can children "grow out" of asd?

[ladycalledstan]

Hi hope I'm posting in the right place.
My 4 yr old ds has a number of asd trait;

not interacting/ talking much to other children at nursery and not having formed friendships;
liking routines;
occasional meltdowns if things don't quite go as he likes e.g. if he doesn't get a turn on something;
wanting things to be repeated if things don't go as he likes - e.g. ask the train to go back to station if he doesn't get a seat; getting upset if he misses the start of a tv programme - wanting it to restart.

Pre school want him assessed as possibly having aspergers. I am fine with this but also think he might grow out of his issues. If he is diagnosed as having asd and these issues clear up will he just stop having asd or is it something that is generally assumed for life? Would it be incorrect diagnosis if his issues cleared up in a few years.

Maybe I have my head in the sand but I guess I am just hoping that things will sort themselves out naturally.

thanks for any advice

It's something that is for life. My dd found it easier to cope with certain aspects of her ASD as she got older. So it may seem like her ASD traits have lessened it's actually because she is able to understand and cope with them better.

ASD is a lifelong condition. But as pp said, it can appear to get better in some children as they learn to cope.

it is also quite difficult to get a diagnosis as it is a lifelong thing.

It's a forever thing. Lots of room to make life smoother but if it's the correct diagnosis it can't go away. Some people in the us talk of cure but it's dubious it was the correct diagnosis in the first place.

Ds has dyspraxia and always suspected asd. It gets more obvious every day that passes. He has lots of intervention. Dyspraxia is lifelong too. Not to say it can't improve.

As they grow, children with ASD will develop ways to cope, although there will always be situations that are difficult. This is especially true if they have early help and intervention. A diagnosis opens the door to help and support.

its forever, but the feelsings you are having about it are very normal. Everyone hopes theyre wrong.

That isnt to say that they never progress, and of course there are many many amazing examples of autistic people whove done incredibly well in life. Autism can also be a blessing, especially with the right help and intervention

my ASD relative has learnt to do mainstream language to the point that he is married, earning and paying taxes.

It took fairly intensive social skills training.

People skills are still harder work for him than they are for the majority, but the right intervention has allowed him to link up with the mainstream world which would have been unthinkable when he was bolting out of primary school.

DS, who has AS seemed very 'different' at 4. As he's got older he's found things easier and is looking forward to going to Uni later this year. I'm not!

Thanks all for your useful replies! I guess I will just have to wait and see what the paediatrician says then. I

our senco said a stupid comment such as this , that she thought ds had grown out if it. when I told his paed, she was horrified and said it was "the most stupid comment shed heard in". she stopped herself.

Mine is 20 now, still has AS but has multiple, effective strategies to deal with situations and stressers, and is able to spot and pre-empt things much better.
He handles life pretty well now, and numerous people don't know he has Asperger's, but when things get tough, he relapses.
What made you think that ASD was something you could grow out of, OP?

thanks for all the useful replies. I don't really know much about asd but I think what I was thinking was that I hoped ds would grow out of some of his more awkward behaviours. But wasn't quite sure if that happened where an asd diagnosis would fit in.

i'm an adult with ASD.

you dont 'grow out of it' but you DO become better at coping, recognising your triggers and learning how to avoid meltdowns, you become more in control of your emotions.. and to be honest, something as simple as taking control of your own daily dose of social interaction and sensory inputs makes a hell of a difference.

A recent study shows some children do but it's very rare and there is a question over the original diagnosis
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2262822/Children-GROW-OUT-autism-claim-scientists.html

34 children in the study. DS and DD can both appear NT to workmates and acquaintances now, and for extended periods of time:

'Optimal outcome individuals showed no signs of problems with language, face recognition, communication or social interaction despite their previous diagnosis of autism...

They are also reviewing records of the kinds of treatment the children received, and to what extent they may have contributed to their recovery, as well as the role played by IQ.'

They tick all those boxes, but when other stressers kick in, the veneer of NT wears thinner and thinner. They also both had a lot of support in studying, analysing and mimicking social interaction skills, and implementing them for themselves. Developing strategies so that they bail out before the trigger hits. DD's language skills are degree level, but DS appears to handle social interactions better than she does now.
To many, it may well seem they've grown out of their AS, but they are merely bilingual rather than native speakers of NT.

zzzzz, I've never made mine be anything other than they are.
The studying and understanding the world they were having to function in reduced their bewilderment and stress rather than increased it. The fact that there were rules, conventions that could be learnt and that it wasn't a hideous confusion that they'd never be a part of.
Now they interact on their own terms.

I have had moments when Dd1 (14) has been coping so well that I have briefly doubted her diagnosis of AS.
However, you never have to scratch the surface much to see that it's all there