Autism or Extreme Terrible Two's

[AllisonRose]

Anyone with an Autistic child ever doubt the diagnosis? My son is almost three and was originally diagnosed in May 2003; after a year of denial and continued behavoiral/social problems, he has again been diagnosed Autistic, but is awaiting assessments to find out what form. Sometimes (especially at home - in OUR environment) he plays w/ siblings "normally", visits w/ me "normally". I just wonder sometimes. Please give me any advice or related experiences you may have..... Anyone?

Sorry I do not have any relevant experience but am bumping this up as I can understand your concerns. I have wondered how they differentiate between dreadful toddler behaviour and autism too. Hope you get a reply soon

My DS2 (4 is Sept) had his last assessment at pre school yesterday and I await the report so I know how you feel.

Have you done the online checklist? I did if for DS and he was borderline. Have you tried any alternative treatments for him, cranial osteopathy, fish oils ... Our son had CO and is 500% better, even his keyworkers at pre school mentioned it.

Hope you get some good advice from mums who know more about autism. x

have a look at this

that's the checklist btw. HTH

I didn't realise there were 2 threads. I've answered on the other one.

My son is pretty severely autistic but at just before 2 the signs were very subtle. He's always been sociable for example. I think when they are so young it is difficult to see how they will develop and in some cases it s a watching and waiting game. My son is now 5 and at your son's age I never thought he would end up as severe as he is now, but other children I know who were like him at 3 have gone on to do very well. In my son's case he has become so disabled becuase his language basically stopped developing at 15 months, so at 2 that wasn't much of a problem, at 5 it's a huge problem. In many other ways he still isn't all that autistic.

Who diagnosed your son?

sorry at just before 3 the signs were subtle

It was things like not really being able to point, although he did draw my attention to things of interest. NOt being at all co-operative at places like the drs (didn't realise that was so weird until I had ds2 and recently took him along for an ear infection- he's only just 2 but could tell the dr where it hurt- and lt the dr look in his ears without having to be pinned down- couldn't believe it). He had trouble with adult directed attention, was interested in doing his own stuff, but wasn't remotely interested if we tried to show him something (again having ds2 now realise how strange that was). He liked visiting his friends, and liked it when they came round.

My DS2 doesn't understand directions either. The development gauge is very wide between my two sons for the same age, so that's why alarm bells rung for me.

my son is 3 yrs old and has a diagnosis on being on the Autistic Spectrum. He has no speech at all and is quite limited for following directions and responding even when you talk to him. When he had his diagnosis earlier this year we kidded ourselves he was not on the seriously affected end of the spectrum but we are now coming to terms with how disabling it could be to his life espechially if he does not learn to talk. You just cannot work out how affecting children will be as teenagers or adults because in this short space of time we see different aspects of the spectrum come into his personality an others dissapear - it just depends on how much they affect yours and their life.
I tis so hard because some days you feel I have shoved this lable of "autism" on them, put them in a special ed. school and their hardly seems anything wrong and then other days so much seems wrong you don't know how to cope. I do by not looking too much into the future and by trying not to compare - easier said then done!!

You may not get a special ed school! My non-verbal 5 year old is in mainstream (and doing well - at the moment- touch wood- although constant LEA battles.)

Come and join us in Special Needs- there are lots of auti families there (across the whole range of the spectrum).