RE: Kids w/ Classic Autism, PDD-NOS & Speech Delays

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Well we finally made it to the sticky section of WP! thanks DW!!

No speech delay is a prerequisite to an Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis, if there was a speech delay it has to be labeled something else.

According to Attwood many prototypcial Apserger patients, diagnosed later in life, with AS did infact have a speech delay in childhood.
This is the crux of the current debate over HFA Vs AS in DSMV.

In addition I know I have 5 family members in my extended family who didn't speak till their fist year of primary school and are currently showing no obvious sign of autism in adult life.

That's good to hear....

How about "Classic Autism or more severe delays"

"classic autism" is OK but may appear to sound like it's prototypical Kanner's autism discussion page. I'd like to keep it more general (basically parents with a child not diagnosed with Aspergers).

The current title by only mentioning HFA sounds like it excludes LFA kid. I'd be happy if it was "WP section for parents of kids with PDD-NOS/HFA/LFA etc"

Lol(ish) its Aspies v Auties at James kindie.
Well to be precise my son and the Aspie - of all the kids at the kindie those two don't get on. Theres been hitting and tears on both sides. And loud shouting in the one direction

Of course I still like my idea better ....this was cyberdad's thread so I think he should decide but I also agree that leaving out the more severe LFA and only saying HFA leaves out parents like nostromo....even though Im not real big on the whole high functioning low functioning thing it is an easy way to describe it. I like to think all our kids function high in some areas and low in others. Thats another reason I like the Classic Autism title because, to me, it means not Asperger's. There is a scale when it comes to Asperger's as well, there are some kids that are more affected (ie low functioning) and some that are mildly effected but most people just say Asperger's or Aspie. I know that in Classic Autism there are many levels of functioning and also sub groups:, regressive Autism, Fragile X and PDD-NOS. Maybe we could include Fragile X as well as PDD-NOS....even though Fragile X is not really Autism, per say, they still have the same behaviors and issues as our Auties do. Maybe we should call it Parents of Classic Autistics (auties) and those that do not fit or fall under Asperger's diagnosis....something like that. Or the Family thread of Autism Spectrum not including Asperger's or excluding Aspergers (maybe that sounds rude)....gosh this is hard. Classic Autism/HFA/LFA/PDD/FragileX ?
"Parents of kids with Autism, issues not involved in Asperger's".....Like I said its cyberdad's thread so hes in charge.

It's tricky because Asperger's is a subgroup of HFA, so if it's worded that way it won't exclude Asperger's. I think classic autism would include HFA and LFA while excluding Asperger's ... ? Or does that not include HFA?

The center that my kid go to have mainly LFA kids and my Aspie son is pretty tolerant, probably because of his sister but he does say some funny Aspie things to me when he comes home. One time he went on a park excursion with some of the other kids and he said that one of the kids had a rock obsession and he kept putting them in his mouth or licking them so he says "Do you know how many germs are on rocks?" ! He also has auditory sensory issues so the other kids screaming bothers him. Nothing seems to bother my daughter she started therapy so young and so much of it that she expects it now and seems to have a need for it....which was why it was so hard when we had none for several months after moving here. She pretty much ignores other kids at the center unless they touch her. She has always been tactile defensive but not so much with us anymore.
Actually I think my Aspie does better with the auties rather than his fellow Aspies at times (depends on the kid). When he had his social skills group they all sometimes spend the entire two hours arguing over which game they wanted to play !

I get the same at Gym, James will push in on some kid or run off with the ball blissfully unaware while some little Aspie angrily shouts at him at 120 decibels quoting various rules and James' transgressions. Its quite funny really.

Good question....I dont even know what sub group heading my daughter fits under anymore. She was diagnosed as Severe right before age Edit: oops age 3. Now is verbal and would more fit under the HFA title but she still has many behaviors that would fit under LFA....also she is regressing so. I guess this is why I stick with Classic Autism but I still have people who say that she doesnt "look" autistic (that one always cracks me up). Now that she is older it is actually more obvious but I think Im tired of all these lables actually....my daughter has Autism

Last edited by liloleme on 02 Jun 2011, 4:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

I guess Im lucky I get both worlds....my kids crack me up! I can tell you though its rarely peaceful around here as you can imagine...good thing I have a sense of humor and for the times that my own Aspie side gets overwhelmed I have my husband or a nice low dose of valium

EDIT: hope I didnt upset anyone with mentioning that I sometimes use medication to calm myself. I do have Asperger's and my older kids had to suffer some of my meltdowns. I was never abusive to them but I did scream, throw chairs down and slam doors on occasion (its funny my 18 year old Aspie does not remember any of this)....I dont want my younger kids to be subjected to that. They respond better when my husband and I are calm especially when they are out of control. Im hoping that teaching my kids how to calm themselves with sensory toys....the swing and the trampoline that they will never need any type of medication. I was raised in a completely different world where I was just weird, irritating or bad. I always got the feeling no one wanted me around. Anyway enough whining about my childhood. Just felt a little uneasy about talking about my meds....I like the control of a benzo than having to take something every day like an SSRI....besides I already have to take daily meds for my Auto immune disease I dont want to add more. My doctor tried to put me on Lexapro but that made me feel really weird.....I mean more weird than I am normally !

Thanks but I'll suggest we put it to a vote. DW is there anyway we can do a survey or poll?