Hi everyone,
Does anyone have experience with both of these conditions existing simultaneously? I had posted a question on medication for ADD which so many of you responded with great thoughts.
As of today, the doctor has diagnosed our son with Aspergers Syndrome so far. I think that the ADD diagnosis might be coming too after all of the forms are returned from teachers etc.
Any experiences with both of these conditions??? Thanks. This has been a very helpful place to get help.
Re: My theory
I think that was an excellent analysis, Anitya! I also believe that the brain is so complex that it is silly to try and put behaviors in a little box, that says “ADD” or “Aspergers” or “OCD” or whatever. These can all overlap. It takes an excellent, devoted doctor with a flexible mind to help a parent and child sort it all out.
Yes, they can co-exist. My current theory on brain-based disabilities goes something like this (recall I am not a neurowhatever, so I am not dispensing medical fact).
The brain is made up of many parts, these parts utilize chemicals called neurotransmitters to get and send information. Imbalances in these chemicals can cause various and sundry behaviors to manifest. Some conditions that we refer to with names like ADHD or Aspergers, or autism may in reality just be a relatively common or less common of neurological differences and imbalances that, taken together, manifest in a collection of behaviors that have been observed and labeled.
For me this explains why we have people with partial autism symptoms or partial Aspergers; people with some real classic symptoms, but who don’t display ENOUGH of the symptoms to earn themselves the diagnosis.
Many, but not all, individuals with Aspergers display ADHD symptoms. There is no reason in my unprofessional mind why this might not be the case and furthermore, your child might respond very nicely to medication, indeed some of his difficulties might be ameliorated.