"Additional Issues" is it normal?

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I have a 13 year old daughter that was diagnosted 3 years ago, but she has soo many issues other than just the socialization. She has an auditory processing issue, anxiety disorder issue, ADD issue, and she recently told me that she was hearing voices yelling at her. Are all these other issues normal. The medication keeps increasing and the problems continue just lessen. I am getting concerned if her psychiatrist knows what she is doing. I get no support from the school district as it is not a educational issue, the state was giving assistance but nothing they could really do, and she is not quaified for any SSI type benifits for medication and doctor costs. I feel lost and really frustrated with everything.

Many professionals tell me if I let her fail then we can get the help she needs, but what would that do to her self confidence? I can't allow that. She has struggled for 7 years in school and with social interaction, but continues to keep that positive outlook until recently. She is starting to recognize that she is allot different than her classmates. She has starting to express these feelings through her poetry and her drawings, but it really hurts, as a parent, to see that struggle within her for that acceptance.

Am I alone with these issues?

I am from a pretty small town in Missouri. The school has her on an IEP for the Auditory Processing issues, but will now assist in the social issues. They say it is not a educational problem. I am researching as we speak about other resources that are available to us. We have no support groups in the area and only one on one counceling.

I was also concerned about the voices and I understand that is a seperate issue. OK I can deal with that. NOT! Does it ever get eaiser?

You are not alone, although the extent of your daughters problems are not "common".

Could the meds be causing some of the problems, like the voices? There is a link here to an article I really think you should read. If you identify at all with what the author says, then I would contact her, she seems like the kind of person who would reach out to strangers dealing with these sorts of issues, she may have some great advice...

http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... ic&t=33884

Actually it does get easier, may take awhile though. The Social issues are something the school should be able to help you with . one of the major problems we had withZ's school that his academics were great but he was socally behind his age appropriate level. His Iep adresses areas where he has to actively learn to deal with his social "shortcomings". Straight As on his report card are expected by him and are no "big deal" but his excitement level was wonderful when he brought home all Satisfactories on his behavior section of the report card abd his IEP report said Expected to reach all goals for this year.

If the school board is not giving satisfactory help go the nxt step up, County or State and be sure the School board knows you are not going to be a quiet and typically submissive parent. We have a local TV station here that has a news segment " ON Your Side" where they step in and help individuals who are at wits end. If there is something like that in your broadcasting area ot might be wortrh a try. You might even try a local Newspaper, they love pointing out flaws in our educational systems. Make a real nuisance of yourself and don't fotget to threaten leagal action if necessary. Poor social skills are part of the ctiteria for a dx of Aspergers,. Aspergers is on the Autism Spectrum, IEPs can and should adress these problems.

Put on your walking shoes and get ready to do some stomping. Actyually it may be some good therapy for you!

What medication and doses?Many aspies report a hyper sensitivity and negative reaction from medications.The artcle mentioned is a good one to keep in mind.As far as the voices.This is difficult to explain but I know that I used to worry about "hearing voices".They were usually negative and criticle reprimands.I believe this is stress induced and not "psychotic".A lot of aspies report "talking to themselves"....sort of "practicing" conversations.From past(what we could or should have said) or future(projections).I think we may be more aware of our unconcious minds.We internilize messages given to us through out our lives and may make them very real(or seem real)So,if your daughter is haaving negative interactions with peers,teachers,etc.....those experiences maybe converted into actual "people" telling her....."You are worthless.a loser,should just kill yourself".......what should be experienced as emotions are "fleshed out" by our imagination.

This is very complex and I am afraid I am not explaining it well.I just know that what she is experiencing(or considers to be)voices,a non NT might interpret less "literally" as uncomfortable or painful thoughts/memories of an experience.Ask her what the voices sound like and hat they are saying.Perhaps it will give you some insight into if they are "real" auditory halucinations or just a missinturpritation of what a "voice" in your head is.If my theory is what she is experiencing then cognitive therepy might be effective in teaching her to "talk back" to these negative messages.

Krex suggested something that I have experienced and didn't really have words for. That very experience got me in a lot of trouble last week.

However, I wasn't sure that her daughter was "hearing voices" or hearing voices louder than normal. My son and I have very sensitive hearing and normal voices sound loud and sharp. That's a very real possibility if she has auditory processing disorder.

Another thing that several here have mentioned is hearing voices and music in "white noise" like appliances.For me it is when things are very quit and I will hear something that sounds like the radio or TV is on....very distant and not clear what the words are.I have tracked down the sound,thinking someone else had a TV or radio on and found nothing on.....a bit scary. It turns out that it was the water in the pipes.I dont know why this happens but several have mentioned experiencing something similiar....I think our ears "seek out patterns" and try making sense of them.May have something to do with CAPD,since I have that as well.Perhaps our brains are trying so hard to understand human conversations that they eventually start hearing them in patterns of other sounds,that most people only hear unconciously and tune out(refrigerator,electric appliences,water pipes).

Please let us know how your daughter is doing.Teenage years were by far the worst time of life for me(not much fun for a lot of teens without AS).Dont discourage the poetry and drawing,even if it appears very "dark" to you.It helped me survive some very difficult times.Sometimes it is the only way to excercise some of the "demons".If there is any kind of adolescent group therepy that she could join for depression,I think it might be helpful.I seemed to get along better with these kind of kids growing up and it really helped not to feel alone in my depression.

We are in North Carolina and my 10 yr. old has an IEP. His social issues are definitely addressed in that. He works with a resource teacher twice a day and she helps him with academics that he doesn't keep up with in his regular class and with social issues. He also sees a speech and language therapist who helps him with communication issues such as learning how to forms sentences, start a conversation etc. which also is part of the social aspect. I would definitely look into it more, follow the advice of the others.

I get the same speech from the schools about social issues, "they are not required to help with that, it's not academic". They do not seem to understand without the social help they cannot succeed in school or work.

I worry about the increasing meds, we had some terrible side effects from meds with my 16 yr. old asperger's son. He actually became more autistic like on certain meds, hand flapping that wasn't there before, tics, and alot of little wierd things. We now have him on the lowest dose of one medication and he is much better.

Hearing that you have doubts about the psych you are seeing makes me think it is time to change. Find one you are sure is a specialist in asperger's and autism. You have to have trust in the person you are taking advice from, this is why we are looking at another doctor right now.

I am not as experienced as some here and they have given you alot of great advice, but I wanted to share what we went through and to say, you are not alone.

You are not alone. My son is in the process of being diagnosed, and in almost the same situation. He gets no help from the school because it doesn't "impact" his education. He has expressed his desire to "kill himself" or his wish that he was never born. I'm sure that we are not the only parents out there who experience this. Hang in there! There's always hope. I always say to myself, "It can't get any worse, so it has to start getting better."

In St. Louis there is a center for autism, that's where my son is going for his assessment-they're going to do it and they know very little about my son. I'm not sure if this is too far for you to go or not, but they're going to assess him for pretty much anything they can they said.

I'll let you know a bit more after his assessment, I don't know what kind of counselling they have or anything just yet, but it sounds very promising

I'm pretty sure they have group stuff, and probably quite a bit of interaction.

The assessment I believe takes 8-12 hours, they watch for all kinds of things. ...it's a $350 assessment, but you can get an application for financial assistance that will help cover it, and they told me once they figure out what he's got, they will give me information on resources and whatnot, and I can get aid in parental training, educational help for him-pretty much anything we need assistance with in dealing with it, as well as other things, of course.

Sorry if I'm not making much sense, but I just woke up

I an in Fulton. Directly in the middle of the state. If you drive to the lake of the Ozarks, you know Fulton. lol

lol, I'm pretty sure I've driven *through* there before. I don't get out much anymore at all, so I don't remember exactly where. I'm right next to St. Louis-about 20 minutes away.