My world is falling apart - please help - Autism Spectrum Message Board

Canadiangal · 06-02-2006, 03:07 PM

Hi all,
My name is Nina and I am devastated. In fact I am crying as I write this. My 3 year old son needs to get an appoint. with a development pediatrician for a test to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder. I feel so overwhelmed and don't know where to turn. My son is a happy, social little boy. He does have a severe to moderate speech delay for receptive and expressive language. He has really improved since he turned 3 this Jan. He likes to rock and flap his arms. No other unusual behaviours. He loves to play with his brother. The therapist was concerned because he does not pay a lot of attention to others when he is playing and not a lot of direct eye contact. I do not really know what autism is and I am very ashamed. I have a 6 year old who does very well in kindergarten and I feel like a horrible mother. I do not know what to do but I just feel so bad right now. Can someone please shed some light on this. My son rarely has temper tantrums, loves to play and smile, he loves to cuddle and kiss. He is good with pretend play. His speech is that of a 2 to 2 1/2 year old. I just feel like the walls are closing in on me...

boysboysboys · 06-02-2006, 03:35 PM

My heart goes out to you. I totally understand how you feel. It takes awhile for things to sink in when you hear the word "Autism". Autism is a neurological disorder that causes problems with communication and the sensory system. You are not a horrible mother and have done nothing wrong that caused your son to have delays. There are tons of theories as to what causes Autism, but nobody knows for sure. It is a very good sign that your son has the language skills of a 2-2.5 yr. old. It is also a good sign that he engages in pretend play. I would get him evaluated if I were you. If he does need help, there are a lot of therapies that are available and the sooner you start them the better. Things will get better for you with time. You need some time to grieve. This board has been very helpful to me and I bet it will be helpful to you too. Good Luck!

Canadiangal · 06-02-2006, 04:28 PM

Thanks for your kind words. They want my son to do a ADOS test. Can someone please tell me what this is - can I find a copy on the net?
I really hope he does not have this but I am very , very worried.

boysboysboys · 06-02-2006, 05:57 PM

Hi,
I had never heard of the ADOS test, but I did a search and found it on the web. ADOS stands for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. If you do a search you can find more info (the rules of this forum prevent me from listing a website for you).

9CatMom · 06-02-2006, 08:12 PM

(((Nina)))

Good luck to you and your son! That he gets along well with his family, engages in pretend play, and is basically happy are all things in his favor.