Aspergers' in toddlers?
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Aspergers' in toddlers?
| Mon, 03-13-2006 - 1:13pm |
Is Asperger's ever diagnosed in toddler age children? What are some of the typical signs in younger children? My son is 2.7 years old and has a lot of sensory issues and some odd behaviors, as well as social issues. A psychologist mentioned Asperger's as a possibility (but to wait and see). Any info would be great.
Thanks,
Jen

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Tina,
I'm still house hunting. We are planning on putting our house up April 1st. How far in advance did you tell Bobby about the move and how did you prepare him. I think this move is going to be very stressful for Jake and for Ella. Do you know if there is a book you can buy about moving?
Teresa
Geez, I really think it is still to hard to tell for sure where a kid will end up on the spectrum until they are at least school age. I really really think we should just go to an ASD diagnosis all around and in part because of this.
I was told at 4 that Cait was PDD-NOS but only on the spectrum because her language was delayed and it was making her social skills delayed. Once her language caught up we would find that she just had an auditory processing disorder or something like that. WELL her langauge skills caught up but the social skills remained delayed and all the other autism symptoms remained. That is when she was diagnosed with AS at 7.
I think you really get to see where they are at as the get older. Autism is autism is autism. I watched a thing with Dan Marino's kid tonight again. He was diagnosed with autism at an early age (full autism) but as a teen you can barely tell the difference between him and a typical peer. What makes him more autistic than Mike who's dx is aspergers? Nothing really but timing.
Who cares whether you start talking at 2 or 4. If a child starts talking and becoming more able and independent as a teen does it matter when they started talking what thier diagnosis was?
If a child is a more socially outgoing toddler and gets a PDD-NOS diagnosis but never learns to communicate, does that make him less needy than a child who is diagnosed with classic kanners autism and has some communication?
The diagnostic thing is really a bug in my bonnet, lol. I have known folks who have gotten the "autism" diagonsis and were able to access services easier and get early intervention for children who now blend in well and need very little supports while my AS son needs a special day class, a 1:1 aide and does not blend in most situations and needs lots of support.
Cait was the delayed one diagnosed early, but she blends now. She is quirky but unless you know autism and her you may never pick it up. Mike doesn't blend in most cases. When we are out in public he can appear very special at times. It makes DH nuts but I rather have Mike look "special" and "autistic" than yelling and looking like a juvenile delinquint which is typically the other option.
Tonight at the restaurant for Emily's birthday it wouldn't have been a stretch for someone to wonder if my boy who was flicking paper and his fork, making funny noises and playing with his ice was autistic or at least special. But honest I would rather have him look special than to shout, be angry and look like a juvenile delinquint. So pass him that paper. Show him a new fork maneuver. It kept him busy and entertained quietly enough not to draw much attention. But he isn't autistic. he is AS.
Renee
Teresa,
The whole moving thing was a little different for us because we were doing new construction.
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Renee,
I totally hear you about rather having your child look "special" than like a delinquint. I sometimes wish my David would do a bit more hand flapping and a bit less, "Hurry up already and bring my food, you idiot waiter!" LOL!
Evelyn
Ohhhhhh been there. I was talking to my therapist about it and that darn word. That one and stupid.
Mike is on a very short leash. He is losing all priveledges for any mean words as well as aggressions. I have had enough of it. It is a bummer but the only thing that works is when I am zero tolerance mom for everything. It is a lot of work and not alot of fun as a parent to have to feel like the gestapo all the time. I am a very consistent parent with discipline but it is non-stop.
Sometimes it backfires on me and will send his anxiety through the roof then he may become withdrawn and angry but he was being pretty angry anyway.
He actually was really sweet this morning helping at the church craft sale for kindergarteners. But in church he was hitting his head and had to have me walk with him to get water because he couldn't go on his own. At least he didn't yell stupid at anyone at church.
Renee
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