no consensus - Autism Spectrum Message Board

confusedbody · 02-23-2004, 06:10 PM

I'm too tired to type much, so I can't give much info on my son. The basics are that he is 3.5 and we can't find out why we're having so much trouble w/ him. I did an online eval and his score was mild/moderate PDD. I suspected he may have PDD-NOS since I 1st read about it. I was taking him to my dr., who referred us to a pediatrician for the behavior probs he has. The doc there wants to dx him as ADHD/ODD. I definitely agree w/ the ADHD, but I don't think he has the comprehension to deliberately go against authority. His agression is terrible, but it's not out of anger-he doesn't seem to realize it's wrong or that he's really hurting anyone. A psychologist we saw is suspecting Asperger's, but he has a serious speech delay also. We can't go back to the psych because of insurance, and my husband doesn't want me to take him to another because he doesn't see the point. The Ped is working with us to get him more stable with Respiridone and Adderall, so it seems from what I've read that maybe he has right meds, wrong diagnosis. Then there's times I think maybe my son is "normal", it's just bad parenting on my part. How do I know if it's me or if my son actually has a disorder of some kind? Do I need to pursue a diagnosis at this time(is there any benefit at this time, or just wait until he's closer to starting school)? Any help would be appreciated.

Redhead23 · 02-24-2004, 01:50 AM

Early intervention can be of great help, especially since he has a severe speech delay. May I ask why PDD-NOS and not autism? The main difference between autism, especially high-functioning autism (IQ > 70) and Asperger's at such an early age (later on the differences become more obvious) is the lack of a speech delay in AS, so since one evaluator suggested Asperger's, I don't see why the severe speech delay didn't cause him to suggest Autism instead of AS.

KathleenW · 02-24-2004, 12:49 PM

The symptoms your son has are not caused by bad parenting. They can be caused if his brain is different than typical children. Children who have autism have brains that are different from the typical child and that is why they act the way they do. I would recommend going to the DEC through your county. It is very important to pursue a diagnosis because once you know what is wrong with your child then you can formulate a plan to help him. The children that are the most successful are children that are under 4. EARLY INTERVENTION IS THE KEY. The DEC will do a complete evaluation of your child so you will know his stengths and weaknesses. You will also be able to find out if he will qualify for any services like speech therapy, ocupational therapy and physical therapy. Since he has a speech delay, have you had him in speech therapy? I think speech is the most important. The more your child can express himself the less frustrated he will be which leads to less behavior problems. Aspberger's Syndrome is not usually diagnosed until your child is in school, because there are no speech delays and no cognitive delays Unfortunately it is VERY TYPICAL not to get a consensus of opinions. When we had my son evaluated we went on a Friday and saw the psychologist at the DEC, he passed all the tests that prove you have autism (He would point to things with his index finger, when she would point to something he would look where she pointed, and she took out a tea pot with two little cups and pretended to pour tea into the cup and gave one to my son. My son pretended to drink out of the cup and then looked at her and said MORE PLEASE. The psychologist looked shocked. She said nope I don't see any autism in him. ( Supposedly a child with autism would never pass this test) Anyway, when we took him back on Monday for the rest of the speech, physical, and occupational therapy they came back with a diagnosis of PDD. We saw a Pediatric Neurologist that had never had a different medical opinion than the DEC one month after the diagnosis and he said that he was shocked that they would give him a diagnosis of PDD. His exact words after spending 2 hours with my son were. He is a completely normal kid. You need to go with your instincts. Parents know when something is not right. Good luck!

confusedbody · 02-24-2004, 02:14 PM

I forgot to mention that he IS currently in speech therapy-since Oct last year. It has helped the clarity quite a bit, but he really can't converse-mostly he talks about superheroes and if he needs a drink or food. He can't answer most questions, incl. "what did you do at school today?". The psych didn't spend time w/ him alone-she was planning to the next appt, not knowing that ins. would prevent that. She doesn't want to use his speech as a part of his dx yet, because speech delays run in my husband's family-usu. just not talking at all until later or pronunciation, and she didn't really get to hear him talk. What is DEC, and does it cost $$$? is it self-referral?

KathleenW · 02-24-2004, 04:56 PM

DEC stands for Developmental Evaluation Center. Your speech therapist and pediatrician should have information. After our initial evaluation from our speech therapist she recommended that we call the DEC and make an appointment since a speech therapist can not give you the full picture of your child. Once you call them they will send you paperwork to fill out and then they will schedule an appointment. They will bill your insurance for the assessment and if your insurance does not cover it they will cover the charges. If you want more information type the words Developmental evaluation center and autism into your internet explorer and you will get information on about 10 different websites with information on the DEC.