Is this autism?

Question

My 3 year old son (has just turned 3) is awaiting an autism assessment. His paed seems to think he is on the spectrum but our speech pathologist seems to think he isnt. She believes he isnt because even though he shows some autistic traits (speech delay, poor eye contact) she said because he doesnt have one single behavioural issue that she cant give him a yes diagnosis.

Is this true?

His speech is probably only 6 months delayed, he has a massive vocab and can put 5 and 6 words together. His eye contact isnt great but is still there, is definitely better with people he knows.

The behavioural things that he doesnt do are lining things up, hand flapping, rocking etc, and he has no need for routine rigidity.. He will happily take lots of changes to his day in his stride and doesnt have anything except the usual 3 year old tantrums.

Someone please tell me what im dealing with here, his assessment isnt for another 4 weeks and im going crazy. Thanks.

Answer 1

To diagnose autism a  multidisciplinary assessment is recommended.  The assessment team should include family members and a pediatric neurologist, developmental pediatrician, child psychiatrist or psychologist specializing in diagnosing autism, or another licensed professional trained to medically diagnose autism.  A communication assessment from a certified speech language pathologist is often necessary since communication is almost always affected to some degree.  It is important to have a behavioral therapist conduct an evaluation and assessment as many individuals with autism also can present with behavioral difficulties.  It may also be appropriate to have an assessment conducted by other qualified professionals, i.e., occupational therapist or physical therapist, if the individual seems to be exhibiting sensory processing difficulties.  

There is no medical test for autism at this time.  An accurate diagnosis is based on a comprehensive history of early development and the observation of specific behavioral characteristics across a variety of environments and situations.  The diagnostic criteria for autism are found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual DSM-IV of the American Psychiatric Association.

The following is from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV):

DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR 299.00 AUTISTIC DISORDER

    

A. A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3)  

     (1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

          a) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial

              expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction  

          b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

          c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people,

              (e.g., by a lack of  showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

          d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity ( note: in the description, it gives the following as examples:

              not actively participating in simple social play or games, preferring solitary activities, or involving

              others in activities only as tools or "mechanical" aids )    

     (2) qualitative impairments in communication as manifested by at least one of the following:    

          a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to

              compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)  

          b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a

              conversation others  

          c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language  

          d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to

              developmental level    

     (3) restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by

           at least two of the following:    

          a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that

              is abnormal either in intensity or focus    

          b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals    

          c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex

              whole-body movements)    

          d) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects    

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years:    

     (1) social interaction    

     (2) language as used in social communication    

     (3) symbolic or imaginative play    

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Answer 2

Now a days the spectrum is a pretty big place. Your child could not meet all the qualifications and still qualify under PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified). I personally feel that there is an over diagnosis of autism now a days. I do believe it is more common but I think it is also becoming a catch all. I guess my other question I would have is regarding his play skills and interactions with same age peers. If he has age appropriate play and social skills based on the other information you gave I would tend to agree that he is less likely to qualify. But again remember the spectrum is huge and being diagnosed with a mild form at this age is definitely something your child can overcome, so either way things go be strong and believe the best.

Answer 3

I am not trying to make you feel bad but my son has autism and at your child's age,he did not line up toys or flap his hands or rock either.When it was first suggested to us that he may be autistic,I went to the library almost daily,( before Internet!) reading everything I could on autism,so I could make my own decision.No one knows the child like the Mom.Then we had him evaluated by a team of experts,as Junebug suggested.

Go to www.autism.com, you will find tons of info on autism,so you can form your own opinion.They have a form you can fill out (I think it was called an E-3) you answer the questions about your child,and they give you their opinion on an autism diagnosis.Good luck!

Answer 4

Probably not even oin the spectrum. It does, however, appear he has difficulty with the pragmatics of language. Ask the speech pathologist about "pragmatics".

Answer 5

If he does have autism it maybe on the high end of the spectrum, such as Asperger's syndrome.

There are three categories to Asperger's; Aloof, which is where the child is distant, and not very communicative; Passive, the child is accepting of what is happening around them, and with out active response; Active but odd, the child is functioning at fairly normal level, but has odd behavioural tendencies.

May I suggest you research autism to get a clearer idea of what it is, and if your young son fits into any of the Autistic ranges.



I have included some links for you which all have reliable information about Autism and Asperger's.

Answer 6

hey Hun...there is no point driving yourself crazy until you know what you are dealing with my son Thomas was also three when he was diagnosed with severe autism, at that age he lined bricks and cars hand flapped rocked in his chair there was no eye contact and he never played with his twin sister, also no speech, he is nine now and still unable to talk and still in nappies, he has a set routine everyday and his diet is very limited he will only eat toast mash and biscuits and from what you have said if it is autism it doesn't sound too bad at all, they may refer you to a psychologist to deal with certain behaviors, if you would like to chat please email me, there is a link to my sons video if you would like to take a look

Answer 7

I have a child with Asperger's Syndrome which is in the autistic spectrum.

All the children I've seen with an autistic spectrum diagnosis generally have some issues with behavior that are consistent. Difficulty with transition, sensory integration disorders, rigidity, fixation on certain objects or subjects.

In fact behavior issues are generally the first thing that signal parents that something is wrong except for speech.

In my son's case his language skills are actually advanced but he does have a pendantic quality to his speaking which is another hallmark of autism.

Your son may have a non-specific pervasive development disorder. This is for kids who don't quite meet the criteria of autism but "something" is going on. The services are the same and as he gets older they may be able to further differentiate what the particular problem is.

Answer 8

Autism can take shape in many forms. It could be that your son is on the very low end of autism. I think some people expect to see all the symptoms of it, but they aren't always there. It could be that he is just attention deficit. I think if you have a hunch that something isn't right, then you are most likely right! Be sure to write down your concerns so that you can tell them to the assessment people!!!

Answer 9

Most people do not know the characteristics of children with autism. Don't let people's suspicions make you crazy.

You can purchase a somewhat diagnostic tool called the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. It is probably what will be used by the school district, because only a doctor can make an autism diagnosis. You can purchase this rating scale on the 'Net by typing that name into a search engine.

The other thing you can do is take him to a pediatrician or psychiatrist who is familiar with autism and have him or her make a diagnosis or not, as the case may be.

From your description it seems unlikely that he is autistic. Even if he is autistic, he is very high functioning so he will be able to handle life with a little special instruction. Dr. Temple Grandin is a high functioning person with autism. She has gotten her doctorate and written several books. I highly recommend both of her books, Thinking in Pictures and Animals in Translation.

Your kid is going to be fine.

Answer 10

there are a few criteria to be met before any child can be diagnosed with autism. in some cases, children display what is called "autistic tendencies" but does not meet the criteria.

the few main areas to be assessed are communication, social and language. communication === eye contact, talking and responding IN CONTEXT / approrpriately, rigidity in choice of words, initiating communication or in a world of his own. social === interaction with others, play with peers (parallel play or interactive play), sharing, interest in other's activities.

as u can see, these areas are interlinked. and no two child are exactly the same. these are just guidelines. rest assure that the assessments will consider many aspects very carefully.

first of all, do not worry overly about the assessment as you might transfer your anxiety onto your child unknowingly. next, do understand that the assessment is not to "label" your child, rather it is to find out if he is having some difficulties. with an understanding his strengths and weakness, his future learning can be better planned out. it is definitely not to "sentence" any child.

finally, my advise is to keep an open mind and be realistic. in the case where a parent interview is conducted, please be truthful when answering the therapist. being truthful will help the professionals to have a more accurate picture of your child's development.

remember, every child has strengths! autistic or not!