Can ASDs go undiagnosed because of another disability?

[TopBitch]

For example, if a child has a physical disability that's very obvious, can the ASD diagnosis be overlooked?

One of my friend's dds has a physical disability, but I'm almost sure there is something else wrong. My friend mentioned that a few people had thought her dd was depressed, but I really don't think that's the case. She has some very similar traits to my dd, who has severe learning disabilities. Could it be possible that they overlooked something?

Yes of course. I think it can happen with any diagnosis. EVerything is then explained in terms of that dx.

When children have a lot of developmental differences they are usually given the diagnosis that best fits their set of difficulties at the time even though they may nearly fit the criterion for several. Physical disabilities are usually recognisable earlier than PDDs. Many 'autistic traits' (such as difficulty with change and needing routine) occur in many other disabilities.
My son was Dx'd with ADHD and LD at 5, but got a Dx of autism at 8 (he makes good eye contact and seeks company which confused the issue younger). I suspect that autism would have been a better first Dx and would certainly have helped get support at school earlier. If he had got the ASD Dx at 5 I doubt if ADHD would had been added. Ds has motor skills that qualify him for the Dx of DCD/ dyspraxia but has too many additional dfficulties to get this Dx. Hope that helps put things in perspective.

Forgot to add - yes a second Dx can be overlooked for exactly the reason there is so much overlap on characteristics.

Yes IME. Ds2 was born very prem & under the care of paeds, physio etc from birth. He was dx'd with GDD & CP & to be honest I think if it wasn't for his wonderful community paed who has overall responsibility for his care our concerns re Autism would not of been listened to & all his probs would of been blamed on the GDD.
In fact his ASD/OCD has far more impact on our lives than his physical difficulties which are mild.
It has also been hugely beneficial having the dx to get the correct expert support in school.

My daughter was first diagnosed with OCD and was getting treatment for that. There was no communication between school and psychiatrist. Daughter missed a full 12 months of school. She was very nearly 18 before a new psychiatrist diagnosed Aspergers

Generally people dx'ing ASD are warned that it never truly stands alone- there's always soemthing else there, whether it's OCD, genetic issues or dyslexia so it has to work both ways right?

In fact we have a team here who specislise in dx'ing ASD in people with other disabilities (usually LD) although they don't apparenlty get paid for it, it's their special interest worh.

A very very lovely good and dear friend (who sometimes lurks and ) has a child with GDD and severe VI whose ASD was picked up later on- teens - and fwiw it seems to be the ASD that answers the questions. But I suppose they needed to get past the VI and GDD to see it first ('they' being the professionals)

That team sound like just what my DD needs!

BTW thanks, Sancti, for advice re tertiary diagnostic clinic, I have been on holiday and didn't want to resurrect that horrid thread to thank you, when I got back.

Yes, sadly it can. I have spoke to several parents at dd2's sn nursery who feel their children have ASD, including children with physical disabilities and children with DS. All of them are struggling to get any kind of ASD dx.

They can ask their Doctors to arrange a referral to a Specialist Unit.

Fanjo same people running that team as tertiary clinic so might be worth getting that referral done if you can persuade them

Thanks, will try.

ASD very often gets overlooked in a child who has Downs Syndrome - it was accepted until recently that an individual with Downs could have autism. Whereas autism occurs at a much higher rate amongst individuals with Downs.

Current thinking is that at least 10% of children with Downs have ASD.

AS jimjam said, it was a case of everything being attributed to the first (much more obvious) diagnosis.

yeah my son with downs has had diagnosed asd traits for abround 4 year now. Though hopefully soon he will be dx with asd.
I don't know how many traits you need as my son has pretty much all of them.
He was way up on the cars scale, failed ados, failed 22 out of 23 mchat q's....
Also unlike most DS/ASD kids who are still sociable, mine isn't!!

Most women are not diagnosed with an ASC until they are adults, because of misdiagnosis. It's usually misidentified as a combination of anxiety disorder, depression, OCD, anorexia, hypochondria, social fear, etc etc. Probably 9 out of 10 women are still undiagnosed.

Doesn't help that the standard questions for autism are male-related, e.g. they asked me to do a series of tests on mechanical engineering, which expected me to know how physics and levers and machines operate normally. And then there were questions about whether I collected information about trains and enjoyed visiting museums (no, really). Well, I don't, and because I'm literal, I said that. If they'd asked me what I do collect, or what I do like to visit, that would have been different

Another thing about either ASD or Aspergers syndrome is they all tend to like climbing trees. They ask that question as part of diagnostic questions.
If your sons and daughters love tree climbing they MAY have Aspergers syndrome.