Average-atheist-15

yeah i agree that test isnt as in depth as it could be. and finaly i agree with somone about HFA and AS. it is i think impossible to understand unless you have it. im starting to think maybe I have HFA rather than AS. but i dont know

mercury_amy

I don't know much about Autism and Aspberger's Syndrome, but I do know a lot about gluten free diets. I have a very severe case of Celiac Disease (the inability to process gluten) and I have been on a gluten free diet for the past 4 years. If any of you guys have any questions or would like to try a gluten free diet, please feel free to drop me a PM. I'd be more than happy to help.

b00bles

Can I just ask, Brainy, what in the blue hell was that doctor smoking? Schizophrenia and Autism share a lot of the same characteristics in terms of early childhood and overall development (the speech being their most common trait) and it is beyond common for there to be a dual diagnosis of Autism and OCD or an OCD diagnosis to actually be a 'symptom' of a PDD (I'm speaking on the spectrum, this includes Asperger's, Autism, CDD and Rett's PDD-NOS for anyone who is confused)

I understand that by the diagnostic criteria it is a process of elimination but what that doctor was saying is above and beyond idiotic. You can look for Schizophrenia and BPD in a young child but honestly, he's a doctor he should know that a child presenting with the symptoms I'd imagine you told him/her is more than likely somewhere on the PDD spectrum...

I find it funny (not as in haha, funny as in wow, what idiots) that they all said OCD, AD(H)D and Tourette's but didn't try to connect any dots. To me, all those signs, especially the first two diagnosis' point to a developmental disorder but when you add the tourette's it becomes more obvious, hell not only PDD but a communication disorder...

I totally agree with what you're saying about severe OCD and Asperger's. They are nearly the same disorders in terms of presentation but usually OCD presents as compulsive and repetitive tasks and sameness rather than the key presentation of PDD, that being primarily focused on language and communication... I hope that makes sense.

But ten years ago a lot of doctors and people had no idea about how Autism presented and the common traits.

PDD NOS is usually severe and less likely to be high functioning.

Autism presents with the entire array of developmental symptoms, the key being a language delay. To my knowledge, Asperger's is mainly a social interaction deficit, whereas Autism presents a deficit in language, self help and cognitive function. The other diagnosis criteria is that Autism presents before 3 years of age and I'm not sure if it has to be diagnosed before then or not, but it definitely has to be symptomatic before then. Also, so there is no confusion, with Asperger's the language acquisition and expression is on key in terms of age, but the pragmatics of language and receptive language are usually where that area of language deficit effects people.

Anyway to put it lightly: you can be highly functioning Autism and it might be the same as Asperger's later in life but initially I believe there had to have been a language defecit hence the diagnosis of Autism, and the diagnosis will not change later in life to Asperger's, hence the "highly functioning Autism". (You can't be diagnosed Autism and outgrow it, basically)

As far as PDD-NOS, I think there may be more confusion here with terminology. PDD-NOS is usually milder than Autism (initially) but more severe than Asperger's. A person with PDD-NOS might have had full language or normal language development before three and lost it afterward, hence why they would not be Asperger's and could not be Autistic since the criteria specifies an onset before 3 years. Often times PDD-NOS is diagnosed very early on when there is no way to test for Autism. It's unspecified criteria, basically. So agian, PDD-NOS is almost always more severe than the other diagnosis because there is no way of testing if there is no ability to interact social or verbally.

Also, just so everyone is not confused, the spectrum of Autism includes Asperger's Autism and PDD-NOS, but the PDD spectrum has 5 counterparts: Autism, Asperger's, Rett's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (None Other Specified) and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. All of which share a lot of the same symptoms but for diagnostic purposes have specific criteria for the sake of funding, diagnosis and need.
Hope this helps.

b00bles

No problem. It's time like these when I love my job the most, I love helping people and especially helping others understand the abilities of those with PDD.

Feel free to PM me if you need anything else!

breakageofthenumbers

Don't worry, I know all about Asperger's (*is a psychology freak*). Let me tell you one thing--the guy who invented bitTorrent (a.k.a. filesharing) has really bad Asperger's, but he's worked very hard to control it, and now he can make eye contact when he's speaking! Unfortunately, you can't point at something around him because he doesn't quite understand why you're sticking out your hand with your index finger protruding. Asperger's is really tough but with a lot of practice, no one will notice. Now, I'm going to use a face that expresses the probable rambling of this post:

Average-atheist-15

so you know "all" about aspergers do you. what exactly do you know. yeah ok you said wth practice and help it can be controlled. i agree that might be possible in some case's but what else do you know

and do you yourself have it?

and yeah that face is kinda insulting dont you think. and kinda arrogent on your half, like your right and no one could possibly know as much as you

Wildangel

I have 3 cousins. all siblings.

The oldest was never diagnosed with autism/aspergers. Ever seince he was little he would pace, talk in his own language, obsessed with certain things. Now that he is older- around 20, he still has these characteristics. I have made him sit down and talk, but he talks really robotic like. But he is very smart, if you can get him talking about something that interests him. This makes me believe that maybe he has aspergers. Is there a high/low functioning of it? I think he would be on the lower functioning of it, but I think that would be due to environment and how he's raised. He can't tell the difference between what he see's on tv/game and real life. He wants to join the army so he can blow things up.
his brother is about 14. He was very smart and bright when he was little. Spoke normally, acted normally. at age 5 he was above average in everything; skills and whatnot. there was a period of about 5 years that I hadn't seen him. and in that time he took a turn for the worse. Speaks in his own language. Very repetitive. obsessive with certian things like games. He is very difficult to understand. He was diagnosed with autism when he was about 12.
their sister is 12 or so. She is very child like. You can understand what she says, but she just isn't normal. I think hers is due to being molested from the time she was a baby till she was 10.

all 3 kids have different fathers. I am wondering if the way that the older two act, if it is due to environment or what. can a normal 5 year old become autistic when he grows older?

Xtina- I figure you'd be the one to ask. I don't know much about Autism, and I know it's something you are passionate about.

Saphira

I have a question, probably for Boobles since she knows the most about it. My cousin has Asperger's. He is almost thirteen years old, yet he acts the same way he did when he was eight or nine. He's prone to having panic attacks and crying fits, and I feel so badly for him. His mother is horrible with him, she just ignores him and brushes him off when he's upset, and she has no idea how to work with him. He is more interested in video games and computers than people, but once he starts to get to know you, he'll open up as long as other people aren't around.

My question is this: my cousin seems to respond well with me, and enjoys going places with me. If his mother takes him to dinner, she'll make him sit there and talk to the people at the table, which usually makes him extremely anxious and he'll have a panic attack. If I take him out, I let him play his Nintendo DS until the food comes, ask him to engage with us while eating, and then let him go back to his games as soon as his plate is cleared. His mother says I'm encouraging his bad behavior, but I think she's trying too hard to make him "normal" like his sister, who is a social butterfly. I'm trying to respect how he feels and make him comfortable, yet slowly expose him to social settings so he'll slowly become a little more comfortable in them. It seems to work for me, he even asks about my boyfriend now and if he'll be coming to see him (when normally, he doesn't ask about anyone, or anything, unless its an animal. He loves my cat)

Anyway, all in all, I just want to know if I'm going about the right approach. I love my cousin and I don't want to hurt him, but I really disapprove of the way his mother just brushes him aside. And it pisses me off when she gets on my ass about how I "spoil" her son.

Average-atheist-15

for the record im also a "psychology freak" id may be taking a course n pychology at college soon actualy. i may be able to get into a college based on a diagnosis. well either you havent read my post which is what im going to ashume. or you dont have an answear for what i said. if im wrong and the fact is that you have read it but not responded. well isnt that a little interesting? this response probably wont be allowed

breakageofthenumbers

My apologies. I realized after I posted it that I sounded arrogant when I said I knew "everything" about Asperger's. I don't. Also, the face was referring to MY post, not the other's persons. Sorry for any misconceptions, feel free to flame me as punishment.