Could my son have asperger's syndrome/disorder?

Hi, my son is 8 and on his first day of school, aged 3, the teacher took me to one side and asked me if i had ever had him assessed for autisim. He was seen in the school, but i left the area not long after and never got a diagnosis. I moved out of the uk to Ireland, 4 years ago, and his problems have never went away. Jack cannot make proper eye contact, when he looks at you he pulls his eyes really wide. He cant stand loud noises or smells. He has never had a friend, not 1, he just cant mix with his peers. He either talks non stop about his fish and his shell collection, or ends up in a tantrum and a fight when things dont go his own way. Ive had his school begging me to get him reassessed with the doctor as they just cant cope with him anymore. He is very immature, his 3 year old brother could buy and sell him. He flaps alot, the sweat could be running off him, for example when hes playing the computer, and if i ask him what hes doing he says hes exercising. He was born 1 month early with a low birth weight and his father, although he was never seen to, has several of the same traits and funny habits as Jack. He cannot control his emmotions at all, he cant behave in social settings, so i avoid doing anything which involves his interaction. He dosnt get authority figures, he does not seem to understand what behaviour is acceptable in what setting. If im honest hes gotten worse as hes gotten older. He used to spend hours in a corner running cars over the bed and back again, now its 10 hours straight on his computer, or hours talking about or starring at his fish. Life is not very good at the min, i would appreciate any help or guidance on this matter, kind regards Carrie...

[Jessica L Thomason Sassi, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

Autism is characterized by severe impairment in social interaction skills, communication skills, and/or stereotyped (ritualistic) behaviors, interests, and activities.  Asperger’s Disorder has a similar profile (restricted interests, delayed or inhibited social interaction skills), but without the developmental and language delays seen in children with a diagnosis of autism.  Only a trained professional who has conducted an in-person assessment can provide an accurate diagnosis.  Your description does seem to suggest that he shows fairly restricted interests and may have some social interaction problems, but it’s hard to tell whether this really falls outside the range of normal and whether he would meet criteria for Asperger’s (or other diagnoses).

It also sounds as though your concern is as much about problematic behavior as it is about diagnosis. Regardless of his diagnosis, childhood behavior problems can usually be addressed through consultation with a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  If you feel that his behavior is stigmatizing or interfering with more adaptive behaviors, you may want to consult with a BCBA.  This professional will want to spend time directly observing your child as well as interviewing your family, so that they can provide recommendations on how to best address the issue. Local BCBAs can be found at the following site: http://www.bacb.com/consum_frame.html

[sunflower888]

Hi, I saw your note, I am not a medic, however I have researched this topic a huge amount. I have been trying to work out if a friend (b/f) who is 30yrs+ has undiagnosed autism/aspergers. There  have been many odd things.

I have to say from your description it is very likely the things you describe are symptoms of it:
sensitivity to noise/taste
flapping
eye contact issues
poor social relations and emotional skills/control

- please note there are special schools that cater for such children if diagnosed with this.

All the best.