is the GADS ( Gilliam Asperger's Scale).

I shall add it to my list.. thank you!

xx

...

ETA.. is there anything I should ask or request directly?? I don't want to go in too knowledgable and make the psych think I am a know all PITA mother (which I am lol)
In my experience, you'll be glad you have that PITA background - this could be a long, tough, uphill battle with the doctor, schools, friends, family, etc. There's a thread on the main portion of this forum that has lots of excellent links on Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as well as Asperger's Syndrom (sometimes called high-functioning Autism).

Gather any charts, records, development thoughts, notes about your child and whether or not he developed appropriately. Our son had early language and walking, but always spoke like a little professor or attorney when arguing (all the time!!). We only recently learned that the ASD makes it so he doesn't really know how to use that extensive vocabulary - he doesn't get the joke, doesn't understand nuances in conversations and has no clue if someone is trying to be friendly or threatening when he gets slapped on the shoulder - things like that.

I like MAAP's (http://www.maapservices.org/MAAP_Sub_Find_It_-_About_Autism_Aspergers.htm) web page for some real quick references. For more links to more detailed information see this thread (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20129).