Aspergers parents: to tell or not to tell.

[ThreeSweetPs]

Four part question: 1) Did you tell your child about their diagnosis? 2) If so, how old was he/she? 3) How did you tell him/her? And 4) what was his/her reaction?

[ThreeSweetPs]

My understanding is that while the dx is no longer, the label of "Aspergers" will remain in use to describe the specific set of characteristics that do not necessarily match the rest of the population of people with autism. I'm sure there are many differing opinions on the topic.

Quoting emarin77:

Technically, Asperger Syndrome is being changed to mild Autism this year to the DSM-5.  My son was diagnosed with it last year.  The name of the book is HI, MY NAME IS MATT: I HAVE ASPERGER SYNDROME, by Vera Joffe, Ph. D.

[CherylAnne9]

This has been a really inciteful post to read. Thank you! My son is 8, we have not told him anything about aspergers.  He has been in counseling for about a year and we work with him a lot.  We just have not put a name on it or told him anything was different or wrong. I think he is getting to an age that we need to have a more detailed talk with him.  Our explanation for therapy was that sometimes we need to be able to talk to another person about life so that we can learn how to make good healthy desisians when we are upset.  He has been happy with that.  My biggest fear was that telling him would give him an excuse to not behave correctly.  It's not a handicap that will  hold him back or an excuse to not be the most he can/wants to be in life. He just has to work harder in cirtian areas in life that other people don't.

So that is where we are at this point. :)

[Basherte]

1. My son is only 4. So, haven't told him yet. 

2. I will tell him when he asks about it.

3. I plan on telling him that he is autistic, and that his brain sees things a bit differently than other people that he is different not less. 

4. I'll let you know this when it comes around. Probably not for a few years though.