AUTISM, please help asap!!

[alibo]

I am getting myself in a bit of a state at the moment over ds's behaviour, and would welcome any opinions from people who have any experience with autism. Basically ds has been having problems behaviour wise, and my sister is concerned he is showing some signs towards these types of disorders. Now I have looked into it, i am concerned as to whether there may be a problem or not, as some symptoms fit and other classic symptoms definatly don't.

Here are the main issues:

1. Lashing out, hitting or pushing other children. This was quite bad in his last few weeks at pre school before xmas, as he scratched 2 children also. Now in 2nd week at big school, still hitting out, snatching toys etc.

2. Has always been a bit defiant and needs telling what to do usually more than once before he does something. Didn't think too much of this at pre school; his teacher in the last few months said he wasn't doing as he was told, but she was very strict and pulled them up all the time if they didn't do something straight away.

3. Have spoke to teacher today and she is concerned that although he plays with the other children, he doesn't seem to understand how to do this appropriatly, nicely etc.

4. She also said he seems slow to follow her instuctions unless she tells him to do one thing at a time. Eg getting ready, changing shoes for playtime etc.

5. At home the only issue is he seems to over react to things, gets easily angered, but its short lived and he can easily calm himself, and all is well again.

6. Can say inappropriate things in public, like " ooh you've got a fat tummy haven't you"!!

7. Runs off a lot, but does have a sense of traffic, and won't run out onto a road.

8. Likes routine, but has no obsessive routines, lkies to know what happens next, but doesn't mind if plans are changed at all.

9. Has had sleep problems before, ie night waking "talking" , but now this is occasional

10. Sometimes asks what do you mean if he hasn't heard a saying before, eg Heavens above, but understands others like, "it's cool"

Other symptoms that don't apply are all speech ok, likes company of others, is interested in anything and everything, plays normally with toys, likes imaginative play the most, role play, home corner at school, likes pretending, very imaginative, builds things with lego, other similar things, but the other symptoms are still worrying me

Any advice gladly received thanks

hi alibo, nothing you've written about is particularly suggesting autism to me - but you obviously have some concerns about his behaviour which need addressing. I don't know much at all about conditions like ADHD but it might possibly be something like that rather than an ASD. Someone with more knowledge will hopefully be along to put me right if I'm way off track!

You mention his receptive language, if he needs to be asked to follow instructions one at a time, there might be an issue there with his receptive language - he may have an auditory processing delay, for example, which makes it seem as if he's ignoring instructions, when actually it takes him a little longer to process the information.

If I were you, I'd make some notes on your concerns, then go to your GP and ask for a referral to a paediatrician, just to run through it all.

Agree with Kettle, doesn't really sound like autism to me, but referral to paed sounds like next move to find out whats going on.

Good luck.

Some behaviours would be seen in an autistic child, but could be due to other causes. The thing that say it is not autism to me is there is not the rigidity of thought that is common across the spectrum. He is flexible with change, and shows flexible imaginative play. My DS is autistic, and role play is extremely scary and bewildering to him. Also an angry autistic child would not be able to easily calm themself - it would more likely spiral.

I think Kettle is right in suggesting some sort of language/processing issue, which can give rise to the types of social difficulties that you are describing.

Get a referral for reassurance.

Thanks so much for quick replies; i have read a bit about the auditory processing thing, that would fit in with "not listening". However have not noticed a problem with this at home, and is obviously harder to get used to being told what to do at school with a lot of other disraction, noise, etc etc. When i saw teacher today, she asked would i consider letting another teacher observe him next week, just to see if she thinks there could be a problem he needs help with. She is specialised in special needs and deals with "problem" behaviour at the school. So i think i will agrre to this, as i would rather know what they think, than keep worrying about it. Obviously, I know they are keen to sort out the hitting problem, as am I,as it really upsets me to think he could hurt another child. Its so frustrating, he has total understanding that he's done wrong, and when talked about , its "yes, hitting etc is naughty"; knows the correct way to share and will say when you ask him what should you say if you would like aturn of a toy? Immediately says " I should say please can i have a turn?" "and then say thank you"! "And then if I've finished with it I can say "Would you like a turn of this"? Just getting him to do it, and not be so quick to act!!
(Have also looked at ADHD symptoms and again some fit, some don't, eg will concentrate for ages on things and completes tasks etc.)

alibo hi just asking is it you from near me? sorry for asking if its not.

hi ! yes i think so, we went on the meal with chloe; and we've met up at eastfield arms, is that you!! wolud love to get in touch !!

hi yes its me and yes we should meet up! ds as dx for aspergers since we last met . my email on facebook and msn is tracypearson6 at hot mail dot com.

and i have your old mobile number lol

What you should be looking at is something called the triad of imparements. He would need to have something in each.

some info here

Hi Trace2! Would like to meet up, hope you and your ds are ok, it must feel upsetting to be diagnosed. Despite my ds only really having probs with this aggression etc i have been in tears about it, not sleeping with worry etc. did look at aspergers symptoms, but again, a lot didn't fit? Which place have you been referred to? x

hi yes was upsetting i didnt think he had waited 2 years new he was diffrent lining toys didnt like playing with other so on but then chloe came along shes an ill baby and we blamed having her that he was like this and getting worse but then a friend mentioned that he could be aspergers went to gp they said mmm no i dont think but refrred us anyway and at first app the pead says iv never seen a clear cut case of aspergwrs.

Thanks tclanger, ds hears everything at home, in fact doesn't miss a trick! To me he only does the usual "yes, i've heard you say time for bath 3 times, but i'm just going to carry on playing thanks" at home..

Hi again trace2 if you're there, which hospital were you refering to on other post?

DS does all those things in your list (actually they both do, the Sn ones- one ASD, one hfa / AS)

But lots of kids either with a different dx or even just a bit erm, behaviourally challenged (Sorry, lol ) can do those also.

As Hecate says, if your son can fit the sections on the triad then he might well get an ASD dx. Remmeber all asd kids are their own little poeple and differ, which is why they use the triad, tos creen out the natural variations.

hi its cahms at new street

(BTW completely off the top of my head-

sayng things in public eg fat tummy could be empathy

not understanding instructions would need SALT assessment but could be language

social and emotional could be play skills)

Your child definitly needs an assessment. But at this point I would also add that no dx or anything else will change who your child is and you shouldn't worry about that. I know a dx hurts and can be scary but equally it can be ticket to help and that matters, and the earlier the better also.

Don't let the prospect of beinga ssessed scare you; he might not get a dx at all, he might grow out of it by the appointment- who knows?

Sorry Peachy, , a bit confused with your abbreviations,"the sn ones.....one hfa...

Agree, its scary to think what you might find out, but i would have to find out for sure, esp if hitting at school continues. Have looked at all the usual websites about the various conditions and there is so much info, it makes you more confused!!

For example, most websites on the issue of "no empathy" talk about no sympathy for or would have no reaction to another upset child or person, which is the opposite to ds, he would be "oh no, they're upest, and go over and say are you alright etc! Its funny that any embarrassing comments he has made have been about fat tummies, pregnant ladies etc, and has been a few months since he said those kind of comments?!

His teacher says she feels he's understood her , and has repeated back correct instruction when she's said what did i ask everybody to do, then he goes about it in his own good time if you know what i mean

The play issue, aian, wish washy as he plays in anormal way, with imaginative toys etc, but just not playing "appropriatly", as can snatch quickly, and then might hit someone in playground. Then again he does get carried away in outdoor play and can get "silly", etc, always has!?!?

The mind boggles, anyway, hopefully this other teacher who knows more about special needs will observe him next week, and can take it from there hopefully...

Sorry that should read "the play issue, again, wishy washy, plays in a normal way"..

SN- special needs; NT neurotypical (no SN basically); asd autism ; hfa- high functioning autism; dx- diagnosis.

If he is growing out of things then great, hopefully he is just having a blip. However it can take a year, more sometimes to be seen by all the specialists needed for a dx: 2.5 years in our case! So mya dvice to you is as always get him on the waiting list. You can always cancel an appointment, but if things implode ina few months then having to start from scratch can be a problem, as early dx really is a key with SN.

IYSWIM?

thanks peachy, hhmm, its difficult, as you start thinking about past things and adding them up to current things IYSWIM! my minds agogg, at this rate they'll be assessing me not ds! . It has helped talking on these threads, i am trying to keep my chin up and not let it get to me; ds helps of course, he is just so funny, fantastic company, and the conversations i have with him never cease to amaze me!
Keep posting, i'll update after next week x

just bumping my threads for magso; autism was my initial concern, but now most points i made in this thread are all improving! Eg, teacher has said, he's not lashing out, saying if there is a problem instead of acting, listening, doing as he is told, doing things like getting ready much quicker, sharing playing ok. etc. He hasn't said anything insulting since last year, seems to be thinking more before he does things...and then yesterday we have the scratching faces incident!!