What is the difference between mild and severe autism? Is my son mild or severe?

[Shootingstar2289]

Seems a bit of a 'daft' question but my son is 4 in a few weeks and awaiting a diagnosis for autism. I felt like I've been shrugged off for a few years being told 'it's just a general speech delay' and 'he will catch up'.

It's not until he was 3.5, professionals started to take notice.

1. My son is very speeches delayed. Literally only said a few words up until he was 3.5. Now he says hundreds of single words but only occasionally ps them together in 2 or 3 words. Usually sticks to one word only.
   

1. He is a VERY happy, giggly, affectionate child. He was a very smiley, content little baby. He was such a happy good baby. I could take him anywhere without a problem up until he was around 2..
   

He is often too clingy and I can't go for a wee without him stood next to me.

1. His behaviour can be very demanding now, especially in public. He's obessed with pressing buttons - ATMs, arcade machines, ticket machines, door opening buttons and often screams when I take him away. But this is improving and takes less notice to things like this now.
   

He is terrible for screaming when he doesn't get his own way. In public it can be bad in shops.

He runs off a lot.

When he was younger I used to take him to toddler group and he stood playing with the doors and the taps rather than play. He has a thing about opening and shutting doors and gates.

1. He doesn't play with children his age but loves company of adults and older children.
   

1. He is very clumsy.
   

1. At pre school he has improved a lot. He will sit still at story and snack time now but this took a while but he struggles to share toys etc. He is also hard to move from task to another.
   

1. He has no sense of danger whatsoever. He runs off and has attempted to run into roads but I'm always there to grab him. I try to explain but he doesn't understand everything and does it again.
   

1. At home he is very good! I can get on and do housework if he's sat playing, doing puzzles, colouring etc.
   

Although his speech is very delayed. He doesn't seem 'severe' in other areas related to autism. He can be very well behaved but it just takes one thing to upset him and he cries. But his tantrums never last too long.

He says please, thank you and sorry appropriately.

His eye contact has got better over time but still not the best.

[Aunaturalmama]

I waited 6 months then went to pay out of pocket myself to which speech therapy themselves wrote into the dr for the referral and that worked for us more than the dr giving it

[Aunaturalmama]

It’s labeled by their ability to function like a “typical” child.

[JessicaKenny2018]

@Soumia my son was diagnosed with both asd and global developmental delay by his paediatrician it is quite normal and common to be diagnosed with both, global developmental delay is a learning delay.
Yes he did walk late he was 2 when he walked

[Soumia]

How did they diagnose two things? ASD + global delay?

Strange...do you mean mental retardation?

Did your son walk at a late age?

I always doubt that my son has the same :(

[kellbelle92]

@JessicaKenny2018 that’s great that your son in picking it up , progress is always a good sign 😊
Other signs I have noticed is lack of babbling , flaps hands , spinning in circles sometimes , spins wheels on his cars doesn’t play with toys properly at all, lack of understanding and climbs on everything he sees .. my LO has never had any words .. I have also been told that sometimes a speech delay alone can sometimes mimic asd so it’s so hard to tell at the minute !
We are at the drs tomorrow for hearing test I really don’t think that’s the problem but you never know ! It’s been a very worrying time the last 5 months x

[JessicaKenny2018]

@kellbelle92 also my little boy lost speech, he had a handful of words and then lost them he only says mum now

[JessicaKenny2018]

Hi yes he was diagnosed in March this year, asd and global developmental delay, he is functioning around the age of 16-18 months, I would recommend pecs, it took lots of hard work but he has started to pick it up now.
Have you had hearing tests etc? My son was referred to the paediatrician at around your sons age as well.
Are there other asd flags in addition to speech delay?
I was told at first it could just be a speech delay or sensory processing disorder

[kellbelle92]

Luckily my mum works at a special needs school and they have an outreach portage worker at her school , they have advised her that no service will really see him till he’s 2 and I will still have to go through speech and language to get a portage worker as there is a huge waiting list for it! but in the mean time she has given me some tips to help him along , has your son been diagnosed? X

[JessicaKenny2018]

@kellbelle92 I know it's absolutely disgusting, we were very lucky as we had a portage worker who started teaching my son pecs which speech therapy told me is all they will really do as my little boy is completely non verbal, he is now 3 years and 10 months, I would suggest that if you speak to your health visitor and find out if portage is available in your area and get a referral, they do play therapy I can honestly say portage is by far the best professional help we have had.

[kellbelle92]

There is no way I’ll be waiting that long , it angers me so much that they take this long when if these children had early intervention they would more than likely have a better outcome in the long run !
I have already decided that if they stick us on a long waiting list I will pay for private sessions x

[JessicaKenny2018]

@Soumia have you requested speech therapy I had to go to a drop in clinic to get a referral

[Soumia]

My son never had any SALT ...after 3 years of diagnosis...

Nhs...useless

[JessicaKenny2018]

@kellbelle92 I have to say that I have also had an absolute nightmare with speech therapy my little boy has been on the waiting list 19 months and has just been given an appointment, have you discussed your concerns with the health visitor?

[kellbelle92]

Hi, no he hasn’t it’s been a long and frustrating 5 months of speech therapy wanting to wait until he is 2 , I have now rang up and demanded a telephone consultation which I have next week.

[JessicaKenny2018]

@kellbelle92 has he seen a speech therapist yet?

[Soumia]

Same here...

[kellbelle92]

Hello there , I came across your reply on a thread I was reading as I am very concerned about my 20 month old son , he is displaying a lot of signs of autism , primarily having no speech. If you could reply to me with some advice I would be so greatful as you seem very knowledgeable in this area . Many thanks , Kelly.

[CloudBaby2011]

Hi JonathanB - loved reading your message to shooting star at 11:58
I have had a terrible time with the "professionals" it's been a confusing time and we are still not clear and have our own thoughts......my sin hit all of his milestones either spot on or before expected but he never progressed with speaking, we had advice from our dr to wait and the 27month review said he still has time, he says words and knows loads of flash cards, rarely uses more then 1 word at a time but can say 3 I've heard him. He's 4 end of September and is a loving, giggly little boy who's never had any issues until and my husband started trying to force him to speak, then he dropped eye contact but when he wants something he will use eye contact and regularly uses eye contact at home and some strangers but generally poor in school etc, he has never played with toys in an odd way never had any strange behaviours, only worries was the speech, he does flick his hands in front of his eyes before he runs but has never been that naughty and defo never had to do things in any particular order. We have seen paediatrician and they said autism because if eye and speech issues. I know my son has some issues I'm not in denial but there's something telling me it's more of a speech issue. When we was seeing SALT they said to us twice they don't think any underlying issues so it's confusing! Can you tell me more about the speech and communication processing disorder as wondering if might be the problem? Thanks

[2boysnamedR]

Virgin care told me back in 2012 My ds would get salt at school. All backed up in email by my lovely la sen area manager. Unfortunately lovely la sen manager has since said in statement it's not a educational need.

I really do hope the slt is of use to language disordered and asd kids. My lang disordered son is the one I'm fighting statement for. The asd one needs to go to a specialist school where interventions are set and monitored by SLT. Makaton, pecs all under the guide of slt.

So if slt really is useless claptrap I can now relax and drop the tribunals and forget specialist schooling for non verbal toddler as they are both buggered and beyond help. I have to belive that's not true as I can not get pecs / makaton or any words out of this kid and alone I have exhausted all known methods to get toddler to communicate by any means.

[ouryve]

DS2 had roughly termly SALT input, with the odd visit from an assistant (who can deliver prescribed therapies, but not assess) in between for about 18 months (nothing prior to that, as he was deemed too severe and unresponsive to benefit). We've had one single assistant visit since local paed SALT service got transferred, under enforced tender, to a neighbouring health trust, late last summer.

His 1:1 got the odd (two) call asking how he was doing since then. Last time, his 1:1 got shirty and suggested they came and visited, for a change.

This has been the calender year when he has begun to speak regularly, rather than occasionally and has, through his own efforts, simply by speaking and listening (and arguing, the lovely little sod) begun to overcome his severe verbal dyspraxia and begin to enunciate clearly. Even in the past few days, probably helped by growing teeth, sssss is now no longer always shhhh.

What better time would there have been for some actual expert guidance, rather than mum listening and working out which episode of Alphablocks he's trying to repeat?

[StarlightMcKenzee]

zzzzz I have no idea what to advise. It is possible once you have an EHCP you could get the SALT provision costed and then ask for direct payments and hire someone privately possibly. That is the theory of what the new system offers. Not certain if the reality would allow it, but might be worth asking.

[StarlightMcKenzee]

The thing is Jonathan, that you can complain, and so get eventually get some SALT, - and then what usually happens (IM increasing experience) is that you are then obliged to attend useless appointments where they refuse to admit they haven't got a clue what to do, and spend 3/4 of each session taking case history and updating, with the last 1/4 fudging something or handing you barely readable photocopies of some Black Sheep thing they have in their filing cabinet with the order to feel free to contact them with any questions, whilst not giving you a phone number that anyone ever answers.

Honestly, when I started HEing, I felt obliged to have a SALT come and was actually HOPING they'd discharge, certainly expecting them to dance out of our lives forever, but then they went and sent us someone fantastic, so I do know, that SALT of the good quality kind does exists, but learning from my own and the experience of others, I'd say that it is pretty rare, or that even where good, it is so diluted and so loaded with anti-accountability deliverables, to be not worth having.