Back on The ADHD Track!
Welcome back to the Audacious Aspie! This week we continue to find how ADHD and Autism/Asperger’s are related to each other. Last time, we were looking at how the writer of the article from the website Understood was highlighting some examples of how both ADHD and autism overlap in some areas, and how having one increases the likelihood of having the other (like the cosmos went shopping for your genes, found a sweet deal on 2 brain specialties for the price of one, said “nice” than bought it without a second thought). Any way, this week we will continue looking at said article to see, as always, just how far down the rabbit hole goes.
There I go again, using that Alice-in-Wonderland-reference-made-famous-in-the-movie-The-Matrix reference, but a better question is: how can you not?
The author notes that sometimes, because of the overlapping symptoms, a person can be diagnosed as having A, when in reality they have B. If that happens, or your concerned that it has happened, talk to the persons doctor. Doctors are apparently used to having conversations like that as will as giving you a second opinion. I didn't know that, so I’m going talk to my doctor about it, though not because I think I might be miss-diagnosed, and this blog is all a lie. Just to make sure that my doctor does not feel left out.
The author notes that “many developmental issues are like this- they are likely to occur together” (Paragraph 4). Example: if the person has language problems, chances are they will also have reading issues as will. It could be other things, of course. If the person keeps spelling and mis-pronouncing “such hail” as “sieg heil”, I think there is more going on than just a miss-diagnosed.
Just a thought, you know. Maaayy want to involve the police on that one.
The article stresses that it’s generally considered a good idea to look at all aspects of the persons developmental functioning: language, social skills, attention, behavior, mood, academic skills, social skills again (very important, or a typo, either or), play skills and motor skills, and more (social skills). Feel free to mix and match these as you see fit. Things like going to a service provider for an assessment, a detailed neuropsychological (imagine having that in a spelling bee) evaluation, or both “will insure that all areas of development are addressed.” (Paragraph 6). Being a relatively new driver myself, I read the words “areas of development”, thought of construction, and panicked.
Will, this has been another look at our long lost brother. Perhaps one day, he will not be so lost any more, but a proud member of the spectrum family. Or at least extended family that we see only on days like christmas or thanksgiving, and never see or hear from them the rest of the year. Partly because you hate driving when construction is going on, or “areas of development”. Until next time, this continues to be, the Audacious Aspie.
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