Someone tell me about aspergers/autistic spectrum

[julienetmum]

Signs, implications for what seems like a highly intelligent 3 year old. At what age should a child be assessed or whatever it is that is done or should this only happen if education/behaviour is adversely affected.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) has a good website.
We noticed delayed speech and language skills and repetitive play from DS at 2.5 years.
He has Aspergers Syndrome.
He had speech therapy at age 3.5 where the Speech Therapist sent him for further investigation.

Your best bet is to look at the DSM IV criteria for autism and also for aspergers as that should give you a clue. Regarding Aspergers, there are often suble differences in talking and communicating even though it says no delay in language. I'll copy and paste something I wrote on another board in a second that looks at the differences. Look for transitioning difficulties, a need for routine or of being obsessed with doing the same thing or being attached to something over and over. Look for feeding issues, eg very picky or slow eater. Imagination may be present, it may not, but there can be differences. Eg I can imagine myself in a different situation, I can't imagine being anybody else.
Anyway, here is the differences in talking and communicating:

"1. A lack of initiating.
2: An over or under emotional response to something important or significant occurring. Eg Ds1 showed no reaction to his baby brother's arrival and I showed no reaction when my dad told me about two hours before the coach was due to leave that I couldn't go on a Brownie camping trip, even though I was devastated.
3: A tendency to look blank on frequent occassions when asked something you're sure they must understand. There could be a whole lot of resons for this, with myself it's that I genuinely couldn't understand what was said to me (hearing it as though it was in a foreign language), I understand but can't co-ordinate my mouth and mind to get the words out in time, or I can't think of the words. One clue for the latter if you're ever speaking to me is when I'll say "ummm, ummmm" or just stop in the middle of a sentence whilst I'm trying to remember what words to use.
4: Being verbal, but not using words to communicate. Eg being able to name lots of colours and shapes but not able to ask for a drink.
5: A difference in the rate and flow of speech, no definable accent, speaking in a monotone, speaking through other people.
6: Being highly articulate on a few select matters, with a tendency to perseverate on them unless stopped but difficulty or more relucatance in talking about other things. When talking about interests they may dominate the conversation and have a tendency to almost lecture you. I try and remind myself to ask questions (which initiating the conversation can take a while to prepare in my head) as I know if someone asks me a question on a topic I know a lot about I'll rattle on for ages.
7 Applying words in the wrong context, often triggered by earlier events. Eg one day Ds1 was standing on our front step looking at the house number and I said to him "come on, we're going to the shops." Now, he always stands on the front step as we pass it, looks at the house number and says "we guh ah shops" regardless of where we're heading, even if we're heading round to the back door to go home.
Connected with this is echolalia (repeating words back), both delayed and immediate. Immediate echolalia is a normal part of child development but has usually tailed off by about 2.5 and, in typically developing children, will occur with some spontaneous speech and non verbal gestures such as pointing and waving.
A very visual style of learning. Eg one that is aided or responds well to concrete items that the person sees. Ds1 is visual in that his understanding is backed up by pictures and objects and signs and he's very much in the immediate understanding. So you can't ask him if he'd like to go to the park in the afternoon, for example, but you can show him a picture of a triangle and he'll say what it is.
Difficulty following multi-step instructions"
Also a tendency to voice thoughts midtopic without any explantion or placing them i nthe right context and irrelevant of what is currently being discussed.

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The signs will really depend on the child tbh. Ds1 and ds2 have a dx of AS/ASD and were both very different at that age.

Ds2 was first assessed at 2yrs old but the Paed held off making the dx official until he was 3yrs old. Having a dx should make thing things easier if the child runs into any problems as they get older, start school etc.

At the moment we are not sure if we are just being hyper sensitive or whether there are issues. I have wondered for a few weeks now, dh admitted tonight he has had suspicions for months.

Things we have noticed

Not good in large groups, I stopped going to toddler group when he was 2. Doesn't like loud music or noises. Is fine when playing with 1 or 2 children.

Likes routine, tantrums if things don't go according to plan. Couldn't cope with the fact that I went outside without my coat on last week, I was running late and couldn't find it. Screamed all the way to school to pick up dd mummy coat on, windy, coat on.

Totally obsessed with Thomas, especially the numbers of the trains, like recreating train crahses, gets quite worked up and dramatic. Also likes lining his trains up. If he picks up the phone will babble on about Thomas naming all the engines.

Likes numbers and counting, will recite the numbers of his trains. Got upset tonight becasue there was no number 1 on the thermostatic radiator valve in the bathroom.

He was late talking, now talks lots but not always coherant, lots of repeating things, espeically train names, will also recite colours and numbers.

He doesn't really answer questions. If I ask him what he wants for his tera he will just repeat, tea or say something random.

He is brilliant at jigsaw puzzles and has lots of patience with them, he also likes books and will point at lots of things in books, saying what they are.

I forgot the food. He doesn't really like meat or anything with a similar texture.

I must admit that a lot of those things sound familiar. I think that if you and your dh both feel that something isn't quite right then it's definitely worth asking for a referral to a Developmental Paed. If everything is fine then you will both be reassured. If there is a problem then you will at least have an idea of what you are dealing with.

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I have a lovely pink hodded cardigan as well and he HATES me wearing it sinside the house

MUMMY COAT OFF COAT OFF

Its not a coat its a cardigan

OFF OFF

I could've written the part about Thomas and friends myself. When my DS had learnt his first 20 words, I think 10 were the names of Thomas and his friends. He also used to line all the trains up, and when I said repetitive play that was the game he played all the time.
Also repeating things he had heard on TV, when asked a question such as what he would like to eat, would reply with something totally random such as "A really useful engine" or "another vowel please Carol".
Although he tried to join in with other children, he would really be playing alongside them. It was like they didn't notice that he was there. He's 13 now and does have 1 or 2 friends but only really plays if it's Playstation or computer games.
I would suggest speaking to your Health Visitor about getting your DS assessed. It will put your mind at rest.
Good luck.

Dh just want us to keep an eye on him at the moment, he has just started nursery a few weeks ago.

Dh doesn;t want him labelled yet, think deep down we are both hoping it is just the fact that he he sill very young but the more I think about it, the more traits I see.

He is a defintate thinker rather than a sayer, very crafty and so so loving. He has the nursery staff round his little finger.

Sounds a lot like my DS (3.5) except for him, it's Hot Wheels cars rather than Thomas. DS eats bread, pizza, fruit puree and yogurt and not a lot else. He doesn't even like sweets and will only eat one type of chocolate biscuit (he'd stuff his face with Pringles and Hula Hoops if I let him though). Speech has been rapidly improving and just recently he HAS been able to tell Daddy what he did today and me what he wants for his tea - but he still goes round reciting the names of all his cars, and lots of number related stuff. We've got an assessment with a paed at the end of this month.

and the cardigan thing, so similar, except it was DADDY HAT OFF HAT OFF

Ds2 is a Pringles and Hula Hoops fan too. It has to be the red Hula Hoops and the green Pringles.

I hide our Pringles, not worth the tantrum if he sees the tub thing

DS was at a birthday party the other day and ate nothing but Hula Hoops. I was so delighted that he was sitting so happily at the table with the other children that I let him have lots - I'm sure the other parents thought I was mad.