Autisim?

My son was diagnosed with PDD (which is found on the autism spectrum)and we went through the same thing. Tell you friend that she knows her son the best, and to be persistent. If her doctor will not give her a referral, tell her to get a second or even a third opinion. Helping a child with autism has to begin as early as possible- therapy can help. Hope this helps!

It's hard to say without more info. There are also various degrees of autism. How old is your friend's son? What makes her feel he is autistic? Like I said, without more info., it's impossible to say. If her DR isn't concerned, maybe your friend is reading too much into it? Here is some info from National Institute of Neurologic Disorders...check out their site here: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

If any of the info below sounds like your friend's son, have her see a specialist instead of a regular DR.

There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling.

Children with autism may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can’t understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don’t watch other people’s faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.

Many children with autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me.” Children with autism don’t know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. These unusual reactions may contribute to behavioral symptoms such as a resistance to being cuddled or hugged.

Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling. As early as infancy, a baby with autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.

Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Doctors rely on a core group of behaviors to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism. These behaviors are:

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impaired ability to make friends with peers
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impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
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absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
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stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
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restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
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preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
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inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

Doctors will often use a questionnaire or other screening instrument to gather information about a child’s development and behavior. Some screening instruments rely solely on parent observations; others rely on a combination of parent and doctor observations. If screening instruments indicate the possibility of autism, doctors will ask for a more comprehensive evaluation.

Autism is a complex disorder. A comprehensive evaluation requires a multidisciplinary team including a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and other professionals who diagnose children with ASDs. The team members will conduct a thorough neurological assessment and in-depth cognitive and language testing. Because hearing problems can cause behaviors that could be mistaken for autism, children with delayed speech development should also have their hearing tested. After a thorough evaluation, the team usually meets with parents to explain the results of the evaluation and present the diagnosis.

Children with some symptoms of autism, but not enough to be diagnosed with classical autism, are often diagnosed with PDD-NOS. Children with autistic behaviors but well-developed language skills are often diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Children who develop normally and then suddenly deteriorate between the ages of 3 to 10 years and show marked autistic behaviors may be diagnosed with childhood disintegrative disorder. Girls with autistic symptoms may be suffering from Rett syndrome, a sex-linked genetic disorder characterized by social withdrawal, regressed language skills, and hand wringing.

Autisim runs in my family. My sister went nuts trying to find out what was wrong with her son. She went to many dr.s with diff. opitons and tests. What it boiled down to is no dr wants deam a child at a young age with autisim. Ur friend will hv to go to a specialist to get her child determined. Once they determin it ,,its like making a mark on a blackboard. So if the child is young i would say thats is y. She really should get 3 dr.s opitions before she sees a specialist so she can be prepared for the outcome. I hope not for the and the boys sake, best of luck dear
R.

My cousin is an autistic savant. (sp?)
He cant be around new people, he doesnt do well in crowds and sometimes has violent spouts that no one can control. He is 26.
I asked his dad for a good website for you. He gave me this :
www.autismspeaks.org

has alot of info ;}
hope it helps

Dear N.:

If your friend feels "dismissed" by her pediatrician, she should find another one who is more sympathetic and listening. She should also do her own footwork by researching autism (not an easy task, as it is a spectrum of symptoms depending on the degree of the condition, which can vary greatly from child to child.) But the more she knows herself, the more she can either put her fears to rest or know to pursue them. Doctors can be wrong (I know--been there, done that! But not with autism.)
God Bless you and your friend,

L.
http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com

Hi N.. We are going through this with my son right now. I found this web site, www.cafemom.com, the info i've gotten from other moms of ASD kids has been invaluable. Please tell your friend to keep fighting, she is her son's only advocate! A dr. who saw our son last year told os he is below average intelligence and we needed to discipline him!!I called his ped. and told her I wanted a referal to Akron Childrens Hosp., the dr. there couldn't believe how smart he is. He also dx him with ADHD, sensory integration disfunction, and we have a tentative autism dx. tell your friend to go with her instinct.
Nobody knows her son better than she does! Wishing you luck and sending hugs, T.

N.--my sister works with autistic children. Please email me at ____@____.com and I will try to get you in contact with her so that she can tell you who to see for a diagnosis. She currently works in Cleveland, but does have contacts in the Dayton area.
Megan

Tell her to find another pediatrician, NOW!! My nephew was diagnosed with Asbargers Syndrome(not sure on the spelling), which is a form of Autism.... My sister kept getting jerked around with his doctor.... she went to another dr and he was diagnosed with it almost immediatly, by that time he was almost 4 years old and starting preschool... Tell your friend not to wait any longer, because my nephew didnt get diagnosed soon enough, he is behind in school now, and it frustrates him to no end when (as he puts it) 'his brain wont work'! It has been a long hard road for my sister and her family, but it has been even harder on him!

You've already received lots of great information and advice, but I thought I'd add just a bit. Another website is: www.autismtoday.com. Also, I saw a recent episode of "The View" on autism that was very good. I believe it is available on YouTube if your friend would like to watch it. I used to work with autistic kids and I know that early diagnosis and intervention is very important. Many doctors don't know enough about autism or don't see all the things that moms see, so your friend should definitely learn more and get a second opinion.

Hi N..
I would tell your friend to RUN away from that Doctor as quick as she could. My nephew has autism and the sooner they can pinpoint it and start treating it, the better the chances of the child being high functioning.

Doctors are only people! They aren't saints and they aren't infailable! I have three friends that are Doctors and they all say the same thing. Compound that with me having my own issues with peds not listening to my concerns and my instincts were always right.....

Blessings.
M.

Hi N.,

You might want to check out the web sites that is listed in the information I have attached and share with your friend.

Dr. Krantz and the Princeton Child Development Institute

The Princeton Child Development Institute, founded in 1970, is a private, non-profit program offering a broad spectrum of science-based services to children, youths, and adults with Autism. The Institute not only provides quality treatment, education, and professional training and mentoring in New Jersey but also, through its research, has pioneered comprehensive intervention models that are used national and internationally for the benefit of persons with Autism.

Dr. Krantz, Executive Director of PCDI, has published many journal articles and book chapters and co-authored the books, “Activity Schedules for Children with Autism: Teaching Independent Behavior” and “Teaching Conversation to Children with Autism: Scripts and Script Fading,” She has made many international contributions to Autism intervention, including lectures at the British Institute of Mental Handicap and the Congress of the European Association of Behavior Therapy. For more information about Dr. Krantz and the Princeton Child Development Institute, visit www.pcdi.org.
According to the Princeton Child Development Institute,

“Autism is a severe developmental disability that is usually noted within the first three years of life. It occurs in 1 of 150 births, exists in every ethnic group and every part of the world, and is much more common in boys than girls. Before treatment, youngsters with autism exhibit very uneven patterns of development. Often, speech is absent or very delayed and children do not relate to objects, events, or other people in expected ways, nor do they respond to touch, taste, sight, or sound in the same manner as their typical peers. Many children exhibit extremely dysfunctional responses, including stereotypic movements, tantrums, and self-injury.

Because the etiology of autism is not clearly understood, prevention is not possible. But a significant body of evidence shows that applied behavior analysis technology can make a world of difference for people with autism, especially when treatment begins early.” (http://www.pcdi.org/whatIsAutism/generalInfo.asp)

Another web site is Autism Speaks, www.autismspeaks.org

I wish you and your friend the very best.

L. C
Educational Consultant for Discovery Toys
And grandmother of 12

There is a local organization called Help Me Grow that she may want to contact. It is on the web.

I have an autistic child, my doctor was great about it and sent us to a childrens hospital to get a true diagnosis. If there is a children's hospital around your friend maybe you should tell her to go there she does not need a referral from her doctor. Just have her call and make an appointment with a Developmental Peditrician. Some of the signs are rocking back and forth, not talking when they are old enough they should be talking. My son is 4 1/2 and he is just starting to say words he is terrified of the potty so he is still in diapers and he does not like stores like Bath and Body Works the smells i think are nice are over powering to him. A good book for your friend to read is 10 things every child with autism wishes you knew. I read it and it helped me greatly. She would be able to tell more of the signs to look for from that book. Every autistic child is different.

Please tell your freind that she needs to act quickly in contacting Childrens Hospital because the waiting list is a very long one and she may have to wait several months to be seen. She can start the process with a phone call as she does not need a referral.