DS 9 has to get an eval for bahavior issues pos. Autism so what now?

[nitascool]

My 9yo son has SPD. He was dxed when he was 5 and took 2.5 years of O.T. which helped a lot with some of the more serious sensory issues. But I've been thinking for a while now that we needed to get him back into O.T. I don't really know why, just that mommy sense really that he was struggling a little here and there.

 

We scheduled one of those 15 min. dr. apt. with his pediatrician and she sat with us for 45 minutes talking with ds and I about his issues. She told me that she thinks there is something else going on as well. She thinks that he's on the Autistic Spectrum. No we have a referral to go to a PT an OT at an integration center and a psychiatrist to evaluate his behavioral issues.

 

Dh and I did an online informal AS test to see where he might fall. The test said if he got 6 out of 12 questions then he should be evaluated... he got 5. A couple were (not any more) answers... as he has outgrown or learned how to deal with xyz.

 

I'm just wondering what to expect at these appointments. I have a tendency not to be able to clearly answer on the spot questions so having an idea of what is going to be asked would be very helpful.

 

Some of his fine motor issues include:

Can't tie shoes

Drops and brakes things regularly

Poor penmanship

He can not string small beads, cut on a line much less cutting out a shape, or color inside the lines.

 

Some of his gross motor issues include:

He can not throw a baseball, skip, ride a skateboard, balance on a board, pump himself on a swing, jump rope, or swim (even with 2 years of lessons) catch bouncing balls unless it is really big... like an exercise ball or balance on one foot for more then a couple seconds.

 

*We have tried to help by giving practice in all these areas without success. He get's frustrated and cries when he can't succeed.

 

Some things he can do are build just about anything with the small Legos, do a somersault and ride a bike (which took 4 years).

 

Some behavioral issues we're having include:

 

He has trouble making friends even though he is sweet and friendly.

Doesn't realize when others are making fun of him (unless they are being obvious).

 

Has to be reminded often of things that should be natural (don't run in the house). He's run into his siblings at least 100 times and gotten hurt often, but the consequences don't seem to make a difference.

 

He resorts to aggression only when backed into a corner, but when this happens he will attack.

 

Forgets just about everything you tell him... but can remember every muscle in the human body, insect or bird in North America.

 

When confronted with a bad or dangerous behavior he runs and hides.

 

So this is kind of what he's like... he doesn't really have meltdowns but I think that if he were in PS all day having to deal with the demands that would be put on him (sit still for more the 30 min. at a time) he would be having meltdowns regularly.

[EmilyinND]

Hi there!

Some things in your post sound like my son. He was diagnosed at 4 with ADHD & SPD. It took him forever to learn to ride a bike & tie his shoes. He's a very literal thinker, analytical, and doesn't understand humor well. He's awkward in sports except for tennis. He has been in swimming lessons for 6 years and hasn't progressed past level 2. He has been spouting science facts & pokemon facts for years right down to the minute detail, yet can't remember his math facts. Then, recently, (he's 12 now) he was dx'd with Asperger's. Apparently, he is CLASSIC Asperger's, just never been dx'd. The more I read about it the more I say DOH! That's totally him! But, when his dr. told me that initially, I almost fell out of my chair! Good luck to you!

[nitascool]

Thank you Emily for the response.

 

We keep looking at the "signs" of AS and dh and I are saying, maybe. But then there are some things that are definitely not like ds. Like humor, the boy can make a knock-knock joke funny. But then others like eye contact...he has a very hard time looking people in the eyes... are right on. We know a boy with Asperger's and he asked my ds if he had it too. They act similar in some ways, yet different. But I don't suspect that all children with Asperger's would be exactly alike either. I guess we just have to wait and see, the hard part. ugg. I keep telling myself not to stress over it, either he is or he isn't and there isn't much we can do about it one way or the other right now.

 

Anyway, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who was surprised to here that their child might have Aspergers. Thanks again.

[Spellbound]

It's hard to wait isn't it? We received my DS10's Asperger diagnosis about 6 weeks ago and we had had about a 9 month wait. The best book I read was "Parenting Your Asperger Child" by Alan Sohn and Cathy Grayson. They break down all the subtypes and then give ideas on working with the issues. It was really helpful for me to get past the denial. I don't know if you have that but after having 9 years of a quirky but happy and healthy child, it was a tough transition to an Autism diagnosis. There will be lots of forms with developmental questions. I would start putting together dates and information. Write down anything questionable and how extensive. My DS doesn't do well with eye contact if anxious, which is often, but does better when relaxed. He's now working with the psychologist at the Autism center on emotions and anxiety and attends a social skill group once a week. He seems to be pretty high functioning compared to the others, but the diagnosis really does fit. My DD is in public school and when I see all the other boys, I know he is different. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to!!

[EmilyinND]

I felt like I would rather tell people 6 different dx's (ADHD, ODD, SPD, anxiety...)then say he had Asperger's. Although I was surprised by the dx, I do think I had an easier time accepting it at his age ( 12) than I would have if he was 2 or 3, probably because of the unknowns. I've spent 12 years raising this boy, I already know who he is, that doesn't change. He's still the same person he was a month ago, I just know how his brain works a little better now! I think if he were younger, I wouldn't know what to expect...so I 'm grateful for that. I'm so proud of him!!

[razorbackmama]

Before you have him evaluated, I would read the Eides' book The Mislabeled Child. There are a gazillion and one things that share characteristics with autism, truly.

[Mission-Driven-Mom]

I just wanted to add....mainly so that you don't drive yourself crazy analzying...there really isn't a set profile when it comes to a spectrum disorder. There are characteristics but that is why autism is followed with the word spectrum....there are lots of characteristics and depending on which ones and to what degree they manifest will determine where the kids fall on the spectrum. There is a huge sliding scale from profound autism all the way down to borderline adhd. Kids in the spectrum don't typically fit a mold which is why diagnosis by good qualified doctors is a great thing to do. Also, yes...the brain is complex and many LD's/processing disorders carry many of the same characteristics...again getting good eval's are so important in sifting through it all.

 

You guys are certainly on the right track! Needless to say, getting evals will only help lead you to the specific strengths and weaknesses he has and what specifically will best help him and build him.

 

Hang in there!!! :grouphug:

Edited March 18, 2011 by Mission-Driven-Mom

[Rod Everson]

It's been a while since I've posted in here, and my main interest (and experience) has been in helping kids with dyslexia learn to read, but during that process I gradually realized that many of the kids I was working with shared some characteristics with kids on the autism spectrum, though rarely as severe.

 

Then I ran into Dr. John Cannell's paper on Vitamin D3 and Autism a couple of years ago and saw a lot of merit in it. Tying that together with the earlier observations, I began to wonder if the ever-growing issue of Vitamin D3 deficiency might be relevant to the kids I was working with on reading.

 

Well, to make a long story short, I put most of my thoughts on the matter on a website, and now I've just finished reworking the site so it's a lot easier to navigate. There's a whole section devoted to the topic of nutrition and reading problems and part of it contains information on Vitamin D3 that I think parents of a child on the autism spectrum might find interesting.

 

The lead page of the section is The Diet Piece of the Dyslexia Puzzle, and bear in mind that my main focus is dyslexia, but I think you might find it interesting nonetheless. I know Dr. Cannell's theory is just that, a theory, but he has begun to gather some very interesting anecdotal information since he formulated it. I'm interested in learning what you all think of this if you get the time to go over it.

 

Rod Everson