Our Asperger’s story (From York Press)

Our Asperger’s story

10:58am Friday 25th January 2013 in Letters By Reader's letter

How sad to read the centre-page article about Stephen Hodgson (The Press, January 24), a young man with Asperger’s syndrome, who is suffering now because health professionals failed to diagnose him correctly when he was younger.

I have a son with Asperger’s, diagnosed thankfully at nine years old. Being given a diagnosis has not meant we have had any extra help with him. He copes in mainstream school and because we know so much about the condition, and how it affects the way he thinks, feels and sees the world, we have adjusted our lives to make his as easy as possible.

Many books written by specialists about Asperger’s say that a child who goes undiagnosed will often suffer from depression in adult life, and sadly end up with a wrongly diagnosed schizophrenia condition, which is so sad.

I sincerely hope that Stephen does get the proper help he needs now, and that he is able to get out of the institution he is in, and start to enjoy his life again.

Name and address supplied.