Autism or ADHD or both?

[Lesley25]

I think my DC is showing signs of ADHD.

My child has been diagnosed at 3 with autism due to lack of speech, no gestures and lack of social and imaginative play and sensory issues - i don't disagree that this is the right diagnosis.

However with my DC's lack of ability to focus, hyperactivity - never stands still, always running, moving, the TA cannot seem to get my child to focus and thus teach (latest feedback at statement review) i'm beginning to wonder..

i've asked my pead for an urgent apt to discuss but i just wanted other mums opinions and signs to watch out for.
Has your child been diagnosed with both?
And if so, would medication help the focus problem at school?

DS has dx is AS, SPD and ADHD so yes you can have both or all three! :)

he has has sensory integration put in place for SPD

Is on meds for ADHD (hyperkinetic type as there is not than one type)

that then leaves help with the social skills and anxiety from AS.

He is very sensory seeking, but I think the clowning around is the ADHD. We were discharged from OT after one session and discharged from Paed as soon as we obtained the ASD diagnosis. This is a 7 year old who barely writes his name and can't read. I think we will look for a private OT.

Hi Coff33pot, Can i ask if your ds was diagnosed with the ADHD at the same time as the AS and do you know what part of the behaviour led to the ADHD diagnosis. I ask because my dc has SPD and AS and i suspect ADHD.
Did you find medication helped with the ADHD with school and learning?

Sorry Coff, I guess i 'm just strying to understand how the meds changed and helped your ds 's behaviour once you had an ADHD diagnosis. I didnt make it very clear in my post above.

Just to say I will get back to you just stuck with a SW visit for someone staying with me also pickling onions whilst trying to make Halloween decs! Give me half hour lol:)

My son has ADHD and suspected asd. So you can deffo have both. We are waiting for the asd assessment but got the ADHD assessment less than a month ago.

For those with spd, what are the signs?

spd - i got a private occupational therapist in to assess at school, home and we went through a type of questionaire for an hour over the phone.
my child sensory seeks- fingers in ears when an emotion or something on tv surprises them, , running constantly, chewing anything, loves wind on face, hot drinks in mouth, so many more things that the ot pointed out like bumping into things and not noticing...
But the clearest indicator came from the questionaire.
worth getting a good private ot to assess your child in different environments.

We also had quite a good report from NHS OT, dd loves to jump, spin, hang upside and is just rarely still for long, she has no sense of danger and will run off wherever possible. She also puts everything in her mouth.
It was good to have the report to explain these behaviours, especially for school.
Even though we had good report though I'm still learning about DDs spd, mostly from here.
Polter, what is proprioception? Dd has poor motor skills, only just learnt to use spoon to scoop food etc but didn't realise this was linked to the sensory stuff.

Thanks poltergoose, that explains why dd likes pressure over her waist when lying in bed

Can you believe i was told there was no NHS occupational therapy available in our area... And i stupidly believed them!

That's terrible! I know some places have ridiculous waiting times to see OT, we were quite lucky, I think we were seen in about 3 months although I went around in circles trying to get a referral in the first place. Ed psyc recommended one and I assumed she had made a referral but she hadn't and so i tried to do it myself and I kept getting passed back and for between who i was told could make the referral!

2 years ago I was pissed off that I was the only one that thought asd son had ADHD too . He was like the tazmanian devil but pead,cahms and autism outreach wouldn't agree and just kept saying its sensory issues.
Fast forward a couple of years and he can now sit for an hour lesson, watch a whole movie and even manage to eat a meal without running around.
I think partly it's due to his age but mostly because his sensory needs are being met by home/ school .
He's defiantly much easier and happier

Ds (13) has a duel Dx of ASD with associated ADHD. Both on the severe side (along with LD). He also has SPD with mostly sensory seeking. Even now his attention span is very limited, although he can hyperfocus to the exclusion of all else. When his ADHD is medicated his autism is more apparent (he is so hyper and flitty without medication that the ASD gets lost in the activity IYKWIM). He was Dx with the ADHD first. Once medicated the autism was very apparent. Because of his sensory seeking he used to hug professionals and stare them out for a few seconds which confused the medics, delaying his ASD DX.
We went for a medication trial after trying all the natural and behavioural things we could find, much soul searching and several potentially critical incidents after ds started school. For ds (who was very impulsive and unaware of danger and could not think ahead), the main affect of medication was to slow his lightning thought processes down by a millisecond so that he could start to learn. He still has very limited concentration in school and needs to jiggle and fiddle. He has LD and the classroom is not the best way for him to learn, but yes medication is helpful. Ds attends an MLD SS and I doubt he could do this without medication. There are other children who can manage without medication. Other things help too such as fish oil supplements with a good breakfast, and of course the OT. we paid privately for retained reflex help as well ( Ds was over 7 when he was dxed with SPD and RR so too old for NHS developmental support) We also have trouble with school despite it being a SS.

Our EP told me that children with ADHD are conspiratorial and try to lead others astray when they get bored. This is exactly what DS (7) is doing as he becomes more verbal and self-aware. This is in addition to being like a Tasmanian Devil (love that expression) and having the attention span of a gnat (which I agree, both probably stem from sensory issues)

So sorry for delay in coming back here been chaotic and one of this days/nights

yes DS was dx with AS and ADHD at the same time along with upper motor and vocal Tourette's the SPD was dx separately via OT but also agreed at the same assessment.

The meds have been great for DS learning at school and gives him a hold on himself long enough to make the right choice instead of the impulsive one. it's not a miracle by any means but with the ADHD held back a little the AS child pops forward and we are able to help him with his anxiety issues and social understanding. Mi only give it to him weekdays and I always break off for holidays as I want to see how much his coping strategies are helping plus the meds are not an ADHD cure. He is on the lowest dose possible so I still have that extra ADHD edge to deal with but I like it that way :)

My child is on melatonin an it's no miracle cure but certainly helps, helps to aid to go to sleep but does not keep them asleep and has no drowsy effect next day unlike other alternatives, it's not ideal to have your child on medication to go to sleep and would advise it as a last resort but when you've reached the last resort it can help gain a bi of normality and more sleep for all in the house you've just got to try and get your own sleep routine back too after being used to being up all night with mine I still suffer from not being able to sleep well this is after 3 years of hardly any sleep at all.