Little brother just got diagnosed with autism

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Last year, I posted on this forum asking whether I had Asperger's or not, and people told me it sounded like I do have it. Now this year, my little brother (who is only 2 1/2 years old) got diagnosed with autism. Like, not even Asperger's but full-on autism. It makes me feel selfish for ever complaining about my own problems and social issues...

My brother is almost 3 years old, but he still only says one word at a time when he's actually being spontaneous and asking for something like "food," "drink," "movie," etc. When he's repeating something from the TV or copying someone else, he can say a full sentence, but he probably doesn't even know what it means. He's really hyper and runs around in circles all the time flapping his arms, but when he finally calms down he can play with toys and act pretty normal until the next time he gets hyper. When we call his name or talk to him when he's "busy", he'll just ignore us as if nothing happened. But if he's already looking at us, he'll react to us talking to him and giggle in a really cute way when we do something funny. Instead of being freaked out by sensory things, he actually seeks them out, and he likes loud noises especially. But he has meltdowns and screams a lot anytime someone leaves the house or if there's some kind of change/transition he wasn't expecting.

My question is... Is there any way to predict what a kid with these characteristics will be like in the future? I'm wondering if anyone here had similar issues to my brother while they were young, but ended up okay (intelligent, relatively independent) as an adult? I know it's hard to predict these things but just wondering if anyone has any input about their childhood problems and how they're doing now.

Last edited by nyarla_thotep on 19 Jun 2014, 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

From what you're saying, he seems high-functioning to me.

No one could really offer a prognosis--autism works in mysterious ways.

Just care for him well, teach him well, so he could realize his full potential.

It's a great sign that you're so observant, and that you really care about your brother.

I had WORSE issues when I was his age. I didn't talk (until I was 5), I screamed constantly, especially when entering a store, I throw stuff off shelves. It was thought that I was a "vegetable," and that I must be institutionalized.

Right now, I'm 53, a married man, a college graduate, and have been working on my job for 33 years straight.

Hi, first off don't compare your struggles to your brothers, his don't demon sh yours and yours don't change his! It isn't selfish at all!! It hurt both of you when you try to compare like that,

Tat said no there really is no way to predict as far as if he will end up being intelegent? Most likely as generally most on the spectrum (yes even on the severe end) alway presume intelligence!! ! He is likely aware of a lot more then you or anyone else realizes!


The best thing you can do for him is love him for who he is now help him build skills and learn for the future, but don't love what you want him to be what you think he could be, for those are just possibility you can look to them but make sure you love /him/ for who he is and how he is /now! That is so important! Teach him that he is valuable and important! Please don't tell him he is sick or broken, because he isn't he is just different.i can't impress on you how much more important teaching himskills but loving him for who he is now is, everyone is so focused on the future they over look the child that's sitting infront of them. Please don't do that . Baby steps can you much father than you will realize

Slow is fast!


That said I was delayed in my speaking, I had lots of interventions and I feel like I'm doing ok with how I am, I still need help and support I still struggle but I am who I am and how I am . Sorry not wording this right.


The thing is no matter were he falls on. The spectrum, with love, acceptance understanding and proper supports he will be alright the goal shouldn't be to make him as normal as possible to to teach him to embrace his strengths and how to work through this world with what he has.

I'm sorry to say that there isn't a way to predict how well your little brother is going to turn out. It all depends on how he's affected. Hopefully he'll learn coping strategies to help himself, even if he may never pass as normal (whatever that may be). But most importantly hr should be happy, and he sounds like he really is. My daughter runs around like that too, repeating movies she's seen. Looks ike she has a blast doing it.

If your feeling insecure about your brother there's a guy on here, KingdomofRats, who is an LFA advocate. That is, an advocate who is LFA. I didn't know much the about low functioning end of the spectrum until I read his posts and especially his blog. He's a great guy.

Kingdom of Rats is a woman. I thought she was a guy, too, until I was set straight by someone.

I was about to say I thought kingdom of rats was female. Additionally there are several nonverbal autistics bloggers might be worth reading what they have to say

A lot of love and acceptance goes a long way.

Any communicative speech (even if delayed) before the age of 5 is a predictor of high functioning status later on.

Don't be scared by the Autism diagnosis. The DSM-V put to rest the dx of Asperger's so anyone under the former ASD umbrella (PDD-NOS, Asperger's) now gets lumped into Autism.

Wow, I didn?t expect to get so many answers in one day! Thanks for the reassurance and explanations of things. I?m glad to hear you guys are doing better now compared to a rough start you may have had as children.

I guess you all are right, there isn?t really a way to predict what someone will be like when they?re older, but I feel more optimistic now. I guess my parents? gloomy attitude since my little brother was diagnosed has been kinda contagious. When they look at him, they see the issues that he?s having, but hopefully they?ll understand that underneath it all he seems like a pretty smart kid. In fact I think his memory is better than other 2-year-olds?, because he knows the way to get to a few places he likes in town, like the petting zoo. When my parents get within a couple blocks of the petting zoo but take a different turn instead, he instantly starts crying and gesturing toward the way they should have gone. Plus he has a dozen songs and nursery rhymes flat-out memorized, though it?s really hard to make out what he's trying to say when he repeats them. Makes me wonder if he?ll end up being one of those people who have autism or Asperger?s but are like genius-level intelligent in some specific subject. Wouldn?t that be cool