Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Is he? Isn't he? - Back on the rollercoaster with ds2.

52 replies

coppertop · 16/07/2004 16:46

I mentioned on the "Quiet baby" thread a while ago that I've been having some concerns about ds2 being on the spectrum. Our portage worker has spoken to the Paed about him (she sees ds2 every 2 weeks or so when she visits ds1) and has put him on the waiting-list for a referral. In the meantime we're back on the "Is he/isn't he?" rollercoaster. One day he seems fine and I think I'm worrying over nothing. The next day I'm 99% certain that he's on the spectrum.

Ds2 is now 17 months and still doesn't talk. He had a few words at about 10 months but these have disappeared. He does babble though, which is more than ds1 did at the same age.

I've had another look at the CHAT test and I'm fairly sure that he would fail. His pointing is almost non-existent. If I am holding an object in my hand and say "Where's the X?" he will point to it. If I put the same object down and say "Where's the X?" he just looks at me as though I'm speaking in Martian. He doesn't seem to be able to follow a point and has never pointed at something as though to say "Look at that!" There's a certain element of shared interest as he will bring toys/objects to me, but he tends to throw them on my lap and toddles off again.

His 'thing' is round objects, circles, and anything that spins - and yes that includes the washing machine. Watching the fan spin round is another favourite past-time, as is turning his cars, walkers etc upside down so that he can spin the wheels. He likes his toys but doesn't really play with them. He prefers to carry them around with him.

He is extremely active and rarely stops. He is almost fanatical about climbing and has an amazing ability to balance on the most unlikely surfaces - which has knocked several years off my life on more than one occasion!

He has hypersensitive hearing and likes to look at things from odd angles. His favourite activity is to spin round and round while looking out of the corners of his eyes. Thankfully he doesn't have sensory issues with his hands like ds1 does so his fine-motor skills are pretty good.

I wouldn't mind so much if he IS on the spectrum ( although obviously I would prefer him not to be) but I just wish I knew one way or the other. Back to waiting for that appointment I suppose....

OP posts:

Fio2 · 14/07/2004 09:18

sorry you are having all these worries coppertop FWIW I think we all worry about our 'other' children. I know I do even though ds seems to be developing 'normally' there is still a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. Comes with the teritory I think

wobblyknicks · 16/07/2004 16:48

Got no advice, just sorry you've got to keep waiting

hmb · 16/07/2004 16:51

Others will be able to give you better advice.

Just a few ideas from me. My ds sounded similar to yours in some of the things you have mentioned. He was also slow to speak and 'lost' words. The school was worried and so was I. Woth some SALT from school he has improved a vast amount. We never had a dx. I have taken the on line test and found that he is right up at the ADS 'end' of NT, which I would agree with.

roll on the appointment, and hope that things go well.

dinosaur · 16/07/2004 17:13

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

Jimjams · 16/07/2004 20:04

I agree with dinosaur. Ds2 has been slow to speak, and is still very very unclear (assessment on Friday!) but has never had any problems communicating exactly what he wants. I would say that strangers cannot understand 99% of what he actually "says" but have no problems understanding what he's talking about or what he wants.

How's his copying? That's theother HUGE difference between ds1 and ds2 - If I do something ds2 will immediately copy. And getting him to open his mouth etc (when ill!) was easy with him from when he was tiny. It's still not possible to do with ds1 (been tryinng to persuade him to open his mouth all bloody weekend as he's had a temp and I think he may have a sore throat- but no amount of "do this" and stretching my mouth wide open would persuade him to budge- ds2 would have understood that by a year old I suspect).

Have you thought about doing stuff with him whilst you're waiting for the appointment? Maybe something like buying the book of the Hanen programme - "more than words" I think that's what its called- not sure where sells it but a google should find it easily. It's easy to do with young children, doesn't require too much parental time and I know a couple of children who did seem to turn around after being introduced to the Hanen programme.

Original poster

coppertop · 17/07/2004 19:01

I'm fairly sure that ds2 isn't copying ds1. If anything it's now the other way round! Ds1 stopped doing things like spinning himself round before ds2 was even born. Other things that ds2 does are things that ds1 had stopped doing either just before or just after ds2's birth.

There have been a few 'rows' between ds1 and ds2 over ds2's lining-up of objects (ds1 was never really a liner-upper). Ds2 makes some fairly complex patterns with his lines of coloured bricks, eg 1 yellow brick, 1 red brick, 1 yellow, 2 reds. 1 yellow, 3 reds and so on. Ds1 prefers bricks to be grouped together with all reds together, all yellows together etc. Whether or not ds2 is on the spectrum I think we could be in for a lot of 'fun'!

OP posts:

Original poster

coppertop · 17/07/2004 21:27

His communication skills aren't all that good either. If he wants a drink he will generally try to help himself to another. There was one particular occasion when we found him trying to fish an empty milk carton out of the bin so that he could drink from it. At other times he will pick up an empty beaker and walk around with it (God! Makes it sound like we never feed him! ). At other times if he wants something he will just keep crying until we guess what the problem is - just like you have to do with a young baby.

He does have some copying skills but these are mainly to do with copying sounds. One of his favourite games is to either have someone copy him when he babbles, or for him to copy you when you make babbling noises to him eg "Ba-Ba-Ba." Getting him to open his mouth is almost impossible. He doesn't copy someone opening their mouth and so medicine still has to be given via one of those plastic syringe dispensers. This is still actually progress compared to ds1 who still drinks and food.

Will go and Google for the Hanen stuff.

OP posts:

Original poster

coppertop · 17/07/2004 21:28

Oops! Lost half a sentence there. I meant hat ds1 still has to have medicine hidden in his drinks and food.

OP posts:

Original poster

coppertop · 17/07/2004 21:29

I give up trying to correct my typos.....

OP posts:

nutcracker · 17/07/2004 21:31

No advice, sorry but your first posting made me shiver as you almost exactly described my Ds (19mths).

Jimjams · 17/07/2004 21:58

good turn taking by the sound of it I think you are right to have referred him on and now I guess its just a bit of a waiting game whilst maybe treating him as if he does have a problem iyswim. I'm treating ds2 as if he does have verbal dyspraxia and that seems to be working well- his speech is improving well and I feel like he's getting the right input.

BlossomHill · 18/07/2004 00:13

NC - Have you tried the CHAT test? That's supposed to be a good indication and I only wish I had known about it when dd was 18 months (she will be 5 next minth). TBH I think she would have failed most of it

Eulalia · 19/07/2004 01:14

ds did the spinning round thing with the corner of his eyes.

Currently wondering about dd, although as a girl I feel if she is then it is only going to be mild.

Oh dear are we going to have an autistic siblings club now.

Thats good your ds2 is being referred though. Any possibility he may be copying your ds1?

Original poster

coppertop · 21/07/2004 19:19

That's weird. The posts are mixed up. It looks as though I answered the 'copying ds1' question 2 days before Eulalia asked it!

Ds2 will be 18 months old in just over a week and has just started to do some pointing. This is still a year earlier than ds1 did so I'm taking it as a good sign. He tends to point in the direction he is walking in rather than actually trying to point something out or show that he wants something but it is at least a start. Unless a miracle happens in the next week then he would still fail the CHAT test at 18 months but I can at least see that he's making a little progress.

By an odd coincidence we have just received ds1's full assessment report. Reading through the section about ds1's early history was just like reading about ds2! There were some differences as their sensory problems aren't the same. Dh has noticed that ds2 doesn't seem to have much feeling in his mouth at all. He can't always tell if food is hot and still does a lot of mouthing. Ds1's mouth is hypersensitive. Ds2 is happiest when he isn't wearing any clothes at all, whereas ds1 likes to be fully dressed.

I still can't decided whether ds2 is on the spectrum or not but I'm starting to feel a little more positive about what the outcome will be if he is.

OP posts:

nutcracker · 21/07/2004 19:21

Ahh was trying to find this thread earlier.

Can anyone do me a link to the CHAT test, or tell me how to find it ??

Thanks

Davros · 21/07/2004 21:11

look here

Original poster

coppertop · 22/09/2004 11:36

Just a quick update as I forgot to do one before.

Our portage/Early Years worker came round to write her official report on ds2, to be passed on to the Paed at the CDC. Obviously she can't give an official dx but she agrees that there is definitely something going on with ds2 and that he's probably on the autistic spectrum.

The next step is to find ways to help him to reduce his stimming. He can't seem to keep his feet still (poor boy looks as though he's permanently auditioning for Riverdance ) and tries to turn upside down at every available opportunity.

He makes all of the sounds that he's supposed to but has no real interest in words - except for counting and letters of the alphabet. So we get to go through it all over again!

OP posts:

Jimjams · 22/09/2004 11:41

sorry to hear this coppertop

If you a way to stop the riverdancing let me know!

dinosaur · 22/09/2004 13:22

Sorry too Coppertop

LOL at riverdancing though...

heartinthecountry · 22/09/2004 13:51

Sorry to hear that coppertop, though I guess you at least now know what you are dealing with to a certain extent....not much compensation though

Davros · 22/09/2004 17:22

Sorry to hear this Coppertop

fio2 · 22/09/2004 18:04

coppertop you sound like a wonderful mum, and woman!!

sorry this is happening but I am hoping your portage worker is a bit thick and has got it wrong. I am always having worries about ds (who is supposedly NT) so i know exactlky where you are coming from, as does everyone else on the SN section i imagine

sorry this is a crap post just wanted to acknowledge that i am understanding you

fio2 · 22/09/2004 18:05

omg what an awful post, maybe zebra is right and i am pregnant

ignore me coppertop!!!!

Chandra · 22/09/2004 18:32

Sorry to hear that Coppertop but hope the visit to the Paed brings better news.

Twiglett · 22/09/2004 18:35

message withdrawn

Flip

1 2 3