Autism Spectrum Disorders

What are the common symptoms of autism?

Comments: Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Monika80 - 590 days ago.
Dear Mothers and fothers of autistic children, my friend told me that she is using this: Click Here! and sees positive results. Just thought you might find it useful.

bandrsmum11 - 756 days ago.
Hi Im new in joining but did follow the pregnancy part whilst pregnant with my youngest ( just turned 4 months :-) ) i also have an older son he is 9 1/2. He was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome when he was 7, which is quite old i feel as looking back there certainly were signs that something wasn't quite right but as a first time mum who had never even heard of this disorder it never crossed my mind. It was apparent from him being maybe a year old that something was diiferent about him and it breaks my heart now that it took so long for his diagnosis. i think it is great there is forum to discuss with other parents of children with autism who know exactly what your going through, i have great friends and super great family who are fantastic with my son and try so hard to understand him and his condition but it is still nice to talk to people who are in the same boat :-)

tiffyy - 973 days ago.
i have a nephew that my family think have autism, but his parents refuse to believe it. he is 3 1/2 and don't seems to respond when we call him. he don't seem to talk much and if you ask me i don't really know how many words he can say, almost as if i never hear him talk. his sister who is 5 years old is terrify of the dvd player whenever we change the disc. she walks tip toe. her father say that she copied teh cartoon characters but that was since she knew how to walk. she walked on tip toe like she was very comfortable in it. i dun see any other signs from her. i just want my nephew to get tested and be helped. we all feel like he's in his own world and none of us can get to him or communicate w/him

happymommajess - 975 days ago.
all of you mommies are amasing! your all doing such a great job. They say that god blesses special people with special children because he knows that they are best equipped to look after them! i have a 14 year old brother with autism and he is the sunshine in my life. My mom and dad are fantastic parents and have never stopped fighting for him. He is the most intellegent person i know and little by little he is gaining independance and growing into a great young adult . Having a brother with autism has taught me so much and given me so much understanding and empathy for people with special needs and the people who give every ounce of their soul to look after them and fight for them. You are all an inspiration!!!!

happymommajess - 975 days ago.
all of you mommies are amasing! your all doing such a great job. They say that god blesses special people with special children because he knows that they are best equipped to look after them! i have a 14 year old brother with autism and he is the sunshine in my life. My mom and dad are fantastic parents and have never stopped fighting for him. He is the most intellegent person i know and little by little he is gaining independance and growing into a great young adult . Having a brother with autism has taught me so much and given me so much understanding and empathy for people with special needs and the people who give every ounce of their soul to look after them and fight for them. You are all an inspiration!!!!

RobinG - 1075 days ago.
Welcome Alara & AprilMcSpadden sorry I missed your post way back :) ((hugs)) My 2.5 yr old is autistic, there are a few on here that have ASD children :) Sadly though this forum isnt to active. There is a board I go to that is very active. It is in the UK but has many from all over the world. (Facebook is great too, look for the group autismspeaks on it.) When I need help advice or guidance I go there :) It is called www.asdfriendly.org :)

alara - 1076 days ago.
Hello everyone - i just join the website and am interested in networking with other parents who have children with autisim - i have two boys with autisim - one 10yrs and one 5yrs - i also am 14 weeks on sunday - feeling alittle nervous bout this one whether he/she might have same diagnosis- at the same time feeling very happy and excited!! would love to hear from people - thanks

aprilmcspadden - 1192 days ago.
hey there new to this part of the site and Im sure glad i found it, 2,5 yr old son Ethan hasnt been fomally diognosed but sure has a TON of the signs of autism, it wouldbe nice to talk to some other moms with children with the same isues Im going thru right now I feel so sad for my son and his future and cant help feel giulty like maybe I did something top cause it. ugh. take care ladies

shell81 - 1194 days ago.
hey my eldest son who is 7 this year is autistic. he was diagnosed when he was 3.i live in the uk so therapy is free but there are long waiting lists. he also had glue ear and had to have grommits which delayed his speech further and he has just been diagnosed with adhd too. the first 3 years were the hardest esp with the tantrums and speech delay but its got better and things dont seem all bad after all. it's hard going. my 2nd son who is 19 months is starting to show signs now and is being closely monitored, im pregnant with my 3rd and fear that i will have 3 children with autism.

naunilee - 1258 days ago.
Hey all! I'm a mommy to 3 with #4 on the way. Our oldest is 8 and was diagnosed with being on the spectrum at the age of 2. He also has Tuberous Sclerosis, mental retardation, OCD and is epileptic. I feel for ya all!

RobinG - 1260 days ago.
((((((((((())))))))))) big hugs ~ here is a great site ~ www.asdfriendly.org :) they were very helpful to me and its a very active site like this one ~ if you have any questions I am here anytime ((hugs)) my son has mild autism

RobinG - 1322 days ago.
Also I found youtube to be very helpful!1 Search it on youtube and you will find many videosof families sharing :) You can view my sons videos by entering cardinal12803

RobinG - 1322 days ago.
Hi there ((big hugs to you )) There are many sites but I found with my son (mild autism) that the best source of info came from other parents who have children on the spectrum and most importantly an active site like this one where you can turn to anytime for help and guidance ~ this site http://www.asdfriendly.org/board/ has been a god send to me ~ it has SO many with chldren on the spectrum and many with AS (aspergers) they will surely help you!! Not sure where you are located but the site has many from the UK and some US. I am in the US but still found it very helpful! Only thing different was specific testing terms etc but there still may be some from US who can help :) I am a member of 4 ASD sites and that one is the most helpful. there is also live chat too at times :) What helped me most was to educate myself. I read alot, asked my therapist team lots of questions and didnt settle on anything. My son is Mildly autistic which is sim to AS but with a language delay. He is high functioning too. Here is a video I made on him ~ it is his ASD but still applies :) Feel free to email me anytime!!! I can share other resources too for ya :) autism speaks on faceboook too is helpful :)

mother649808 - 1322 days ago.
My 6 year old little boy eas just diagnosed with Aspergers. I need to research this but I would like some reliable info. Anyone have any ideas where to start with this life long journey? Thanks ladies!

RobinG - 1344 days ago.
Interesting observation with my son ~ just wanted to share :) Hunter is mild and communication is difficult for him at times. I have a little boy I care for occassionally who has VCFS. Nothing to do with autism but he is mostly non verbal. what little he does say is soft spoken and single words. He is 5 but very tiny. Same size as my son. He too uses sign language minimally. Hunter could care less if kids are around or not. He is quite content on playing alone most often and not involve in what they are doing. Yesterday school was closed so I had zac for the day. Hunter was ALL over him!! hugging, holding, laying on him. You name it. He doesnt do this with anyone, and with me and DH even that is downscaled in comparison to what he did with Zac. So I spoke to the PT today about and what she said made TOTAL sense :) She said what does or doesnt he do that everyone else does? I said verbally communicate. He isnt challanged by him for various things that occur in oral communication ~ She said him using body language makes Hunter much more comfortable :) So just wanted to share in case it can benefit anyone here :) TX!

SecondPregFirstTwins - 1368 days ago.
Hi everyone. I live BC and my son is in this fantastic autism program called EIBI and our government decided to shut it down in January. I have an online petition going and I'd like you all read it and sign if you like. Plus I have a u tube video of an on camera interview with and our local news. I will add the links to this comment. Please watch and read. Much appreciated. If this link doesn't work, you can copy and paste it into your web address and then it'll work. http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/view?pid=110981766 This one is for the u tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxfVtfoQIB0&feature=autofbTitle:Taking away from Autistic Children

RobinG - 1375 days ago.
Very mild and high functioning is def mild and kids can seem 'normal' often. Perhaps look into PDD-NOS ~ Thing is no two days are the same ~ so you cant go by his last testing. So what Hunter may do one minute he may not do the next and visa versa so to go by how he did one time in docs office cant be used only to dx. If he was fine the other times it doesnt mean the concerns werent there and docs know that. Same goes for a day he doesnt do so good. hunter had a very good apmnt the day he was dx but having had 8 months of documentation they had what they needed to know and I see it. And he saw things I didnt having had it explained to me after. Not always is it evident ~ there are days he seems fine and I question it but other times it is there so clearly. The criteria doesnt mean that to fit it is 'always a probelm' it means is a struggle often but not always' Docs know what to look for and often it is things we dont really understand or always see which may be why you dont see it. I know by me they are never fast to just give it so if they did they must have a reason, perhaps wording it as they did was wrong. I'd go back and get another opinion. A 3rd can change so you cant go by that ~ kids who have ASD change day to day so even if he was fine 2 times it doesnt mean he was fine the 3rd. I spoke to a mom once and she is ASD. I asked where she was on spectrum and she said she cant say cause it varies~ throughout her life she has changed. Get a copy of the detailed report and read it ~ mine was very thorough in sharing what it was that put him on the spectrum. I know a boy who was AS like your son and he seemed fine too ~ it is VERY high functioning from what I see. Sometimes outsiders looking in see what we dont. I have a friend who has a child who is moderate and he is 4 and she thinks he doesnt have it at all and to me looking in and having a mild son I can see it clearly and nothing I say convinces her. Even when many see it. I have an older son who was dx ADD and to be honest I think it is more AS or SPD and to fight for help is hard. your son will get the help he needs. Even if one year he doesnt need it one day he might. Doctors who cant say 100% it isnt may give the dx to be safe then sorry. If the docs cant say it isnt then it is probably best to give it since not having it would be more obvious I'd feel. I personally would rather the DX be there if it were my son so he got help he needed instead of no dx and me fighting constantly for him to get help in school. What you may view as slight immaturety may not be that but ASD. ((hugs)) Best bet is to get another opinion if you arent convinced. I must ask though ~ my sons dx doesnt bother me, I am sad but it is what it is and I will do all I can to help him. With your son having the DX is it harmful to him or does it bother you that he has that DX? I thankfully am ok but I have heard it is common for parents to feel guilty for thier kids having it. I really feel that an experienced doc, who has written books, wouldnt give it at all if it wasnt so if she has to flip a coin saying it is she really must have a justifiable reason. Maybe get some books on AS and meet other families. It took me a long time to begin to understand the dx and what the symtoms were. While it used to be hard for me to recognize the signs from not being educated on it I now see it because I've read and read and read and talked to other families. If you chat with moms with a mild or mold moderate ASD child it will not be the same as an AS child (high functioning) so best to meet some like your son :) You may find it is what you needed to understand better ~ ((hugs))

SHERRYBABYDEAN - 1376 days ago.
The behaviour was not really an issue.He was slightly immature because he collects cars still at 13.When he lived with me he had plenty of friends.He had a little when diagnosed there but,he'd only been there a short time.He now has a lot.The diagnosis,like I had said before,was a flip of the coin.He didn't even meet most of the DSM-IV criteria.I don't think special ed will do much for him.His grades when he lived here were all A's & B's except for math.It bothers me about having to flip a coin to diagnose him.One day she calls and said she ruled it out and the next she says,'I think I'll diagnose him with Aspergers'.She is very well qualified.She even wrote a book on Autism.If he does have it then it has to be extremely mild.He actually had 3 DSM-IV tests.I find it strange that his first and second DSM-IV didn't even come close to a diagnosis.How can a third have changed?Is it possible for a child to be asked so many times that he starts acting that way?The doctor said that he had little eye contact and rocked.Never in his life has that been true.Even now.It seemed like he was prompted or was just acting this way.Even the doctor said that that was not consistent.I'm not in denial.I an just confused.Is there such a thing as so low on the spectrum that it could be a flip of the coin?Thanks ladies!

mountainmama - 1379 days ago.
robin you're right--this forum should be changed to autism spectrum disorders.

mountainmama - 1379 days ago.
sherry~~having the diagnosis can help if there are problems so it might be a positive thing. your son might be eligible for various types of services/accommodations in school and at home depending on what's available in your area. and robin is right~~ask the doctor what behavior he displays that he would consider asd. all asd is currently diagnosed by behavior.

RobinG - 1380 days ago.
There have been children dx with autism that havent had vacs ~ I dont support the thought that it is caused by vacs. vacs may cause it in a select few but I think it is more rare. I think most are born with it. Research non organic foods and the dirty dozen and its effects on the neuro and brain ~ I think that is where the cause of autism rests. But thats just me ~

RobinG - 1380 days ago.
Sherry ~ my son who is 22 months has mild autism. No two autistic children are the same so this list cant be relied on. And many have co-morbids. And it depends on if they are hypo or hyper when it comes to things. Hunter struggles with motor planning, sensory integration, oral dyspraxia and language. We knew something was off at 8 months with eating and at 16 months he was dx wiht autism specturm disorder. He had been in therapy for 8 months at that time so it was easy to dx him so young. This list doesnt quite describe Hunter either. He does many of these things at times and other times very rare. You could be around my son and not know anything is wrong. Being mild or high functioning and asbergers means it is mild and high functioning. So it is VERY different then classic autism. I had recommended Laura change this forum to ASD since the spectrum is HUGE and classic is not the same has mild or moderate or PDD-NOS etc etc. And to have a concern that is related to ASD (esp high functioning) doesnt mean it will be evident all the time or very obvious and strong all the time. Best thing is to ask your doc what the specifics were that he ws dx with asbergers. My son was dx based on the DSM-IV Criteria for Autism. I'd check it out. Here is an awesome site that helped me. I'd suggest reading and meeting others with AS ~ they may be able to help you ((hugs)) http://www.asdfriendly.org/board/

SHERRYBABYDEAN - 1380 days ago.
My older son lives with his father..He was failing in math.He's a 13 year old.I was told that it was a toss of the coin to diagnose him.He was acting a little crazy at a dance once and he collects cars.I collect things.This was thought to be immature.He has to be told to do school work repeatedly.He'll do it if he can do it on a computer.That was the reason for diagnosing him with Aspergers.He didn't meet most of the criteria.He did not meet the criteria with another person so,he had him re-evaluated.He does none of the things listed on this page,unless you consider loving car collecting and the computer.

mountainmama - 1385 days ago.
sherry-----the thing about autism spectrum disorders is that every child is sooooo different. some kids hate to be held, some seek it out, some are talkative & want friends, some can't put together a word & avoid others, some hate loud noises, some love loud noises. if you are questioning the diagnosis i would go right to the source and ask for an explaination. there's different criteria that must be met for a diagnosis. and it's your right as a parent to have that information.

mountainmama - 1385 days ago.
although you can't typically diagnosis autism until later on (yet), i've known mothers that have told me they knew when there babies were newborns (prior to mmr) that something wasn't off about their child. of course i've known mothers that say after 15 months or so seeing a decline in development--losing skills they had previously mastered....it would be interesting to look at though--that rates of autism in unvaccinated children. i'd also be interested to look at adults who are diagnosed MR but actually have autism, their history, their vaccination records, etc. my husband just went through a graduate special education course and it was discussed that it's probable that some children labeled with conduct disorders (which i guess was a popular diagnosis in the 90s) might actually be on the autism spectrum.......