Global developmental delay or autism.

[kaz86]

Hello, I'm new here, and just getting to grips with the app lol.
My little girl is 3 years,I believe she is autistic.
-never pointed till 2 and was taught too

• strict routines

-non verbal
-has good eye contact but doesn't use it, won't follow objects and doesn't follow points.

• social skills very delayed

-never wants mummy and daddy, only wants us when she want juice
-still at 3 doesn't cuddle us
-when her brother was born ignored him
Hates loud noises (the dryers in toilets big no no)
-licks plastic fabric
-licks bottom of shoes
-use to hand flap however this has stopped
-cant sit still she will rock
-plays with her fingers when excited
-bangs her head when upset.
There is more lol. She had her assessment but because she has good eye contact (although they realise it lacks meaning). And she is quite social and waves to say hello. They diagnosed her with developmental delay. Her speech therapist thinks she has a speech disorder. Feeling a little frustrated with it. And just wondering if this has happened to others. Like what's the difference between global developmental delay and autism?
Sorry for the longest post lol

[noobieteacher]

Sounds to me like she's somewhere on the spectrum.

GDD is more about missing milestones generally - so not sitting up at 6 months, poor motor skills and pincer grip at the appropriate age. Did she do OK with her checks - building blocks etc?

[SallyBear]

Kaz. Who carried out the assessment and gave the diagnosis? My DS was dx by a developmental paediatrician, SALT and an early years Ed. psych from SENDIS. The Ed Psych wanted a developmental delay dx but was out voted by the other two so he has a dx of Autism. I think that he also has developmental delay along with ASD and hearing impairment behaviours.

[salondon]

Kaz, I will try to respond in English and not use french swear. We were fobbed off by calling it given the diagnosis of dev delay. Like Sally said, a delay means and gives the impression that the child will catch up. Instead my daughter's gap with her peers was increasing.

The 'experts' were doing nothing and I was getting more and more pissed off impatient. I, however, wanted to get a diagnosis from the community paediatrician because that is what really counts when you want to take financial support (atleast in my case).

I used this situation of limbo to my advantage and got quite a few tests covered by my insurance saying we are trying to find out what is wrong.

I would keep pushing and if possible see someone like Daphne Keen or Diane Smyth to get a diagnosis if your community paed wont see you/agree with you. And meanwhile, I would treat it as a dev disorder/child being on spectrum. Keep a diary to prove to the 'experts' that what you see isnt a delay. I dont think development delay means anything medically.

((Hugs))

[SallyBear]

Oh and do some videoing of odd behaviours to prove it too.

[SallyBear]

Ooooooh zzzzz. You could have been describing DS4!

[chocnomore]

GDD is more a description of missing milestones and not so much a dx? I know a couple of children who were initially dx witb GDD but were later dx with autism.

I have a Dd with autism (dx at 3). she does have good eye contact (though too long and in that sense socially inapprobriate). and she waves bye bye (still diagnosed with severe asd). girls can often present a but different from boys.

what kind of assessment did you have? Ados?

eye contact is not a diagnistic criteria for autism.

[kaz86]

Thanks for all your replies!
When we first saw the consultant she said the difference with global developmental delay and autism is you can grow out of a delay. After her assessment which was 3 hours once a week for 4 weeks. With 3 other children being assessed. A paediatrician spends 30 minutes out the whole 4 weeks in there. Also a speech therapist/nursery nurse and special needs health visitor.
Any way when we got her results they were very non decisive. And based it on her giving them lots of attention although gave us none! They said they still not sure but diagnosed her with global delay but said its more a disorder as she might not ever catch up!!
They keep saying she has to good eye contact and she points, but they then say she does have some traits that they wouldn't expect to see. But then say how brill she is doing as can point! Argh!
I think the nursery nurse believes her to be autistic as she said she tried telling them but some doctors are better at listening. And the nursery nurse sees lily once a week xxx

[SallyBear]

Then Kaz I'd get a second opinion. It may take some time, but if you're not happy with the initial dx then pursue a new one.

[marchduck]

Hi Kaz, it might be worth requesting in writing to the lead clinician that your DD is reviewed again in 6 months; on the basis that they could assess her again in order to identify which delays she has grown out of.
I'm not saying at all that your DD has ASD, but I do understand your concern. In case it is helpful, here's what happened to us. My DD had significant language delay; hv referred her to SALT following her two year review. The SALT mentioned devlopmental delay & said she was delayed in everything except gross motor skills. She had a multi disciplinary assessment (paed, SALT & OT) when she was 2.9 - they said she had devlopment delay, which was a concern, and they would review again in 6 months. Paed said ASD wasn't jumpimg out at her, but she said she couldn't rule it out either. In the meantime, DD had SALT review , OT & developmental intervention appointments, and they all did reports. At her next multi disciplinary appointment,when she was 3.4, the paed said her presentation was indicative of ASD, and referred her to ASD assessment clinic. DD got dx of ASD and receptive & expressive language disorder at 3.10
Girls do seem to present differently than boys. My DD is quite sociable, affectionate, makes eye-contact, points, likes the company of other children. But looked at overall, there is a lack of consistency, quality and purposefulness at times with these.
Keep a record of all the things you notice. Does your DD go to nursery or pre-school; have they flagged up any worries?
I understand the worry of all this, and your DD is so lucky to have you. I would write to the lead clinician (or whoever signed off on the developmental delay dx) and ask how they plan to measure your DD's progress against the delays they have identified. Cahse up if you don't get a reply. All the best to you both.

[noobieteacher]

Not sure I trust the 'grow out of it' philosophy. No doctor can say that and it's not right to generalise that you can grow out of some disorders and not others.

Sorry if it's obvious but have you had her hearing checked? Glue ear or mild deafness can cause a lot of symptoms that affect communication and behaviour.

[salondon]

These professionals ought to know better than that. I would pursue and get a second opinion.

[jomaman]

My ds has all 3, so I agree with zzzz... He got dx of gdd at 1.5 asd at 2.5 and verbal dyspraxia at 4. Asd dx was the most helpful in terms of local and online support groups, realising how to help him learn (aba) some diet stuff (gluten free etc)... As with many kids with asd, the profs were v reluctant to look into any comorbid speech production problem, so we sort of dxxed him ourselves and helped accordingly, when the dx finally came we had already got him going with speech and the dx didn't bring us anything
Hth

[FrussoHathor]

OP you just described my dd at 3.

Has she been assessed by the core diagnostic team (specifically for autism)

She also sounds highly sensory seeking. Dd sees a occupational therapist for this, but they don't do just sensory, we got through the net on balance issues.

Has the nursery involved an educational psychologist? They can be useful for getting dd seem by the right people.

If you don't agree with the dx then challenge it. and mention it to every professional your dd sees, my dd g&t referred to the core team after a different department wrote a letter to the right person