Asperger Syndrome and ADHD

[celestialwisdom]

I finally got an assessment and was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in December 2009, here's the long backstory http://community.livejournal.com/asperger/2397436.html .The psychologist who diagnosed me, specializes in ADHD, and runs a neurofeedback treatment centre. She says that AS almost

Comments

[celestialwisdom]

If I was allowed to do a math course with assignments only I would do okay; my problem is not that I don't get it, I can do problems myself as long as the textbook with all the steps is in front of me. For some reason no matter how much I practise, in tests I forget how to do it. I also make a lot of "stupid" mistakes (miss a few steps, confuse one sign for another), and in tests, there is no time to check over

[kisekileia]

That DSM-IV guideline is clinically obsolete. It's now understood that most, but not all, people with autism spectrum disorders have ADHD as well. I'm not sure why she didn't also diagnose you with ADHD. I'd contact her and ask.

I have an LJ friend who has ADHD and probably some degree of dyscalculia, but finds math much more manageable with ADHD meds. Without the meds, poor working memory interferes with her ability to do math.

[celestialwisdom]

Makes sense; working memory was my poorest score on the WAIS, and the psychologist mentioned that this is an area requiring sustained attention

[made_of_paradox]

My older son is diagnosed with autism and ADHD. He's on meds for ADHD.

[darthhellokitty]

I had 8 hours of testing from a neuropsychologist, including the TOVA etc., and got diagnosed with AS and ADHD. Interestingly, my therapist says a lot of people with ADHD have some AS traits, so who knows how that Venn diagram sorts out!

The state of Washington definitely accepts this as a diagnosis, because I'm working with the Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation to find a career that works better for me than what I'd been doing.

[seducedrobot]

my opinion is that your impaired executive function as a component of autistic spectrum features does not qualify you for ADHD label. I think that when you have significantly impaired executive function but not other spectrum features, you are an ADHDer. I recently had some medical costs be refused to be covered because my plan said they excluded ADHD. They paid for some of my sessions with the clinic I had gone to and denied 2 of them with this exclusion. I don't feel that that is fair given that neither one (ADHD or ASDs) is in the same category as how they classify therapy & chemical dependence treatment... neurology is not an illness nor is there cure or treatment. Are they just trying to avoid paying for people's ritalin prescription obtainment?