Is Ausperger's (sp?) for real

Posted By Annie on August 04, 1999 at 15:17:17
My question is this.....I have a 9-year-old nephew who's mother claims he has something called "Ausperger's (sp?) Syndrome".  She believes, because he tested high on an IQ test when he was 5, that he is a genius who cannot relate to "normal" children with lower IQ's.  He also cannot take too much external stimuli (I consider it not being able to take not getting his own way).  One of my close friends is in the medical field and has said that most doctors will not even agree that this particular syndrome exists, and some even go as far as to say it is strictly a child with severe behavioral problems.  He has always gotten everything he has ever wanted, with his mother giving him the distinct impression that he is the center of the universe.  The second anyone disagrees with him or won't give in to his desires for whatever, he will pull his own hair, kick or hit/punch others, stomp feet, and even throw himself on the ground, go into a rage.  It's so sad to see, and she has taken him to a psychiatrist who deals with this "syndrome" after visiting many other doctors who apparently did not say what she wanted to hear, which in essence, is that it's not her fault in any way that her child behaves this way.  No parent wants to believe they have erred in how they've raised their child, and certainly no parent wants to believe their child is a selfish, self-centered tyrant, but my honest question is, is "Ausperger's (sp?) Syndrome for real or is it something our modern society has come up to make ill-behaved children (or their parents) feel better about themselves?  In my opinion it is condoning the bad behavior instead of dealing with it directly and calling it what it really is...........bad-tempered, ill-mannered, and self-centered behavior.  This child will grow up into an adult one day, and wouldn't it be better to face this problem head on, then to try to explain it away?  I fear for this child, and any people he comes into contact with.  He certainly won't always be able to have his mother there to smooth things over for him.  Any help you could offer would be appreciated.










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Re: Is Ausperger's (sp?) for real HVMA Ph.D. - KDK 8/07/1999
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