After the Diagnosis - Where Do You Get Help?
Unfortunately, most parents receive the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome without very much information. The doctor, or specialist may say "Asperger's Syndrome is a pervasive development disorder like Autism because it shares many of the same characteristics." Usually this announcement is made after numerous visits, a neuro-psych evaluation and you have a tired, cranky child waiting in the playroom who wants to "GO HOME NOW!".
Sometimes, if you are an up-to-date on medical conditions type parent, or you have suspected something similar and researched it, you may feel comfortable with the diagnosis, and try to get a few answers to "what do we do next" questions. However, if you are like me, even though I had been searching for the cause of my son's behaviour for years, the diagnosis can come as a shock! I had suspected that my son had some weird form of autism by the time he was 4 and over a 7 year span, my theory got shot down many times. When I received this diagnosis, my mind went numb, I thanked them politely and left. The questions hit me the next day, and of course, the doctor doesn't hand you a manual with the diagnosis, so I floundered around without a clue as to how to get help for my child. Hopefully, the following suggestions will help you get started with your search for services for your child.
1. Research, research and more research! You need to understand the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome before you can approach all the people that can provide services for your child. Your local library is sure to have at least one or two books on Autism, hopefully, one on Asperger's Syndrome although that is unlikely. You can request that they bring one in for you that you may have heard about. The Internet has a tremendous amount of information on Asperger's Syndrome, but you need to read about Autism as well in order to get the whole picture. After you have exhausted all the medical sites that you have to translate into plain english, try to find sites written by parents or people with Asperger's Syndrome as they are much easier to understand.
2. Join an Autism Society. They are all over the world and can send you an information package with facts and symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome along with a list of services that are available in your area, how to get them and a monthly newsletter to keep you informed.
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