Autism

[froggy]

Hi, I have a sister-in-law who may have a child with autism. Would a speech therapist be able to diagnos that or would she need to talk with her pediatrician? And, once he is diagnosed, what are the steps from there, what does she need to do. I have given her this website address to join the forums, but I don't know how long it will take her to get involved - so I thought I would help get the ball rolling. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[amiller]

FOR SURE a Speech Therapist is not qualified to make that diagnosis definitively, though they have certainly seen enough to warrant a trip to the doctor if autism is suspected. Make sure their pediatrician sends them to specialists for tests. Also, have them call their local hospital (or children's hospital) about Autism Support groups. The United Way is also a GREAT source of referrals for Autism-related programs and probably has a hotline number (ours in Bexar County, Texas is 211)

[Kei_as_in_K]

Generally, the parent should talk to their child's pediatrician about their concerns. I have no experience with this, perhaps someone here can share their experience/knowledge about it.

Here are several links that may help with information http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/autism.html
This one is a PDF file link http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/autism_overview_2005.pdf

[Krista]

I have 3 nephews with autism, and all were diagnosed by Neurologist after having neuro and psychiatric testing done. After there is a dx, she should contact the Regional Center in her county to set up services, preschool, etc.
I hope she comes to join us here.

[lovemy6sweeties]

sometimes I worry that Brady has autism, but all the professionals we've worked with so far believe it's just part of his developmental delays....

I hope she joins us here and gets some answers.....

[momgael]

Autism needs to be diagnosed by a neurologist or psychologist. Others can make treatment plans, but the actual diagnosis needs to come from someone in those two fields. Sometimes different funding streams will need the diagnosis to come from a psychologist, so check with insurance, DD services, etc.

Often there are autism teams that are available in your area. (In North Carolina, TEACHH does diagnosising and treatment.) FEAT.org is a great parent website for autism.

Nickie, NC

[yeshuafreak1999]

My four year old daughter was diagnosed with autism. We had a hard time getting any help from her pediatrician (who said she was just a late talker) so we bypassed her Dr and went to the school district. If a child is older than three you can call your school district and ask to have your child assessed for a developmental delay, they have about 2 months to have your child assessed and an I.E.P. put in place.

It can be hard to get insurance to pay for the initial evaluations so this is one route to go if you are having problems with either your ped. or insurance. The other option is to call your regional center. Often they will do their own evaluations for little to no cost and also work with children under 3. If you have any questions please feel free to send me an email at yeshuafreak1999@yahoo.com

Also, if you have the option it is best to go to a developmental pediatrician/psychologist for an autism diagnosis because they specialize in developmental disorders. Neurologist and psychologist often do not work with a lot of autistic kids so there can be a greater risk of a misdiagnosis (as we found with our first psy. who told us our daughter's problems were because of our own poor parenting skills).

-Trista
mom of Adarah Kitana 4 y/o (ASD) and Aeniah Lael 8 mo.

[Kei_as_in_K]

a greater risk of a misdiagnosis (as we found with our first psy. who told us our daughter's problems were because of our own poor parenting skills).
-Trista
mom of Adarah Kitana 4 y/o (ASD) and Aeniah Lael 8 mo.

Trista, how awful!!!! So glad you found someone else!

[LisafromNY]

I'm surprised this thread isnt longer already!

My son was diagnosed at 1.11, today he is a 5.5 yr old loving child. He is nonverbal, who signs and writes, but 'communicates' minimally.

In our 4 years of DXs, therapists, schools, meetings, diets, supplements, my husband and I still continue to educate every professional we come in contact with.

I want to say to the parents in my boat is this DID NOT happen because of you. Please pick yourself up, dust yourself off and educate yourself, you have to. There will always be something to learn and explore. True, there will be plenty of tears along the way, so remember to humor yourself too. Pick out your own tendencies, or better yet, your husband's!!

The mom knows. The mom knows if her child has autism. Regardless of 'he's a boy, they talk later, or Einstein didnt talk till he was 5 etc...etc....' I knew my son had autism before I had a name for it. Please don't feel guilty that YOU caused this. Nobody knows what causes autism (tons of theories)!What I do know is, we've been handpicked to be the moms of these children.

[Peggy P.]

My son Jared is autistic, and his speech therapist was the first one to actually tell us that she thought he was. His pediatrician had mentioned it at Jared's 15-month check-up, when he noticed that Jared still was not verbal. Jared was 2.5 when we got the official diagnosis from a group that specializes in autistic children. We went to KU Med in Kansas City, where they put Jared thru a variety of tests.

We also found out last year that Jared has scoliosis, so we started taking him to a chiropractor. After we started going to the chiropractor three times a week for the scoliosis, we started seeing an increase in his speech. After some research, we found out that the adjusting the spine is actually good for autistic children as well.

Peggy

[cgzeiter]

I specialize in the treatment and education of children with autism and special needs. I can't say it any better than Joseph Ricciardi, so I'll copy and paste him below. Please let me know if you have any questions.
~Carla
Behavior Anyalst

"Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life," said Joseph Ricciardi, Psy.D., clinical director of the May Center for Early Childhood Education in Arlington, a school for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. "It is a neurological disorder that affects the development of the brain, causing difficulty with communication, learning, and social interaction."

According to Ricciardi, symptoms of autism include language that is slow to develop, lack of sociability, and unusual repetitive behaviors.

"There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism, but when parents become concerned about developmental delays in their children, they should consult their pediatrician," said. Ricciardi. "Your doctor can rule out various potential medical causes for developmental delays such as hearing and/or voice problems. Before a child can be diagnosed with autism, he or she should be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team that may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning specialist, or another professional knowledgeable about the disorder."

Although one specific cause has not been identified, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain. It is believed to have a genetic basis, but a particular gene has not been directly linked to the disorder. Researchers are using advanced brain-imaging technology to examine environmental factors that may contribute to the development of autism. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans can show abnormalities in the structure of the brain, with significant cellular differences in the cerebellum.

"Autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs), such as Asperger Syndrome, occur in approximately one in 500 individuals," Ricciardi explained. "The number of identified cases of autism is on the rise, and it is now the fourth most common developmental disability, following mental retardation, blindness, and cerebral palsy. It is five times as common as Down syndrome and four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls."

"Most researchers agree that the sooner an autistic child begins an intervention program, the better," Ricciardi added. "At this time, the best approach for the treatment of autistic children involves special educators, psychologists, speech and occupational therapists. Although medications are sometimes used to manage problematic features of autism, there are currently no medications that effectively treat the core symptoms."

A mainstay of an effective intervention program is applied behavior analysis or ABA. In ABA, scientifically established principles of learning and behavior are combined to address the primary areas of concern in autism: communication, social development, learning, and behavior problems.

Ricciardi recommends that parents look for a program that provides direct consultation by senior clinicians, an experienced staff, and approaches, such as ABA, that are referenced in professional literature. "In addition," he said, "families should strive to create a professional working relationship with educators and clinicians. Autism is a long journey, and a partner can make all the difference. Look for professionals who are knowledgeable, caring, and can work well with school administrators."

[LisafromNY]

I agree the with above post, however the numbers are quite larger than 1 in 500. The rising rate is 1 in 166 live births. It's completely frightening.

Please read (from Autism Society of America)

Prevalence of Autism
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 166 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2004). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise.

Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.

Autism knows no racial, ethnic, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect any family, and any child.

And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.

[colleencondon]

Carla- I worked with Joe Ricciardi when I first got out of college in Boston for 2 years. I was working with adult with severe DD and Autism and Joe was the staff Ph.D. behaviorist. Have you worked with him or are you just familiar with his work?