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where to diagnose/rule out Asperger's in a young girl
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Anonymous
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After much thought, research and the almost heartbreaking moment I have come to realize that my younger daughter, just like my older son who is autistic, might be on the spectrum as well. I came to this realization when I read about young girls who may have Asperger's and I suddenly found my daughter in the description. It appears that it is hard to diagnose, so I hope someone may have a lead.
My daughter is almost 4, extremely verbal but almost exclusively imitates social language. She has no interest in peers unless they wear shoes that stick out to her. Because of her brother she has been on a schedule and in a routine since she was born and she greatly depends on it. She never interacts with peers unless she has to, she uses echolalia to comfort herself and is stuck on me saying and doing things a certain way when it is bedtime. She is extremely anxious and at times will be inconsolable when things seem to be too much. She is not potty trained yet, and while she knows how to dress herself in theory, she will frequently need extensive support to do so. In short: she is just like my autistic son, with the exception that she knows how to make eye contact, she gets attached to adults easily and she has an extensive vocabulary. My son was so obvious that we did not need an expert to diagnose, my daughter might need someone who can read between the lines. I would greatly appreciate any leads! Signed, The mom of one autistic child, who is slowly realizing she may have two autistic children after all. |
Anonymous
| My 3 yo was deemed to be borderline ASD by a developmental ped because she had a 29 on the CARS and then diagnosed with Asperger's by a Speech pathologist. With all due respect, your daughter's symptoms seem a lot more obvious than mine, so it may not be as difficult to diagnose as you think. I would start with your own developmental pediatrician (i'm assuming you have one for your son) and see what he/she recommends, but do so quickly because early intervention works wonders. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| Yes, I was going to suggest starting with whoever is treating your son. |
Anonymous
| OP, what where were you reading about the young girls? I have suspicions as well and would be interested in reading what you read. |
Anonymous
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Thank you for the replies, OP here.
@11:59, I am surprised you say a speech therapist diagnosed your child because as far as I know they are not allowed to diagnose anything. My son does not have a developmental pediatrician, but rather a combination of psychologist/neurologist and a very good pediatrician. He was diagnosed as part of an NIH study and by a DCPS psychologist. Frankly, neither seem to be willing to diagnose a girl this young with Asperger's, partially because she has an older brother with autism and they seem to think her issues stem from lack of exposure to model peers (which isn't true because while my son was in school we would always spend time with neuro-typical children) I am planning on making an appointment for her at KKI, but I suspect it will be months until we get anything. Never heard back from children's developmental pediatrician after calling them, and my experience with them has been horrific. Dr Mott at Georgetown was fantastic but he is no longer there. I would really appreciate reccomendations particularly from those with girls with Aspergers. The good news is, she has been in the system since she was 18 months old and already receives special ed, OT and speech, so it's not so much a matter of securing services but more of targeting autism specific issues, which is currently not being done. To the last PP, if you google "Aperger's" and "girls" you will find links right away that suggest that Aspie girls tend to be harder to diagnose because they develop coping mechanism so much earlier and their specific interests/obsessions tend to be girl related. Apparently they are deemed to be shy and anxious, etc. but often don't get diagnosed with Asperger's until their early teens when they can no longer keep up with social demands. I had to fight pretty hard to get her services because she was borderline. I no longer find her that borderline now that many of the things that were concerns previously are improving. Her obsessions, anxieties, repetitive behavior, inability to transition remain the same. I think she does okay at school and then loses it the minute she sees me and that is misleading. She plays along, is willing to please and does okay by just being a follower and repeating things adults say to her. Sorry for the long post. I am honestly dreading the possibility that we may yet again have to run from one specialist to another to get someone to really listen and take everything into consideration. |
Anonymous
In what way would treatment change if she received a diagnosis? I wonder about this in relation to my own DD (who also has no dx). Beyond a social skills group in addition to the OT, speech and special ed, how might they target autism specific issues? |
Anonymous
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I think the diagnosis is important. It allows you to understand why your DC is the way she is so you can target the appropriate therapies. It also gives you the tool to describe to the other person in your child's life why she is developing the way she is and eventually it will give her the tool to understand herself. not knowing why she is different does her no favors. I firmly believe this diagnosis should be treated in the same straightforward manner as all diagnoses, and not as a source of shame.
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Anonymous
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OP here. I agree with you, PP, it is the main reason we got my son diagnosed. The reason it is so important to me is that I know that intervention based on the diagnosis of autism can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to targeting social weaknesses and behavior that has a negative impact on the child's ability to function on a daily basis.
To some degree she has already received autism intervention without us realizing that she is on the spectrum as well. We have done a lot of ABA, we have a firm routine, we have rituals. We simply never thought that she needed them as much as she actually does. I am about to call her pediatrician first to see what she thinks and then I will call KKI. |
Anonymous
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My daughter has Asperger's. I would be willing to recommend our psychologist, but she's in the Centreville area and I'm not sure if this will help.
Our daughter is 8 and the diagnosis was not hard, but our daughter does not fit the typical mold. If you look at straight numbers she has Aspergers, but she is considered high level on social skills. Don't get me wrong, she does not have a best friend, but she is capable of interacting with kids and having fun, but a lot of the subleties of friendship are lost on her. |
Anonymous
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Thanks, PP. OP here. I guess to some degree that would be my daughter as well. It's not that she does not want to interact with other kids, she is actually social in that regard. But she is completely unable to pick up on social cues and does not know how to follow a conversation. She will simply respond with whatever is going on in her mind, and it typically leads to kids looking at her like she just lost her mind. She will closely observe other kids, but it's mainly because she is obsessed by clothing and shoes.
The more I read, the more it makes sense to me. I am no stranger to the world of autism, but I do think I misread the symptoms in her case because she practically received intervention since day 1, given that she has an autistic brother. |
Anonymous
| Oh and btw, I would love to get the name of your psychologist! |
Anonymous
Send me an email at hrc.win2010 @ gmail.com. I'd be happy to give you her name. |
Anonymous
| When I called KKI I got on the waiting list and they had a cancellation fairly quickly. I would definitely give it a shot. |