Autism and Overdiagnosis: Rampant, in psychologist's opinion

[Anonymous]

OP, I have a kid with MERLD in a small classroom with a hand-flapping Aspie for two years. He never copied these behaviors ever. So maybe it's not's just MERLD with your kid.

Your argument about somehow to not have ASD mixed in with your MERLD kid sounds like the kind of argument that people used against desegregation of schools and gays serving in the military. You have a lot of prejudices towards people on the spectrum and parents of NT kids are probably judging your kid with the same skewed perspective.

So get a life and stop worrying about "rampant over diagnosis" of autism and be more concerned with the rampant prejudices in your heart and mind.


Well said. Thank you.

Another Bravo or Brava! Well said.

Parent of a child on the spectrum here. I have met parents of MERLD kids who are down to earth people in tune with their kiddo's needs and accepting of all. There seem to be 2 or 3 or maybe just 1 MERLD parent on her with a major chip on her/his shoulder. This person shows up on every thread where MERLD and ASD appear and she/he has such rigid thinking she/he cannot comprehend that kids with autism present in a variety of ways. When you diagnose from the DSM a child doesn't need EVERY symptom, just a certain number and degrees vary. This same person seems be a concrete all or nothing thinker shows a complete lack of empathy in responses on DCUM. I suspect this person has dreams where the autism boogyman chases her/him down chanting "Your child is autistic." Sometimes the most bigoted people are the ones who share some of the traits of those they hate.

I'm a MERLD parent and I agree with you. She is not representative of the other MERLD parents I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP does not have a child diagnosed with autism but feels the need to tell the rest of us who do have a child diagnosed with autism that our kid is probably misdiagnosed and will suffer a lifetime of stigma from having ASD.

Gee, thanks.

Actually, the OP has a child the schools tried their damnedest to label with "educational autism." The six medical professionals who saw him all gave him a language disorder diagnosis and said it was not autism.

There are only 13 education categories under which someone can get an IEP so the school is not looking for an exact diagnosis but the category that best matches the types of services the child needs. So the OP is getting the services needed under educational "autism" but still feels the need to complain to parents whose kids have an autism diagnosis about how autism is over diagnosed which makes absolutely no sense. An educational autism diagnosis does not equal a medical diagnosis and if you have so much issue with how their kid does not have autism but got categorized in their IEP then adk for another education label:

http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html

Although I don't know why you would waste your time about semantics when you are getting the services you need. Sigh.

I am the OP. I refused the educational autism label because it was inaccurate. The school threatened, they bribed, they harassed us to try and get us to take the autism label -- and ultimately gave DS all the services under the speech and language label, where a MERLD child belongs.

Do you want a cookie? Do you get to sit at a special lunch table to avoid being contaminated by the kids with ASDs? Does it comfort you at night to think "At least my kid doesn't have autism....?"

Whatever gets you through the night, sugar.

Placing a MERLD kid with an ASD kid (without a mix of kids) would be a disaster as many MERLD kids need that peer role model. So, if an ASD kid was there, they would try to copy that child's patterns and its a problem. It not about contaminating but about the child's needs and its important for MERLD kids to have specific type of peer interations.

OP, I have a kid with MERLD in a small classroom with a hand-flapping Aspie for two years. He never copied these behaviors ever. So maybe it's not's just MERLD with your kid.

Your argument about somehow to not have ASD mixed in with your MERLD kid sounds like the kind of argument that people used against desegregation of schools and gays serving in the military. You have a lot of prejudices towards people on the spectrum and parents of NT kids are probably judging your kid with the same skewed perspective.

So get a life and stop worrying about "rampant over diagnosis" of autism and be more concerned with the rampant prejudices in your heart and mind.

Well said. Thank you.

Another Bravo or Brava! Well said.

Parent of a child on the spectrum here. I have met parents of MERLD kids who are down to earth people in tune with their kiddo's needs and accepting of all. There seem to be 2 or 3 or maybe just 1 MERLD parent on her with a major chip on her/his shoulder. This person shows up on every thread where MERLD and ASD appear and she/he has such rigid thinking she/he cannot comprehend that kids with autism present in a variety of ways. When you diagnose from the DSM a child doesn't need EVERY symptom, just a certain number and degrees vary. This same person seems be a concrete all or nothing thinker shows a complete lack of empathy in responses on DCUM. I suspect this person has dreams where the autism boogyman chases her/him down chanting "Your child is autistic." Sometimes the most bigoted people are the ones who share some of the traits of those they hate.

Thanks for the charming armchair diagnosis. Although you seem to imply that not only am I autistic, but that it's a bad thing to be so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little tired of this. OP comes on periodically to argue that kids with ASDs don't really have ASDs because her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD. I don't doubt that her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD but I wish she wold stop her crusade against those of us with kids who really, truly have ASDs. I don't understand why she has to question our diagnosis (and she does and has) Its like telling we're stupid and don't understand.

MERLD parents, can you share information and give each other support without attacking our kids' diagnoses? Thank you.

Agree and it's especially annoying when they attack the diagnosis of kids with Asperger's since that is the one type of ASD a kid with MERLD will NEVER be (mis)diagnosed with. It's like they can't stand the fact that a kid can have ASD and be less impaired so they keep attacking a diagnosis that does not affect them at all. Like a MERLD diagnosis is so much better than an ASD diagnosis, like this is a contest or something...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little tired of this. OP comes on periodically to argue that kids with ASDs don't really have ASDs because her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD. I don't doubt that her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD but I wish she wold stop her crusade against those of us with kids who really, truly have ASDs. I don't understand why she has to question our diagnosis (and she does and has) Its like telling we're stupid and don't understand.

MERLD parents, can you share information and give each other support without attacking our kids' diagnoses? Thank you.

Agree and it's especially annoying when they attack the diagnosis of kids with Asperger's since that is the one type of ASD a kid with MERLD will NEVER be (mis)diagnosed with. It's like they can't stand the fact that a kid can have ASD and be less impaired so they keep attacking a diagnosis that does not affect them at all. Like a MERLD diagnosis is so much better than an ASD diagnosis, like this is a contest or something...

Can you stop lumping all MERLD parents together with the rigid MERLD parent? It's not "MERLD parents", it's one or two posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little tired of this. OP comes on periodically to argue that kids with ASDs don't really have ASDs because her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD. I don't doubt that her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD but I wish she wold stop her crusade against those of us with kids who really, truly have ASDs. I don't understand why she has to question our diagnosis (and she does and has) Its like telling we're stupid and don't understand.

MERLD parents, can you share information and give each other support without attacking our kids' diagnoses? Thank you.

Agree and it's especially annoying when they attack the diagnosis of kids with Asperger's since that is the one type of ASD a kid with MERLD will NEVER be (mis)diagnosed with. It's like they can't stand the fact that a kid can have ASD and be less impaired so they keep attacking a diagnosis that does not affect them at all. Like a MERLD diagnosis is so much better than an ASD diagnosis, like this is a contest or something...

Can you stop lumping all MERLD parents together with the rigid MERLD parent? It's not "MERLD parents", it's one or two posters.

Mom with HFA child here who posted before. I also suspect it's just 1 or 2. Can I just say that as annoying as I find the MERLD-ASD bullshit that comes up, I also find it slightly amusing. It's like some pretend play my son would do with wizards and witches and evil spells.

One wizard proclaims "We are MERLDs. Not all of the MERLDS in the WORLD are so prejudice. Not all of us think you ASDs and you HFAs and You Asperger parents need to take your spawn and put them in a different class because the MERLDS do not belong with them. There are wise and kind MERLDS and there are evil witch MERLDS who suspect all ASDs have a terrible spell cast upon them. One day the ASDs will show the MERLDS all the magical powers they possess and that one evil MERLD parent will be sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP does not have a child diagnosed with autism but feels the need to tell the rest of us who do have a child diagnosed with autism that our kid is probably misdiagnosed and will suffer a lifetime of stigma from having ASD.

Gee, thanks.

Actually, the OP has a child the schools tried their damnedest to label with "educational autism." The six medical professionals who saw him all gave him a language disorder diagnosis and said it was not autism.

There are only 13 education categories under which someone can get an IEP so the school is not looking for an exact diagnosis but the category that best matches the types of services the child needs. So the OP is getting the services needed under educational "autism" but still feels the need to complain to parents whose kids have an autism diagnosis about how autism is over diagnosed which makes absolutely no sense. An educational autism diagnosis does not equal a medical diagnosis and if you have so much issue with how their kid does not have autism but got categorized in their IEP then adk for another education label:

http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html

Although I don't know why you would waste your time about semantics when you are getting the services you need. Sigh.

I am the OP. I refused the educational autism label because it was inaccurate. The school threatened, they bribed, they harassed us to try and get us to take the autism label -- and ultimately gave DS all the services under the speech and language label, where a MERLD child belongs.

Do you want a cookie? Do you get to sit at a special lunch table to avoid being contaminated by the kids with ASDs? Does it comfort you at night to think "At least my kid doesn't have autism....?"

Whatever gets you through the night, sugar.

Placing a MERLD kid with an ASD kid (without a mix of kids) would be a disaster as many MERLD kids need that peer role model. So, if an ASD kid was there, they would try to copy that child's patterns and its a problem. It not about contaminating but about the child's needs and its important for MERLD kids to have specific type of peer interations.

OP, I have a kid with MERLD in a small classroom with a hand-flapping Aspie for two years. He never copied these behaviors ever. So maybe it's not's just MERLD with your kid.

Your argument about somehow to not have ASD mixed in with your MERLD kid sounds like the kind of argument that people used against desegregation of schools and gays serving in the military. You have a lot of prejudices towards people on the spectrum and parents of NT kids are probably judging your kid with the same skewed perspective.

So get a life and stop worrying about "rampant over diagnosis" of autism and be more concerned with the rampant prejudices in your heart and mind.

NP here. You need good peer models for MERLD though. If you put a child in a class with no typical peer models, that's a problem. MERLD children will copy the children around them. And that's routinely done around the country.

They wanted to segregate my MERLD child in an autism class. Years later, the social worked admitted it would have been a huge mistake and I my child would never be in regular school classes after that -- like he is now.

Every child needs good peer models-NT or SN. No child is served well in a class with no good peer models. That's not unique to MERLD. Its like you are afraid autism is contagious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So OP does not have a child diagnosed with autism but feels the need to tell the rest of us who do have a child diagnosed with autism that our kid is probably misdiagnosed and will suffer a lifetime of stigma from having ASD.

Gee, thanks.

Actually, the OP has a child the schools tried their damnedest to label with "educational autism." The six medical professionals who saw him all gave him a language disorder diagnosis and said it was not autism.

There are only 13 education categories under which someone can get an IEP so the school is not looking for an exact diagnosis but the category that best matches the types of services the child needs. So the OP is getting the services needed under educational "autism" but still feels the need to complain to parents whose kids have an autism diagnosis about how autism is over diagnosed which makes absolutely no sense. An educational autism diagnosis does not equal a medical diagnosis and if you have so much issue with how their kid does not have autism but got categorized in their IEP then adk for another education label:

http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html

Although I don't know why you would waste your time about semantics when you are getting the services you need. Sigh.

I am the OP. I refused the educational autism label because it was inaccurate. The school threatened, they bribed, they harassed us to try and get us to take the autism label -- and ultimately gave DS all the services under the speech and language label, where a MERLD child belongs.

Do you want a cookie? Do you get to sit at a special lunch table to avoid being contaminated by the kids with ASDs? Does it comfort you at night to think "At least my kid doesn't have autism....?"

Whatever gets you through the night, sugar.

Placing a MERLD kid with an ASD kid (without a mix of kids) would be a disaster as many MERLD kids need that peer role model. So, if an ASD kid was there, they would try to copy that child's patterns and its a problem. It not about contaminating but about the child's needs and its important for MERLD kids to have specific type of peer interations.

OP, I have a kid with MERLD in a small classroom with a hand-flapping Aspie for two years. He never copied these behaviors ever. So maybe it's not's just MERLD with your kid.

Your argument about somehow to not have ASD mixed in with your MERLD kid sounds like the kind of argument that people used against desegregation of schools and gays serving in the military. You have a lot of prejudices towards people on the spectrum and parents of NT kids are probably judging your kid with the same skewed perspective.

So get a life and stop worrying about "rampant over diagnosis" of autism and be more concerned with the rampant prejudices in your heart and mind.

NP here. You need good peer models for MERLD though. If you put a child in a class with no typical peer models, that's a problem. MERLD children will copy the children around them. And that's routinely done around the country.

They wanted to segregate my MERLD child in an autism class. Years later, the social worked admitted it would have been a huge mistake and I my child would never be in regular school classes after that -- like he is now.

Every child needs good peer models-NT or SN. No child is served well in a class with no good peer models. That's not unique to MERLD. Its like you are afraid autism is contagious.

Your not getting it. My child was in a classroom full of kids with speech needs. The ones who were verbal only talked to the adults and there was very little social interaction between the kids despite the adults trying. My child was more verbal than many but many of the parents thought he was non-verbal as he would not talk as none of the other kids talked. Switch to this year. We put him in a typical school where there are a few mild special needs, nothing significant and the difference in him because of the typical peer interaction is night and day. He made significant progress in his speech and social skills and having typical, not delayed children made the world of difference. If your child is borderline but progressing, being in regular classroom is far more beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little tired of this. OP comes on periodically to argue that kids with ASDs don't really have ASDs because her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD. I don't doubt that her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD but I wish she wold stop her crusade against those of us with kids who really, truly have ASDs. I don't understand why she has to question our diagnosis (and she does and has) Its like telling we're stupid and don't understand.

MERLD parents, can you share information and give each other support without attacking our kids' diagnoses? Thank you.

Agree and it's especially annoying when they attack the diagnosis of kids with Asperger's since that is the one type of ASD a kid with MERLD will NEVER be (mis)diagnosed with. It's like they can't stand the fact that a kid can have ASD and be less impaired so they keep attacking a diagnosis that does not affect them at all. Like a MERLD diagnosis is so much better than an ASD diagnosis, like this is a contest or something...

My severe MERLD kid was suggested to be Asperger's by the school psychologist. Happens all the time.

[Anonymous]

But all the children in that speech-impaired class would have been better-served by being surrounded by typically-speaking peers. (Inconvenient for the school system though). Not just your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a little tired of this. OP comes on periodically to argue that kids with ASDs don't really have ASDs because her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD. I don't doubt that her son was misdiagnosed and really has MERLD but I wish she wold stop her crusade against those of us with kids who really, truly have ASDs. I don't understand why she has to question our diagnosis (and she does and has) Its like telling we're stupid and don't understand.

MERLD parents, can you share information and give each other support without attacking our kids' diagnoses? Thank you.

Agree and it's especially annoying when they attack the diagnosis of kids with Asperger's since that is the one type of ASD a kid with MERLD will NEVER be (mis)diagnosed with. It's like they can't stand the fact that a kid can have ASD and be less impaired so they keep attacking a diagnosis that does not affect them at all. Like a MERLD diagnosis is so much better than an ASD diagnosis, like this is a contest or something...

My severe MERLD kid was suggested to be Asperger's by the school psychologist. Happens all the time.

Then the school psychologist knows nothing about Asperger's. You cannot have a receptive or expressive speech delay and have Asperger's in the DSM-4 nor would any competent clinician use Asperger's to describe a child with a speech delay. A hallmark of AS is that the kids are very verbal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But all the children in that speech-impaired class would have been better-served by being surrounded by typically-speaking peers. (Inconvenient for the school system though). Not just your child.

Yes. I think a lot of these "us" and "them" posters don't realize that the "mainstream" classroom have other MERLD kids, kids on the spectrum, kids with ADHD, ESL kids, etc. It's all a mixed bag. Why not want to best for everyone's kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But all the children in that speech-impaired class would have been better-served by being surrounded by typically-speaking peers. (Inconvenient for the school system though). Not just your child.

+1

We were specifically advised by our developmental pediatrician that it was important for our DS with AS to be in activities with typically developing peers.