ASD just been diagnosed ADHD

[Fraidylady]

And prescribed ritalin.
How is the doctor able to distinguish ASD and ADHD behaviours? He has never observed the child in any setting.
Would you medicate?

there are a few threads running like this at the mo (the 'how to tell' bit between asd/adhd. there is no answer, essentially. and no way of telling.)

i always suggest people do a meds trial. if it works, brill.

if it doesn't, or if it does but you don't like x,y, or z, well, at least you tried.

don't forget there are loads of other things you can try as well - omegas, zinc, magnesium. all on the adhd threads.

it's personal choice.

My son is also asd/adhd but is only dx adhd.

He is medicated which I find works well reducing the adhd symptoms, inability to stop moving, shouting out, impulsiveness and some of the aggression.

However some of his asd traits and slight tourettes type tics can sometimes be a little worse but on the whole he is easier to manage at home and school whilst on the meds. It has helped his education enormously as well, in year 2 he made almost 3 levels progress in some areas.

If you agree with diagnosis I would give it a try and see if it helps your DC.

IMO (and school's) ASD-type behaviour predominates (shouting out, impulsiveness may be due to ASD??)
Just a bit worried, as he doesn't fidget that much more than other children, yet paed (who has never observed him in any setting, and is relying on other doc's advice (last observation a year ago)) is prescribing meds.
He says we can give med in the morning to last 8 hours to improve concentration at school, then he may be less easy to manage at home. I'm not sure whether we want to go back to sleepless nights! Will that effect his concentration as well?
And all those side-effects. Scary.

Fraidylady

ASD is diagnosed based on behaviour traits, and has many underlying causes, most are yet to be identified.
Currently research has indicated that 40% of those diagnosed as ASD also have ADHD which is also being viewed as one of the multiple underlying causes of ASD.

confused by this, these are two separate and VERY different conditions. Like a broken leg and chickenpox.It IS possible to have both, but NOT to confuse them.

Crabapple99
Autism ASD is diagnosed via a subjective assessment of observed behaviour traits, and not the actual causes of those observed behaviours. An old way of diagnosing things but due to the sensitive nature of the issues some of the current diagnostic technology could be considered too invasive. And as the name infers it is a Spectrum of multiple issues.
International Research has been trying to unpick the multiple cognitive and other issues which can cause these behaviour traits.
Especially since the 1990s neuroimaging and genetic technologies have been helping to identify some the various individual developmental disabilities, which includes ADHD, which has its own subtypes, and research has identified that at least 40% of those who have a diagnosis of ASD have some degree of ADHD. And that many of the associated communication issues have an auditory origin.
They are not like a broken leg and chickenpox, most of the what are termed invisible disabilities are inter-related, especially when one is probably an underlying cause of the symptoms defined by another.
ASD and ADHD are not like for like diagnostically.

I meant they are as different as broken leg and chickenpox, not that they are LIKE broken leg and chicken pox

Crabapple99
I think I understood, but i would say they are more like a "runny nose" and "hayfever" and "Flu"
ASD = "runny nose"
which can be caused by "hayfever" or "Flu" and many other issues
and ADHD is one of many of the multiple underlying causes of ASD issues.

ASD is not a condition, it is a spectrum of observed behaviours, or traits which are subjectively diagnosed.