Post by chikkaccino on May 5, 2014 19:33:06 GMT -5
I noticed something "wrong" with my twin sons at 10 months old. I didn't get an autism diagnosis until 18-months-old after insisting upon testing (I had to ask multiple times for them to do it) and never giving up.
Under most guidelines, one son wouldn't qualify as having Aspergers due to his delayed speech (3 years old) but he certainly is a "little professor" often attempting to correct people. He doesn't get sarcasm. He's very literal. He knows conflict resolution strategies yet fails to implement them to everyday life. Part of me wants to get him re-evaluated by a Clinical Neuropsychologist.
His teacher suggested ADHD, she has a son much like him, and did not force me to medicate. She merely suggested we get him tested because of several behaviors in school. Jumping ahead in his work. Not following directions. In his own world. The list goes on. His child psychologist couldn't tell if he has autism and/or ADHD due to his lack of eye contact and social cues. However, the medication has been working great for him and we do some behavioral therapy at home.
He seemed worse off than his twin brother, who currently has been diagnosed with classical high functioning autism. He would move his head in weird ways at 9 months old to try not to look at you. He'd run circles around tables. He was always running, couldn't sit still, always on the go. Hindsight being 20/20, it was probably evident then too, but no one (including me) was looking for it.
As for the other son, I've hesitated medicating him just for "autism". He has bouts of frustration in which he knocks over desks. He kicks walls when he's upset. But, he's not aggressive or hostile. It's only in these episodes where he acts out.
Last week I went to the psychiatrist for myself, report cards 25-30 years old in hand. He couldn't believe I was never diagnosed sooner. Poor impulse control, daydreaming (these days I zone out), lack of concentration and forgetfulness. I started medication, got calm, more focused, and can remember where I put things more readily now. But most importantly, I had the same kind of reaction to frustration that the son with autism did. I once lost my keys, was late to work, and accidentally kicked a hole in my wall.
So I did more research after a battery of tests were done on the classical autism son for a school reevaluation of services. He scored genius level on his NNAT-2, high enough to qualify for MENSA at 6-years-old. His working memory, however, scored below average. The reports were riddled with statements that he was not focused during testing and distracted. His BASC-2 forms from both teachers and me say he's above average hyperactive. The same child psychologist who evaluated my one son saw him and said that he was atypical, and that trying him on the same medication wouldn't hurt.
I came across this interesting paper about Language and Impairment in Children with Hyperactivity Disorder.
I know it was a small study, but it's estimated that 75% of people with autism also have ADHD. I wonder how many are getting missed because of a diagnosis of "hey, it's just autism" unless they're extreme cases, and then they go get immediately prescribed Risperidone? Or getting "it's ADHD, not autism" and get prescribed stimulants? Both groups seem to have a language impairment.
In any case, I'm going to try to get the pediatrician to look over his results and trial run him on stimulants first. If it doesn't work, we take him off and look into other options.
Under most guidelines, one son wouldn't qualify as having Aspergers due to his delayed speech (3 years old) but he certainly is a "little professor" often attempting to correct people. He doesn't get sarcasm. He's very literal. He knows conflict resolution strategies yet fails to implement them to everyday life. Part of me wants to get him re-evaluated by a Clinical Neuropsychologist.
His teacher suggested ADHD, she has a son much like him, and did not force me to medicate. She merely suggested we get him tested because of several behaviors in school. Jumping ahead in his work. Not following directions. In his own world. The list goes on. His child psychologist couldn't tell if he has autism and/or ADHD due to his lack of eye contact and social cues. However, the medication has been working great for him and we do some behavioral therapy at home.
He seemed worse off than his twin brother, who currently has been diagnosed with classical high functioning autism. He would move his head in weird ways at 9 months old to try not to look at you. He'd run circles around tables. He was always running, couldn't sit still, always on the go. Hindsight being 20/20, it was probably evident then too, but no one (including me) was looking for it.
As for the other son, I've hesitated medicating him just for "autism". He has bouts of frustration in which he knocks over desks. He kicks walls when he's upset. But, he's not aggressive or hostile. It's only in these episodes where he acts out.
Last week I went to the psychiatrist for myself, report cards 25-30 years old in hand. He couldn't believe I was never diagnosed sooner. Poor impulse control, daydreaming (these days I zone out), lack of concentration and forgetfulness. I started medication, got calm, more focused, and can remember where I put things more readily now. But most importantly, I had the same kind of reaction to frustration that the son with autism did. I once lost my keys, was late to work, and accidentally kicked a hole in my wall.
So I did more research after a battery of tests were done on the classical autism son for a school reevaluation of services. He scored genius level on his NNAT-2, high enough to qualify for MENSA at 6-years-old. His working memory, however, scored below average. The reports were riddled with statements that he was not focused during testing and distracted. His BASC-2 forms from both teachers and me say he's above average hyperactive. The same child psychologist who evaluated my one son saw him and said that he was atypical, and that trying him on the same medication wouldn't hurt.
I came across this interesting paper about Language and Impairment in Children with Hyperactivity Disorder.
"These findings support this study’s hypothesis. They also are consistent with observed clinical behaviors and prior research reports of other authors. For instance, Barkley (1997, 1998) and Westby and Cutler (1994) found LI in organizing, sequencing, and recalling information in a population of children with AD/HD."
I know it was a small study, but it's estimated that 75% of people with autism also have ADHD. I wonder how many are getting missed because of a diagnosis of "hey, it's just autism" unless they're extreme cases, and then they go get immediately prescribed Risperidone? Or getting "it's ADHD, not autism" and get prescribed stimulants? Both groups seem to have a language impairment.
In any case, I'm going to try to get the pediatrician to look over his results and trial run him on stimulants first. If it doesn't work, we take him off and look into other options.