Just want to say hello and introduce myself. I'm here to learn a bit more about myself and my kids, and hopefully make some new friends in the process.
I have two kids in elementary school. One is diagnosed w/ AS and one w/ ADHD. I was diagnosed either ADHD, or perhaps just recalcitrant (?), in 1969. Honestly I'm not sure if the "ADHD" diagnosis existed in 1969, but I do know I was put on stimulants in first grade in an attempt to correct behavior issues. The stimulants apparently didn't have the desired outcome, so they were dropped fairly quickly. I floundered in school and at many things social until I found coffee (and lots of it). In my junior year of college I discovered that drinking massive amounts of coffee made me driven, successful and even (over much time) very social. Many years later I was officially diagnosed with ADHD (in about 2004 I believe).
After one of my kids was diagnosed w/ AS, I went to an expert in adults with AS. After about a month of working with this specialist the findings were pretty inconclusive, but my diagnosis was changed to ADHD with some autistic-like characteristics. So, do I have AS? Beats me. (But I most definitely do have ADHD.)
My two kids are the loves of my life. It's challenging to raise one (let alone two) "neuro-diverse" kids. But it's equally if not more rewarding.
I hope to learn a lot from everyone here and to contribute as much as I gain.
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D in So Cal, USA
Official Dx: ASD and ADHD
05 Mar 2012, 7:54 pm
