ASD = routine?

[chocjunkie]

hello,

have been lurking on this board quite a bit recently and have to say it has been so far for me the single most important source of information and advice. if it wasn't for you here I would probably still be living in cloud cuckoo land, thinking nothing was amiss with DD (after all, this is what the professionals have been telling me for ages )

I just wondered if a child with ASD would always be obsessed (at least to some degree) with routine?

DD (3.1) has been referred to dev paed as our paed is concerned about ASD.

I also have been wondering if ASD is behind DD's problems. she does have quite a severe s&l delay (main problem is receptive lang; we are under SLT), echolalia all day, very often in her own word, not a lot of pretend and imaginary play, not playing with other children, very bad tantrums, no sense of danger...

have been reading about ASD quite a lot recently and I always stumble about the 'routine' thing. DD is not bothered about routines at all. also, she is a great eater. there isn't much she won't eat (I always read that ASD tends to go hand in hand with fuzzy eating .

I feel that ASD would explain quite a lot about DD but wondered if her not being bother about routine would pretty much rule out any ASD.

TIA

Hi chocjunkie (great name BTW). My DS2 has ASD and at age 3 he had very little problems with routine. Except we had very little routine at that stage. He hadn't started playgroup and most of what we did he was happy about. Playing, if somewhat strangely with cause and effect toys mostly (like drop ball in one end, get out other, pop up friends etc) and watching cbeebies. If he wasn't happy, eg shopping or doctors waiting room etc, he hated it and was very stroppy.

He was always happy to go on holiday, didn't faze him. Like you I thought he didn't tick that box. But, I have no doubt he's autistic. Ticks too many of the other boxes TBH. It may be that when lift gets a bit more routine, they will become more important as a safe, reassuring part of life. I'm glad my DS still manages big changes quite well but sometimes surprises me if I change something small by having a wobble. Eg wrong sandwich filling. Basically he's fine if what changes isn't important to him or he likes the change. Not do good if he doesn't. Not typically ASD but I've learnt that every child with ASD is completely unique!

Sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear. It wasn't one of the triad when DS was DX but is more fundamental these days. HTH

thank you :)

oh, I don't want to hear that DD cannot be on the spectrum because of the routine thingy - I just try to figure out what could be wrong with DD. and to be honest, if she would end up with a dx of ASD (or whatever), it will probably a relief in some respect. in the end of the day, i just want to know what her problem is so I can put the best possible support in place.

but I am really puzzled about the routine. DD does not mind change in any ways and just goes along with whatever happens.

Sounds like she's lovely! See what the paed says and see if anyone else on here has experience. I bet they do. It always surprised me that DS manages changes in routine so well. No problem starting school, changing to juniors etc. But he'll play hell if he has to do some homework or something. But that's not a change in routine, it's just something he doesn't like. Same with sandwich filling. He was expecting something he liked and got something he doesn't like so much.

Your DD may not have ASD, it might be something else with similar signs at this young age, a language disorder or something. Do let your paed know about her easy acceptance of changes.

DS was fine with changes in routine at 3, he was dx'd with ASD when he was 9. I didn't realise his problems with changes really until he started school - then it became clearer as he would be very anxious with supply teachers, different classrooms etc.

But he was always fine with changes when he was with me - probably partly because I could give him a bit of forewarning and 1:1 support. He's also fine with food, we're lucky that he'll eat almost anything.

Routines fit into the 'imaginative thought' part of the triad but it doesn't have to be shown by preference for routines. For DS, it shows itself as inflexibly sticking to rules, black and white thinking about people and not generalising skills.

oh she is lovely (sometimes at least ).

yep, will let the paed know anything. I keep a list of things and it keeps growing. DP and I started noticing so many things about her - bet many of them are perfectly normal for a 3 year old... think we are becoming a bit paranoid.
I just find the time till appointment a bit stressful, I really struggle with uncertainty.

thanx sugarcandymix for the routine explanation, makes sense...

DD#1 now 6yrs and in process of getting diagnosis, suspected Aspergers. Until she started school most of her signs we put down to age and speech problems but definately seeing more and more traits that were not obvious before. We have however always been quite talkative with the children and would always matter of fact be saying "we'll go shopping after lunch" etc so routine would be defined as would changes. Now though, more issues with simple things that do have to be part of her day that she makes up as she goes. The latest is that she has to play a tune from a disney book before she goes to sleep. Tonight I pushed the button but got the wrong one apparently and she wasn't happy.

Just for the record DD#1 is a very good eater, always has been, though no longer willing to try new things like she did when small.

Ds2 didn't need routine, he was happy with general randomness.
Very severe asd.

DS2 isn't rigid on routines, but he does have certain things he cannot/does not like changed. If he has a chocolate bar for example, it has to be split into two pieces otherwise he won't eat it. He isn't as bad as what he used to be, he was probably at his worse (so far) between the age of 2 and 4 years old.

I think the routines link to ASD can sometimes be a bit of a red herring.

Agree with starlight. Rigidity of behaviour and repetitive behaviour are part of the diagnostic criteria but they don't always manifest themselves as a need for rigid routine. DS2 is autistic and isn't bothered by routine.

I think its down to the personality of the child. My DS would eat anything when younger and had no problem with change of routine. Now he will get upset a bit in nursery setting if its changed slightly but not too bad.