My son was diagnosed with Autism/Asperger's when he was...6 or 7?? He will be 10 next week. He has had some visual issues (dyslexia), but not nystagmus.

I had known for a LONG time...like since he was an infant...that something was going on, and by the time he was 2, I was almost positive that it was a autism spectrum disorder. Since we homeschool, I didn't feel like we "needed" a diagnosis, so we just treated the symptoms - changed his diet to deal with food sensitivities (no gluten/dairy/artificial colors) and started working with a nutritionist, started occupational therapy to deal with sensory issues, etc. By the time he was 6 or 7, I realized that we needed a diagnosis for various reasons - one of which was so we would have the language to explain to him what was going on. We didn't want him to think he was "bad" or "stupid" or whatever...we wanted him to know that he had Asperger's, and that while that makes him unique, it doesn't make him "less than".

We emphasize the positive of having Asperger's while acknowledging the negative. He is very proud of his perseverance, and of his deep knowledge of certain subjects. He loves that he has the ability to figure things out that would be very difficult for other people. He knows that social skills and managing his temper are areas of difficulty for him, and that that is part of Asperger's. It seems like he's less likely to judge himself harshly when he can put it in that context.

Getting a diagnosis can be really scary, and it can be really helpful (both at the same time!!)

to you!