TL:DR Son was diagnosed, what does the future look like? What can I do to help him reach his potential?Over the weekend we got the results back from the Doctor after weeks of tests. I was prepared for the ADHD diagnosis as I'm ADHD as well and saw similarities. I was 50-50 on expecting the ASD because he doesn't exhibit many autistic behaviors. The intermittent behavior disorder diagnosis caught me completely off guard, and probably scares me the most.Most people who meet my son would never suspect him to be autistic. He's very verbal and very intelligent. The doctor confirmed this stating that his verbal skills and reading skills are superior for a boy his age. He has been reading since he was 3. After going through all the testing the Dr believes that his above average IQ and communication skills mask his autistic traits because despite lacking the emotional understanding he can reason his way through things. I'm very thankful for this, however it means that people expect a lot more out of him than he may be capable of because he 'seems normal' so he isn't going to get much benefit of the doubt through the course of his life.An example she gave was that she asked 'what is something great about being married?' He responded: 'you must never marry a greedy woman!' She asked again and he gave the same response only this time he got upset because he felt like he already answered the question.My wife has been very perceptive and persistent in helping him from an early age. He is in his 3rd year of full day school , now 1st grade. He has an IEP and attends in the general classroom for part of the day and with a specialist for others.The things I'm struggling with now:What is the prognosis for my son?Is he capable of being independent one day or living alone, or do I need to prepare to support him for the rest of both our lives?What can I do to help him reach his potential?How will I one day explain any of this to him?He is our first of two children. The other is still an infant. We currently live overseas and far away from both our families. We don't have much support in terms of friends here.Generally just looking for any resources or experiences that might help me cope and plan for our future. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2dIUkL3
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