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Autism/WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

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Expert: - 7/31/2005


Question
NOW THAT MY SON HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AS WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM THE SCHOOL ,AND ARE PEOPLE WITH AS ELIGIBLE FOR SSI.IT WOULD HELP ME WITH DOCTORS VISITS AND COUNSELING IF THEY ARE.ALSO,WHAT SHOULD I DO AS A PARENT TO TRY TO HELP THINGS GO SMOOTHLY IN SCHOOL?

Answer
Hi Tiffany,

You don't say how old your son is so I'm kind of shooting in the dark.  In general, here are some answers to your questions.

1.  Your son is entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP).  He will receive help in his school work and in social skills through the public school  This is at no cost to you.  Go to every IEP meeting.  You have the right to call for a new meeting, at any time, if things are not going well for your son.

2. SSI is a maybe.  Usually, people with AS don't apply for SSI until they have attempted to make it in the job market and failed.  NOTE: failure is not a certainty.  Many AS people do very well in college and become successful employees and parents.  If your income level is low enough, you may qualify for state funded insurance to cover his care.  Talk to your state social work department.

3. The most important thing you can do, as a parent, is to educate yourself about Autistic Spectrum disorders.  Many schools do not have a grip on what Asperger's Syndrome means in the educational setting.  AND most importantly, they don't realize that each individual with AS will have a somewhat different set of issues and differing severity of those issues.  You know him far better than they do and you can lead them toward things that work for him.

4. Don't keep it from your son.  I have met parents who won't tell the child he has a diagnosis because they want him/her to feel "normal".  Believe me, the child knows he/she is different already and having an explaination for it makes it easier to deal with.

Here is a short list of books and web sites to begin your learning:

http://www.autismaspergers.net/intro.htm
http://www.autism-society.org

"Beyond the Wall" by Stephen Shore
"Thinking in Pictures" by Temple Grandin
"Ask and Tell" edited by Stephen Shore


Best wishes,
Catherine

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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