How is Autism diagnosed - DS maybe maybe not......?

[spacegirl]

Thanks for the tip moondog and your support. Here is the new thread.

DS2 had his Ruth G today. Thought he wasn't going to do it at first as he wanted his fave dvds on. He did manage it and it wasn't scary. In fact I was suprised at how good he was at puzzles he only does what he wants normally so i didn't know. He is behind on speech and communicaton but knew he was anyway.

He said that it is possible that he has ASD but that speech delay etc can look like it. I just feel a bit gutted but I know I love him so much I am in limbo as I don't know anymore about how to help him or to deal with some senses issues he has. He was very vague as to the next steps and timescales. He did think that 1 to 1 in nursery would be required. I am so confused as what to do. I have been warned that this paed is not very active at getting stuff done. What do I do. I just want to do the right thing and I am scared he will get lost in the nursery system. How is autism diagnosed?

Would also suggest one along lines of 'How can I help my x yr old ds with communication issues' if this does not bear fruit.

There are loads of good folk about but a lot is to do with catching their eye at the right time.
You may also need to bump up occasinally so it appears in Active Conversations....

Like this....

bump

A lot of people have found the Early Bird programme very useful. Suitability depends on ultimate diagnosis.

Hiya

have one with a dx of HFA /AS 9and learning difficulties), another who is probably ASD but may ahve severe and complex language difficulties (apparently they can minic)

The Paediatricians do work differently in differenta reas, here she makes a decision based on reposrts from e very department plaub observations. if she's not sure or its a close call as with ds3, she does this as a monitoring thing over a few years.

There are also asd diagnostic ttools theyc an use, our PAed uses them but only as one of many factors.

You need to put a thread call out for gess really as she knows far mroe than me, I am but an amateur!

Hanec courses also of great use to may parents although generally relevant to general communication delays and not so good for ASD type issues.

A lot of helath trusts will run one and/or the other.

Should be Hanen
Typo in text of website.

Tut tut

Autism is diagnosed using a checklist of "things" that a child should be doing - these relate to imagination, social interaction etc... The tool I believe is in use now is called the "CHAT" - CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers - and it is pretty reliable. It doesn't tell you where on the scale an autistic child may be - but it is a start. If the CHAT says a child is NOT Autistic then it is usually right, but does not mean there isn't some similar difficulty.

How old is your DS?

I don't know anything about your history with DS - but would be happy to post again with other avenues of thought...

My DS2 is 3.4 he got referred to hearing and salt at 18 months. No hearing problems although sometimes you would swear he was the deafest child in the world. He had SALT at a couple of times before referred at 3 to paed as she had queries over his understanding and other developnmental issues such as putting things in his mouth and tantrums/ behavioural.

His speech is not clear but he is really improving. I think he has some sense ttype issues. For example he quakes and hide at the sight of the dyson. He loves fans and windmills. He doesn't have any imaginative play but will make plastic cups of tea if that counts. He has amazing eye contact, smiles a lot. In fact there is something lovely and unusual about the way he looks. Is affectionate with family when he wants to be. I have a list of other worries. I don't know which things are important. It feels like a long way to fall from thinking that nothing was wrong to knowing that something isn't quite right. It just makes me cry but trying to keep perspective.

The paed was talking about other him being assessed in nursery school once he starts his new one.

oh yeah thanks for all your ideas everyone. I just need to channel all my thoughts constructively so i feel useful rather than the clueless mum i feel. He doesn't have great social interaction other than smiling he often screams at, laughs madly or tugs at clothes he likes. He has some kids that he seems fond of and mentions a lot.

He sounds lovely SG.

In terms of what a small child is 'supposed' to be doing this book 'From birth to five years' by Mary Sheridan is cheap,easy to read and a staple in every salt's cupboard.

Well worth investing in.

At this stage,he needs to be encouraged to play imaginatively as much as possible-tea parties,dressing teddies,toy hospitals,making dens and hideouts,banging on pots and pans,singing,being sung to,being read to,running about outside playing hide and seek or running races,being caught and so on.

Lots of books,lots of simple toys (put away folashing fancy stuff-blocks and dolls stretch imagination more which is what he needs) and put the tv off.

Music therapy is another option.
Fantastic people music therapists,I have worked with many.
Worth paying for privately if not available imho.

I've written a bit about earlysigns here. The first signs website is helpful.

Have a look at the pre-diagnosis section on my website for more links, and the therapies section. When I get time to update (September) I'll add a out the PLAY project as well. Search autism and PLAY that's a good thing you can do at home. Their DVD is relatively cheap for these things and easy to follow the activities.

Ges- wa going to ask you- DS3's CARS rating was 41 apaprenlty- any ideas about what that means?

Gess is very on the ball SG.
Follow her advice.

Thanks for all your suggestions. DS loves music so that could be an option moondog. I feel rubbish but he has massive tantrums if he doesn't watch fsve dvds. He rarely wants to play with me unless it is tickles or something that he wants to do. I find it hard to engage with him in a way that i don't find it difficult with DS1 and DD. I have got a few things to order from amazon. I also am going to try and chat to SALT and health visitor tomorrow.

I found the Hanen "More than Words" book brilliant. It gives you ideas on how to be accepted into your childs play and I found it helped me understand some of my sons sensory issues.

Another good book for play ideas for early years I found was "playing, Laughing and learning with children on the autistic spectrum" by Julia Moor, I found it gave me some useful games and isn't only useful for ASD children.

Sorry to hijack

Peachy ~ was your ds's CARS done at Bibic? My dd scored 24 and was apparently not asd. Not sure how the CARS works so would be interested to find out.

I was in work then DH was doing fantasy football and hijacked the computer.

Gess your website is a very welcome fountain of information. I will be putting in my order for some of the books. Didn't know how to engage with DS but am encouraged that i can be given some tips to try rather than just being told no by DS. Feel like I have somethings i can do here in limbo land.

I just feel really glad that I stumbled on mumsnet as it seems all DS contempories are doing just fine which emphasises that he isn't the same. Not that I think he isn't fine as nothing changes in how I love him and how amazing I think he is.

Peachy - DS2's rating on CARS was 40, so very similar to your DS3! I THINK the scale goes something like: 0-16 no ASD; 16 - 30 mild; 30-36 moderate and 36 - 60 severe. It seems a bit odd to me that there are only 6 marks in the moderate band and 24 in the severe!

I like to think of DS2 as mildly severe . Severe in terms of speech delay and play skills, mild in behavioural difficulties, prob moderate in social stuff.

CARS is observational- so a broad idea of where your child fits. It can change as it comapares to 'normal' so when ds1 was assessed at BIBC aged 3 he was in the moderate range (just 35 or something), now he's way up in the severe range (50ish). In actual fact he's come on quite a bit since he was at BIBIC but compared to 'normal' he's way behind now, whereas the gap between him and an NT 3 year old wasn't so large.

It's quite useful for research purposes. I'm currently doing a research project where my analysis is focussed on 'severely' autistic children so I'm basically taking my cut off as a CARS score of 36 (ish). I'm not sure that it's that useful on a day to day basis, or as a way of tracking development, but its helpful for me when including children in my study

my girls ( ID twins 13) were DX at 4yrs 4 months after an assesment at the child development centre, DS (10 yrs) was DX by the pead at 2 yrs 4 months, so all three DX within a year. i know DS was picked up early due mostly to us knowing the signs from DDs althou the pead saw DS on her vists with DD's and used him as a NT model, he then lost all speech ect. my three all failed the hearing test as they didn't respond to their names. thou they could have tested them by rustling a sweet wrapper

Hi Gess

So is a score like 24 normal for a child like dd with hfa/as? Just can't see how bibic said no asd?
Thanks

I have the scoresheet in front of me:

0-29 no ASD
30-36 mild/moderate
37-60 severe ASD

The questions are probably more relevant to ASD than AS. Especially if your dd's problems are particularly language based. Of 15 sections for example only 2 deal with language. Add in good imitation and pretty normal play skills and you're not going to be scoring high.

Oh sorry 15-29 no ASD- 15 is the lowest you can score.

That's interesting then.

DS3 is actually getting a bit better on the play- but he only 'sees' the kids he has got to know from nursery, iyswim. next year will be intriguing I think