What age do you guys think autism should be diagnosed?

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This is a complicated issue. When I was a kid, no one (at least in the US) knew what Asperger's was. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 30s. By that point, primary and secondary school were long behind me.
I've often wondered how different my life would have been if I had been diagnosed as a child, and if I would have been better off. Honestly, I don't know that I would have been. School was hellish, and not just for social reasons. I frustrated teachers, because they knew I had a very high IQ, but I simply couldn't - or, in some cases, wouldn't perform certain tasks. I struggled in some classes and aced others. I'm pretty sure that an early diagnosis and intervention would have helped academically.
However, for better or worse, I was forced to deal with the world around me. I had no choice but to try to learn how to make friends and play by the rules of society. I often hated it, and at times, it made me miserable. But I think I would not have had many of the good experiences I've had in life, or most of the successes, if I had been labeled as a child.

Of course, it goes without saying that I am definitely on the high-functioning/mild end of the spectrum. On the other end, early diagnosis is probably good. A family friend (who is, incidentally, NT with a vengeance) has a four-year-old son who is classically autistic and seemingly low-functioning. He does seem to benefit from specialized education and therapy.

I would think it would depend on the individual, and that it would happen when they are beginning to have problems of some kind. I would also think that usually that would be around school age, with more social demands.

Tonmeister and Blue Abyss...I agree with you both. I think those of us from the pre-asperger's dx who never had a label in school, other than difficult, unmotivated, frustrating, space cadet, disorganized, disrespectful, 'needs to be seen by a psychiatrist' - only to remain basically undiagnosed or mis-diagnosed - Somehow we survived. And I think we might have a raw strength that a kid who knows society looks at her/him as disordered or a psych case never has the chance to build.

My issues with the diagnostic labeling and treatment is the thrust of care for HFA's and Aspies is to focus on the eradication of the 'inappropriate' behavior - to 'normalize' them. NT Kids without labels have a hard enough time building their personalities and social skills - Spectrumites have the added burden of being labeled 'disordered', I really wish the focus of diagnosis and treatment would be on how to make being 'different' work, and working with the difference. I've noticed a lot of the younger posters feeling very low about themselves - and that is not going to help them in the long run.

Of course, I went for years trying to climb out of the low social scale - but I had parents who were supportive and proud of my unique aspects and who helped me cope with the bullies - they also gave me good practical advice on how to behave - guidance and 'practice' even.

It should be diagnosed as early as possible. Early intervention is important and if a child is showing difficulties in their development, it's a good idea for them to get seen to as soon as. It might be nothing, but it's better to make sure. I was diagnosed early and I'm so grateful for that.

As someone who was not diagnosed a child, I'm extremely curious what that was like, and how it helped you. I'm sure there are advantages to an early diagnosis, but as someone who couldn't have been diagnosed as a child (since the only type of autism recognized when I was a kid was low-functioning classic autism, which doesn't fit me at all) I'm really interested in what being diagnosed early did for you.

What do you mean by "intervention?"

Earlier the better.

Earlier the better. By the time I figured it out (19), I had hopes and dreams and expectations for myself. People had expectations for me. It would have been a lot less painful if there had been, from the beginning, a label that said, "Don't expect much from this one."

Of course, quite a few people did try to give me that label. My aunt and uncle and cousins, as well as a few teachers and most of the kids I went to school with, knew I was completely defective and treated me as such. But it would have been handy if there hadn't been so much conflict from the starry-eyed idiots that loved me.

I wouldn't have tried so hard, I wouldn't have gotten where I am today, and that would have been for the best.

I would have known that I was born broken from an early age, and had a better chance to learn to be an imitation of neurotypical rather than having the constant cognitive dissonance of hearing "Can't you be more like _________/Oh just be your beautiful self."

I think I would be more content to see myself as broken and severely limited, and it would save a lot of people a lot of problems.

I hope that biometrics and blood protein testing produce some concrete ways of finding autism in all its forms in infancy, so kids can learn their place before they have to live through the cruelty of dreaming higher.

I notice this too, but I'm not convinced that's typical of early diagnosis. Maybe of diagnosis without proper support following it.

But it does disturb me, because I was so delighted to figure out at last what Asperger's was - in my 50s - and realize finally what had been going on with me all my life. People have asked me why I want to label myself. The label does seem wrong for some people, or maybe not the label but how they and those around them respond to it. For me the label has freed me from constant feelings of not measuring up, low self-esteem, and being exhausted and burned out by social demands all my life and thinking the problem was me doing something wrong, not trying hard enough. When in fact it was something I couldn't even help. I did learn social skills that helped some, but they were always a stretch for me, I never got used to being social. Now that I have a label, I don't feel that I must work so hard at being normal. I am better able to stand up for myself and what's good for me.

I can see a problem with early diagnosis if there's too much emphasis by parents, school and others to act NT all the time. Yes, there are situations where we have to adapt, but at home and with those who love us we should be able to be ourselves, and we should not feel that we have to be as social as other people if we don't want to be.

One current trend in psychology seems to be that happiness is found by enhancing one's in-born strengths, not in attempting to be someone you're not. I agree with that. I thought at one time I'd be happier with more friends, and being social if I had better social skills. At 56 I have to say, socializing still EXHAUSTS me. It makes me need a few days to decompress. I feel so much better when I have plenty of time to myself and no constant pressure to interact. Leave me to myself and I'm happy - that's the answer for me.

Never unless it's low or moderate functioning. The diagnoses has myself more pain than anything else.

Definitely As Soon As Possible!

So preparation can be made by the family and school.

But I also think privacy of the child should be protected.

January 1994... we kept going back and forth between the States and Pakistan.

I was diagnosised as Autistic when I was four years old.

Mom and Dad just wanted an answer.... not an excuse.

I guess they were relieved that year.

They should at least be evaluated at 3 to 4 years old....