lifeunfiltered560
New Member
Hello All,
My name is Theresa and I am the mother of an Autistic teenager. Although he showed signs of Autism his entire life, his pediatrician decided to ignore those signs and insist he only had ADHD until the day he retired after my son turned 13. His new pediatrician picked up on my concerns right away and immediately set him up for a testing session with an Autism Specialist.
This specialist not only confirmed my suspicions about the Autism diagnosis but also gave us a more detailed diagnosis. ASD, Intellectual Disability (given to him by the school psychologist), ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Executive Function Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. About a year ago he was diagnosed, by his endocrinologist, with Delayed Puberty. He is 15 and doesn't have any kind of body hair or other changes related to puberty. He has been on testosterone shots for about a year and it has kick started his body changes but his bone age is still around 10 years old. His Intellectual disability gives him the mental capacity of an 8 year old. I am told this is never going to change and he may never be able to leave home because of his executive function disorder.
I found this forum through a blog on Wordpress and am interested in finding others who have been through something like this or something similar. I have heard stories from other mothers of Autistic children that puberty is worse for them (the meltdowns, etc). I'm looking for some guidance through these next several years. Just knowing I am not alone would be a huge help whether you are on or off the spectrum. I am always looking for more ways I can help my son. I look forward to connecting to others on this forum.
My name is Theresa and I am the mother of an Autistic teenager. Although he showed signs of Autism his entire life, his pediatrician decided to ignore those signs and insist he only had ADHD until the day he retired after my son turned 13. His new pediatrician picked up on my concerns right away and immediately set him up for a testing session with an Autism Specialist.
This specialist not only confirmed my suspicions about the Autism diagnosis but also gave us a more detailed diagnosis. ASD, Intellectual Disability (given to him by the school psychologist), ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Executive Function Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. About a year ago he was diagnosed, by his endocrinologist, with Delayed Puberty. He is 15 and doesn't have any kind of body hair or other changes related to puberty. He has been on testosterone shots for about a year and it has kick started his body changes but his bone age is still around 10 years old. His Intellectual disability gives him the mental capacity of an 8 year old. I am told this is never going to change and he may never be able to leave home because of his executive function disorder.
I found this forum through a blog on Wordpress and am interested in finding others who have been through something like this or something similar. I have heard stories from other mothers of Autistic children that puberty is worse for them (the meltdowns, etc). I'm looking for some guidance through these next several years. Just knowing I am not alone would be a huge help whether you are on or off the spectrum. I am always looking for more ways I can help my son. I look forward to connecting to others on this forum.