- Abah
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Newspaper Article in Berita Harian, 30th October 2012 - Penghidap Sindrom Asperger berupaya cemerlang
An article in Berita Harian (Malay newspaper) on 30th October.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Orthoptist Visit
Following our last visit to the eye specialist, we scheduled an appointment with Ms. Chu in Jalan Ipoh to check on his eyes. Little did we know that it would be better if we come after the spectacles are ready.
However Ms. Chu and the centre's staff were nice. I was personally surprised to see so many patients and most of them are kids.
We had to wait for some time because the sessions are quite long. Maybe about half an hour or so but the waiting area is spacey, cool, and comfortable. Son was getting quite restless and we were relieved to get our turn.
She did some tests and it's most likely amblyopia. Son would need to wear his spectacles all the time, and wear the eye patch on the good eye for two to three hours a day so that the lazy eye would work more and to tell the brain to use it more.
She wrote a report for Dr. Ranu and we bought a box of blank patches to be used once the spectacles are ready.
Son is asking for football (soccer) design patches like he saw in the lazy eye pamphlets. I'm unsure where we can get those but we'll definitely look for them.
A litte bit about the Orthoptic Centre
If you arrived at this post looking for more information about the centre, it's actually in the building next to PERKIM. The address misled us to believe that the centre is inside the big building with the UMNO logo, connected to PWTC. It is not.
I wasn't able to find any UMNO logo on the building itself. I did not take any picture but I found a picture by http://yatie-ahmad.blogspot.com/2011/06/ceritera-farish-akmal-part-2.html
Although it's a picture from 2011, the building still looks pretty much like that.
There is an old ambience about the building, as if entering a portal to the 1980. The centre itself is very old looking and according to the friendly reception they are not allowed to change anything in the premises so all they can do was to repaint the walls and ceiling.
The experienced vibe of Ms. Chu was definitely there especially with newspaper clippings on the wall dated back to the early 1990's. We were pretty sure that we are in good hands.
Their address is:
K.C. Chu Orthoptic Centre
Suite 4C (4th Floor)
Bangunan UMNO Selangor
142 Jalan Ipoh
51200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 4042 4220
Email: chukc [at] tm [dot] net [dot] my, kieuchingchu [at] gmail [dot] com
We did not ask but assumed that they only accept cash. You can ask them if you're calling. They always need an appointment so that they know you're coming, but they operate first come first serve during a time range.
- Abah
However Ms. Chu and the centre's staff were nice. I was personally surprised to see so many patients and most of them are kids.
We had to wait for some time because the sessions are quite long. Maybe about half an hour or so but the waiting area is spacey, cool, and comfortable. Son was getting quite restless and we were relieved to get our turn.
She did some tests and it's most likely amblyopia. Son would need to wear his spectacles all the time, and wear the eye patch on the good eye for two to three hours a day so that the lazy eye would work more and to tell the brain to use it more.
She wrote a report for Dr. Ranu and we bought a box of blank patches to be used once the spectacles are ready.
Son is asking for football (soccer) design patches like he saw in the lazy eye pamphlets. I'm unsure where we can get those but we'll definitely look for them.
A litte bit about the Orthoptic Centre
If you arrived at this post looking for more information about the centre, it's actually in the building next to PERKIM. The address misled us to believe that the centre is inside the big building with the UMNO logo, connected to PWTC. It is not.
I wasn't able to find any UMNO logo on the building itself. I did not take any picture but I found a picture by http://yatie-ahmad.blogspot.com/2011/06/ceritera-farish-akmal-part-2.html
Although it's a picture from 2011, the building still looks pretty much like that.
There is an old ambience about the building, as if entering a portal to the 1980. The centre itself is very old looking and according to the friendly reception they are not allowed to change anything in the premises so all they can do was to repaint the walls and ceiling.
The experienced vibe of Ms. Chu was definitely there especially with newspaper clippings on the wall dated back to the early 1990's. We were pretty sure that we are in good hands.
Their address is:
K.C. Chu Orthoptic Centre
Suite 4C (4th Floor)
Bangunan UMNO Selangor
142 Jalan Ipoh
51200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Phone: +60 3 4042 4220
Email: chukc [at] tm [dot] net [dot] my, kieuchingchu [at] gmail [dot] com
We did not ask but assumed that they only accept cash. You can ask them if you're calling. They always need an appointment so that they know you're coming, but they operate first come first serve during a time range.
- Abah
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Newspaper Article in Star 2, 24th October 2012
An inspiring newspaper article I read today. Talented Reese.
Good that the community is becoming aware of Asperger's syndrome.
- Abah
Good that the community is becoming aware of Asperger's syndrome.
This article can also be downloaded as PDF here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/thtdjjrnfvganay/The%20Star%20Article%2020121024.pdf
Sorry about the quality, but the article is readable.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Asperger Diet
Children (and adults) with Asperger are very picky eaters.
I found a page discussing diets for ADHD kids, but might be useful for Asperger as well.
http://www.althealth.co.uk/help-and-advice/diets/asperger-syndrome/
Yesterday, we tried to limit his sugar intake from snacks and junk food. We only gave him around 2 cups of his favorite isotonic drink, 100PLUS. He has always refused to take plain water, and as worried parents (maybe a little bit dumb) we allowed him to drink the isotonic drink. We weren't very worried about sugar since the sugar content is much lower than soda.
His favorite snack of all time are chocolates, cheese slices and frankfurters. We need to cut down on the chocolate intake but cheese is actually good for him. We are also considering to cut down processed meats like franks and burgers.
His favorite meals are KFC whipped potato, spaghetti bolognese (with extra mushroom), mac & cheese, and chicken soup1 with potato and carrots. All of them are home-cooked by Mama except for the whipped potato from KFC.
While we also read that we should try gluten-free food, it's very difficult for now.
So yesterday he ate approximately 2 servings of mac & cheese and 2 cups of 100PLUS. I also saw him sneak some chocolate balls into his mouth, but decided to take it easy as it's his first day.
He also asked for tea, but I made him a cup of chamomile with honey instead. He didn't like it and I ended up finishing the drink.
Oh yes, we also limited his TV time to 1 hour. I am usually very tired in the evenings2 and we sometimes let him watch TV to kill time. So instead of watching TV, Mama printed some blank outlines of his favorite things like tractor, airplane, dump truck, and bus for him to color using pastel. I joined in to color the dump truck with him.
The Result
Although it has only been 1 day, we observed something different when he actually fell asleep at around 1.00 a.m. and was a lot more cooperative than the usual.
Will post updates.
- Abah
1 Malaysian chicken soup is actually chicken broth with additional spices.
2 As an Aspie myself, I have trouble sleeping and even with 8 hours of sleep, I am still tired.
I found a page discussing diets for ADHD kids, but might be useful for Asperger as well.
http://www.althealth.co.uk/help-and-advice/diets/asperger-syndrome/
Yesterday, we tried to limit his sugar intake from snacks and junk food. We only gave him around 2 cups of his favorite isotonic drink, 100PLUS. He has always refused to take plain water, and as worried parents (maybe a little bit dumb) we allowed him to drink the isotonic drink. We weren't very worried about sugar since the sugar content is much lower than soda.
His favorite snack of all time are chocolates, cheese slices and frankfurters. We need to cut down on the chocolate intake but cheese is actually good for him. We are also considering to cut down processed meats like franks and burgers.
His favorite meals are KFC whipped potato, spaghetti bolognese (with extra mushroom), mac & cheese, and chicken soup1 with potato and carrots. All of them are home-cooked by Mama except for the whipped potato from KFC.
While we also read that we should try gluten-free food, it's very difficult for now.
So yesterday he ate approximately 2 servings of mac & cheese and 2 cups of 100PLUS. I also saw him sneak some chocolate balls into his mouth, but decided to take it easy as it's his first day.
He also asked for tea, but I made him a cup of chamomile with honey instead. He didn't like it and I ended up finishing the drink.
Oh yes, we also limited his TV time to 1 hour. I am usually very tired in the evenings2 and we sometimes let him watch TV to kill time. So instead of watching TV, Mama printed some blank outlines of his favorite things like tractor, airplane, dump truck, and bus for him to color using pastel. I joined in to color the dump truck with him.
The Result
Although it has only been 1 day, we observed something different when he actually fell asleep at around 1.00 a.m. and was a lot more cooperative than the usual.
Will post updates.
- Abah
1 Malaysian chicken soup is actually chicken broth with additional spices.
2 As an Aspie myself, I have trouble sleeping and even with 8 hours of sleep, I am still tired.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Why it is Important to Know
It is undoubtedly scary to learn that you are suffering from something that is different from the rest of the world, but it certainly does aleviate a lot stress and answers a lot of questions.
During the entire course of my life I have always wondered why I have have been different. After our son was born my wife and I were both stressed out by the level of energy he had. We also felt like we weren't good parents since we are not able to control our son, understand him, and be like everyone else.
We felt like we failed as parents.
Personally, Asperger has answered why I always felt different from the normal society:
The lists above are far from complete. They are from the top of my head at this moment.
It does feel as if we are blaming it all on Asperger syndrome, but at least we have a reason now and don't feel so stressed like before.
However, Asperger syndrome certainly is not an excuse to behave in different way than the normal society. Adults will be able to think and improve where they need to.
We may not be geniuses but most people Asperger syndrome function normally and live normally. It's just how we feel inside that makes us different.
- Abah
During the entire course of my life I have always wondered why I have have been different. After our son was born my wife and I were both stressed out by the level of energy he had. We also felt like we weren't good parents since we are not able to control our son, understand him, and be like everyone else.
We felt like we failed as parents.
Personally, Asperger has answered why I always felt different from the normal society:
- inability to accurately detect body language and facial expressions
- the way of thinking about social norms
- inability to correctly remember telephone numbers
- chaotic sleeping patterns
- obsession towards certain things (for me it's about data organization such as papers/files, computers, smart phones, etc.)
- elevated sense of concentration and detail when doing work (up to the level that progress is so slow and personal projects never finishes)
- unconventional ways of solving problems
- physical clumsiness
- feeling of anxiety in unfamiliar social settings
- not a good conversation starter
- likes to change how real words sound
As for our son:
- repeating words from the television
- repetitively moving his body such as spinning or other acrobatic positions
- physical clumsiness
- never idle
- intense concentration when doing things such as building his LEGO blocks, watching YouTube, playing with his other toys
- restlessness and stressed out at social gathering like weddings or parties
- misinterpretation of what people say to him
- chaotic sleeping patterns
It does feel as if we are blaming it all on Asperger syndrome, but at least we have a reason now and don't feel so stressed like before.
However, Asperger syndrome certainly is not an excuse to behave in different way than the normal society. Adults will be able to think and improve where they need to.
We may not be geniuses but most people Asperger syndrome function normally and live normally. It's just how we feel inside that makes us different.
- Abah
Spectacles
On Saturday, we went to Damansara to order the spectacles for our son. We thought that it was going to be a difficult mission (finding frames for a 4 year old) but there were choices and we finally settled for a comfortable frame by Timberland.
We went to Focus Point to take advantage of the privilege card that we have. Extra 10% discount on top of the 30% discount.
The frame was RM260 after discount, and the Zeiss lens was RM300. I like Zeiss lenses as they have served me well for the past few years.
We were also recommended to get the strap which was RM20.
The spectacles should be ready in a week or two.
- Abah
We went to Focus Point to take advantage of the privilege card that we have. Extra 10% discount on top of the 30% discount.
The frame was RM260 after discount, and the Zeiss lens was RM300. I like Zeiss lenses as they have served me well for the past few years.
We were also recommended to get the strap which was RM20.
The spectacles should be ready in a week or two.
- Abah
Saturday, October 20, 2012
How It Began
This is a summary of events that leads to the discovery of Asperger syndrome and amblyopia, so not all of the symptoms are related.
Our Son will be four in December 2012. For the past year or so he has been suffering from regular nose bleeds.
Although family and friends said that it's normal, being the paranoid parents we are we set up an appointment with an ENT specialist.
Even our pediatrician said that there is nothing an ENT specialist can do for nose bleeding problems.
The nose bleed was normal, caused by dryness of the nose and damaged capillary. However, the ENT noticed something different with his eyes. The eyes are not moving normally and he suggested that we visit an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) to have a checkup.
So we did.
Our son was diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) and the vision in his right eye is terrible. He will be needing spectacles and eye patch therapy. We were thankful to learn that eye development stops at 8 and we can still try therapy to help his eye develop normally and achieve perfect vision.
We also feel appalled that there are actually mandatory eye checkups that are done in developed countries but not in Malaysia!
On Thursday we had the final eye checkup and the optometrist and eye doctor issued a prescription for spectacles.
They also provided a referral letter to see an orthoptists.
During checkup, the optometrist noticed that he kept repeating what she said so she also advises us to meet with a child psychiatrist as that's a symptom of Asperger syndrome.
Back home we did some research and everything that has ever happened makes sense now. We even did some online tests and quizzes and we are likely to be Aspies ourselves. Reading through a lot of materials from the Internet, we are convinced that our son is Aspie.
We are currently trying to get an appointment with the best doctor we can get, to get a real diagnosis and advice. However, from what we heard, waiting time is very long because there aren't many specialist here in Malaysia. We'll see who we can find.
This is our journey and it is going to be interesting. It's not going to be easy but we will go through this as a family.
- Abah
Our Son will be four in December 2012. For the past year or so he has been suffering from regular nose bleeds.
Although family and friends said that it's normal, being the paranoid parents we are we set up an appointment with an ENT specialist.
Even our pediatrician said that there is nothing an ENT specialist can do for nose bleeding problems.
The nose bleed was normal, caused by dryness of the nose and damaged capillary. However, the ENT noticed something different with his eyes. The eyes are not moving normally and he suggested that we visit an ophthalmologist (eye specialist) to have a checkup.
So we did.
Our son was diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) and the vision in his right eye is terrible. He will be needing spectacles and eye patch therapy. We were thankful to learn that eye development stops at 8 and we can still try therapy to help his eye develop normally and achieve perfect vision.
We also feel appalled that there are actually mandatory eye checkups that are done in developed countries but not in Malaysia!
On Thursday we had the final eye checkup and the optometrist and eye doctor issued a prescription for spectacles.
They also provided a referral letter to see an orthoptists.
During checkup, the optometrist noticed that he kept repeating what she said so she also advises us to meet with a child psychiatrist as that's a symptom of Asperger syndrome.
Back home we did some research and everything that has ever happened makes sense now. We even did some online tests and quizzes and we are likely to be Aspies ourselves. Reading through a lot of materials from the Internet, we are convinced that our son is Aspie.
We are currently trying to get an appointment with the best doctor we can get, to get a real diagnosis and advice. However, from what we heard, waiting time is very long because there aren't many specialist here in Malaysia. We'll see who we can find.
This is our journey and it is going to be interesting. It's not going to be easy but we will go through this as a family.
- Abah