Can any one help me?? - Autism Spectrum Message Board

mikmum · 05-30-2006, 01:43 PM

This is my first time on this board, i normally talk on the adhd board, as my son mikey has been diagnosed by our pediatrition for having adhd, my problem is, his school teachers think he's autistic & not adhd, & are appelling agaisnt the doctor's for him to have extra help in school, he is already in the ebd unit & the senco has had meetings with me explaining her concerns, the thing is i know nothing of autism,
The only thing i know is another family who has an autistic boy, & he is nothing like mikey, i know there are all types of autism but im just lost on the suject at the momment.

taless · 05-30-2006, 02:25 PM

There is a big difference in our children who are at different ends of the spectrum. I recommend going to the Autism Society website for detailed information. I know the NC Autism Society website has a lot of useful information. I would also recommend letting the school do a complete evaluation and also have your doctor recommend/referr you to someone who can do an independent evaluation of your child. It is common for an autistic child to be misdiagnosed as ADHD.

kymbo12345 · 05-30-2006, 02:46 PM

hello mikmum,
I think the best thing to do is to make sure you share your concerns with the senco and the doctors. There are so many degrees of autism that it certainly wouldn't be possible for teachers to diagnose it correctly. We have had two children with autism and were quite different and one with adhd - again different.
The thing to remember is that your school will try to get the best support for your son, so accept everything they try to get for you. Is it confirmed that he has adhd? - if so, it's important that you make sure the teachers are aware!
I wish you well, and Mikey too!

sallzyx · 05-30-2006, 05:54 PM

Hi,
My husband has been struggling with issues his whole life. When we first got married and were in counseling, the counselor suggested to him that he get tested for ADD, and the psychiatrist said that he had it. He took the meds for a short while but claimed they didn't work. We both kind of questioned the diagnosis in the first place, because he didn't seem to fit the profile as an adult.

Anyway, we had a child who started to have little issues. I found info on Asperger's Syndrome, and it was like a light went on in our heads. My husband and I both think that my husband has it, and we are wondering now about our son.

This might not have anything to do with your case, but I have read that many Asperger's people have been misdiagnosed as having ADD or ADHD. HTH

JeepMom · 05-30-2006, 07:01 PM

If I were you I would have someone else evaluate him. While teachers aren't Dr's. I think the are very clued into these things more than parents and others may be. I believe this is due to the amount of children they see on a regular basis. Our teachers aren't allow to speculate a diagnosis, but our teacher made it a point to tell me the behaviors he exhibited in class as to lead me to my Dr.