Flat Affect

[Anonymous]

Flat affect is usually depression not ASD. MERLD can be resolved or kids testing average or low average and at that point speech therapy is generally not recommended. I would get tested for depression, which looks different in kids than adults. Everything is not ASD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flat affect is usually depression not ASD. MERLD can be resolved or kids testing average or low average and at that point speech therapy is generally not recommended. I would get tested for depression, which looks different in kids than adults. Everything is not ASD.

It could very well be depression but since her child had a MERLD diagnosis, it makes sense to have a full neuropsych which evaluates for MERLD, depression, anxiety , ASD, ADHD... as well as show how her son learns and what are his strengths as well as weaknesses

You are right, everything is not ASD which is why a neuropsych will be the most comprehensive in someone like OP's son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Flat affect is usually depression not ASD. MERLD can be resolved or kids testing average or low average and at that point speech therapy is generally not recommended. I would get tested for depression, which looks different in kids than adults. Everything is not ASD.

It could very well be depression but since her child had a MERLD diagnosis, it makes sense to have a full neuropsych which evaluates for MERLD, depression, anxiety , ASD, ADHD... as well as show how her son learns and what are his strengths as well as weaknesses

You are right, everything is not ASD which is why a neuropsych will be the most comprehensive in someone like OP's son.

MERLD is a language disorder. Not everything is ASD and the concern is flat affect not ADHD, not ASD, flat affect which is probably depression. Not everything calls for a full neuropsych. She should take the child for a mental health evaluation and then see the outcome of that vs. a $5K test. If her child is doing well in school she doesn't need to know how he learns and she probably knows the strengths and weaknesses. Child isn't showing MERLD anymore and not all former MERLD kids have learning disabilities.

[Anonymous]

My ASD/ADHD/anxiety child has flat affect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flat affect is usually depression not ASD. MERLD can be resolved or kids testing average or low average and at that point speech therapy is generally not recommended. I would get tested for depression, which looks different in kids than adults. Everything is not ASD.

Yep, and some kids with ASD don't have flat affect. In fact, I would not describe any of the people I know with autism as having flat affect.

I on the other hand have been told I have flat affect. I am an introvert, also anxious.

[Anonymous]

Many kids with ASD have MERLD and/or a flat affect. Doing well in school/getting good grades and having a few friends does not rule out ASD, OP. Get the neuropsych. Yes, a neuropsych looks at expressive and receptive speech, comprehension, and other learning issues....

Has your DS always had a flat affect? Do you think your DS is depressed? What do his teachers say? Does your DS like school? Many kids on the spectrum get depressed and devrlope anxiety. It’s tough being on the spectrum especially without help.

Get your kid help, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ASD/ADHD/anxiety child has flat affect.

And, how much medication are they on? Those meds can cause a flat affect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many kids with ASD have MERLD and/or a flat affect. Doing well in school/getting good grades and having a few friends does not rule out ASD, OP. Get the neuropsych. Yes, a neuropsych looks at expressive and receptive speech, comprehension, and other learning issues....

Has your DS always had a flat affect? Do you think your DS is depressed? What do his teachers say? Does your DS like school? Many kids on the spectrum get depressed and devrlope anxiety. It’s tough being on the spectrum especially without help.

Get your kid help, OP.

Why do you assume the only diagnosis is ASD? What is your need to have kids diagnosed with ASD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many kids with ASD have MERLD and/or a flat affect. Doing well in school/getting good grades and having a few friends does not rule out ASD, OP. Get the neuropsych. Yes, a neuropsych looks at expressive and receptive speech, comprehension, and other learning issues....

Has your DS always had a flat affect? Do you think your DS is depressed? What do his teachers say? Does your DS like school? Many kids on the spectrum get depressed and devrlope anxiety. It’s tough being on the spectrum especially without help.

Get your kid help, OP.

Why do you assume the only diagnosis is ASD? What is your need to have kids diagnosed with ASD?

Just a guess. Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck... from OP’s very limited description. These boards don’t give official medical opinions so don’t stress so much about people’s opinions on an anon board.

[Anonymous]

I definitely think OP needs an evaluation. She is really mixing things up here. She says "limited range of emotions or flat affect." Those are not necessarily the same thing... and hence why some PPs talked about depression.

My child with flat affect has the whole range of emotions -- but can sometimes be very flat in his speech -- which is prosody. He is getting help from a good speech therapist for this.

I am assuming that OP meant that her child's speech patterns are flat. The child has already had speech issues, it shouldn't be shocking that there are still some expressive speech issues. At this point, it is really up to the OP to take her child to a dev ped to figure out why this child is having issues and if there are any other things going on developmentally that can shed light on a diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Is this thread a joke thread after the ADOS thread. Exhibit A!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I definitely think OP needs an evaluation. She is really mixing things up here. She says "limited range of emotions or flat affect." Those are not necessarily the same thing... and hence why some PPs talked about depression.

My child with flat affect has the whole range of emotions -- but can sometimes be very flat in his speech -- which is prosody. He is getting help from a good speech therapist for this.

I am assuming that OP meant that her child's speech patterns are flat. The child has already had speech issues, it shouldn't be shocking that there are still some expressive speech issues. At this point, it is really up to the OP to take her child to a dev ped to figure out why this child is having issues and if there are any other things going on developmentally that can shed light on a diagnosis.

Do dev peds see kids starting at that age? If it's just speech patterns, she is better off starting with an SLP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this thread a joke thread after the ADOS thread. Exhibit A!

Who said anything about ADOS? Troll elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

OP here. First let me say thank you for everyone who replied. I know posting to DCUM would bring about some people with strong opinions! LOL

My child has had some pretty bad anxiety but we largely worked through them. I worked for a child psychology practice long ago and used some of their techniques with his teachers. I will likely go see Dr. Black. With him starting MS, I am concerned that the flat affect will prevent teachers and other kids from getting to know him. He is moving from a small private to a larger school. I do not have faith in school evals because of the nightmare we had with Early Intervention with him. So I will take him to Dr. Black and see what he suggests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this thread a joke thread after the ADOS thread. Exhibit A!

Who said anything about ADOS? Troll elsewhere.

Because that thread was also calling out how often people on this forum suggest a neuropsych eval for people who had only mentioned pretty innocuous things about their kids. And then a bunch of people on this thread recommended a neuropsych. When the neuropsych suggestions started rolling in, OP hadn't even said whether the flat affect was a problem for her son.