'Socially motived" children with ASD

[Anonymous]

What does that look like? Autism was ruled out in my child because of his social motivation by more than one specialist. He did have a severe language delay and some repetition.

But I see at least one poster routinely saying that being socially motivated doesn't rule out autism.

[Anonymous]

I am the poster who said DS is "highly socially motivated". This was pointed out to us as a strength during ADOS/ADI-R testing at Children's when DS, 4, was diagnosed with ASD/Asperger's. Our neuropsych, Dr. Black, also pointed this out as a strength at 7 when DS was diagnosed with ADHD, combined type, and the ASD was confirmed. DS has normal eye contact.

It means that DS is social and likes to be around people. He is an extrovert and not shy but has trouble with nonverbal communication and pragmatics.

DS has had an IEP and extensive social skills training and pragmatic speech therapy since he was 4. Now at 8, DS has friends including a best friend and is the leader of his group of friends at school.

DS is fully mainstreamed at a language immersion charter and has no academic issues. His IEP is almost entirely about social communication.

[Anonymous]

^ Should add that getting diagnosed and treated for the ADHD helped greatly in every aspect especially socially. I think DS was finally able to use what he learned in social skills classes as well as pay attention to other people instead of fixating on doors, lighting fixtures, elevators, etc.

[Anonymous]

ASD is very subjective and many people rework the diagnosis to meet their needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ASD is very subjective and many people rework the diagnosis to meet their needs.

Not sure how you can do that going to reputable doctors. How would you go about "reworking the diagnosis"?

[Anonymous]

By definition an autism diagnosis requires a serious deficit in social interactions. So it is hard to understand how a "very socially motivated" child would fit in. I do think this is part of diagnosis-creep. Interestingly, I read a Phd thesis by a sociologist who found that basically every single child evaluated by the autism center she researched was given a diagnosis - this suggests to me that there is a bias towards diagnosing once a kid gets in the "system" even if the problem is mild or something else altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASD is very subjective and many people rework the diagnosis to meet their needs.

Not sure how you can do that going to reputable doctors. How would you go about "reworking the diagnosis"?

Considering how very much the diagnosis has evolvdd in the past 20 years (and lack of evidence for the latest DSM revision anyway) I think it is pretty much incontravertable that the diagnosis is being reworked frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By definition an autism diagnosis requires a serious deficit in social interactions. So it is hard to understand how a "very socially motivated" child would fit in. I do think this is part of diagnosis-creep. Interestingly, I read a Phd thesis by a sociologist who found that basically every single child evaluated by the autism center she researched was given a diagnosis - this suggests to me that there is a bias towards diagnosing once a kid gets in the "system" even if the problem is mild or something else altogether.

Maybe bc you can have "serious deficits in social interaction" and still be "very socially motivated"? Especially when they are young and haven't received a lot of social rejection yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster who said DS is "highly socially motivated". This was pointed out to us as a strength during ADOS/ADI-R testing at Children's when DS, 4, was diagnosed with ASD/Asperger's. Our neuropsych, Dr. Black, also pointed this out as a strength at 7 when DS was diagnosed with ADHD, combined type, and the ASD was confirmed. DS has normal eye contact.

It means that DS is social and likes to be around people. He is an extrovert and not shy but has trouble with nonverbal communication and pragmatics.

DS has had an IEP and extensive social skills training and pragmatic speech therapy since he was 4. Now at 8, DS has friends including a best friend and is the leader of his group of friends at school.

DS is fully mainstreamed at a language immersion charter and has no academic issues. His IEP is almost entirely about social communication.

what is his repetitive behavior? You post here a lot and it is hard to believe your child really has autism, or he must have such a mild case that it is more like a personality quirk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ASD is very subjective and many people rework the diagnosis to meet their needs.

Not sure how you can do that going to reputable doctors. How would you go about "reworking the diagnosis"?

Considering how very much the diagnosis has evolvdd in the past 20 years (and lack of evidence for the latest DSM revision anyway) I think it is pretty much incontravertable that the diagnosis is being reworked frequently.

Yup. Read Neurotribes. Very enlightening about how Asperger's and Kanner autism is all now Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Anyway, I trust my kid's doctors and we did not seek out a diagnosis but was told by his school that something might be off and that DS needed an evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By definition an autism diagnosis requires a serious deficit in social interactions. So it is hard to understand how a "very socially motivated" child would fit in. I do think this is part of diagnosis-creep. Interestingly, I read a Phd thesis by a sociologist who found that basically every single child evaluated by the autism center she researched was given a diagnosis - this suggests to me that there is a bias towards diagnosing once a kid gets in the "system" even if the problem is mild or something else altogether.

Maybe bc you can have "serious deficits in social interaction" and still be "very socially motivated"? Especially when they are young and haven't received a lot of social rejection yet.

Yeah, this is why I really question the utility of an autism "diagnosis." It does not seem that helpful or accurate to group together kids who love people and love to interact, with kids who are socially uninterested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster who said DS is "highly socially motivated". This was pointed out to us as a strength during ADOS/ADI-R testing at Children's when DS, 4, was diagnosed with ASD/Asperger's. Our neuropsych, Dr. Black, also pointed this out as a strength at 7 when DS was diagnosed with ADHD, combined type, and the ASD was confirmed. DS has normal eye contact.

It means that DS is social and likes to be around people. He is an extrovert and not shy but has trouble with nonverbal communication and pragmatics.

DS has had an IEP and extensive social skills training and pragmatic speech therapy since he was 4. Now at 8, DS has friends including a best friend and is the leader of his group of friends at school.

DS is fully mainstreamed at a language immersion charter and has no academic issues. His IEP is almost entirely about social communication.

what is his repetitive behavior? You post here a lot and it is hard to believe your child really has autism, or he must have such a mild case that it is more like a personality quirk.

Dr. Shapiro was our developmental pediatrician and Dr. Black is his neuropsych. They both diagnosed ASD so it is not a personality quirk.

He has obsessive interests in elevators currently and repetitive behaviors, vocal stims mostly but only when he plays video games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By definition an autism diagnosis requires a serious deficit in social interactions. So it is hard to understand how a "very socially motivated" child would fit in. I do think this is part of diagnosis-creep. Interestingly, I read a Phd thesis by a sociologist who found that basically every single child evaluated by the autism center she researched was given a diagnosis - this suggests to me that there is a bias towards diagnosing once a kid gets in the "system" even if the problem is mild or something else altogether.

Maybe bc you can have "serious deficits in social interaction" and still be "very socially motivated"? Especially when they are young and haven't received a lot of social rejection yet.

Yeah, this is why I really question the utility of an autism "diagnosis." It does not seem that helpful or accurate to group together kids who love people and love to interact, with kids who are socially uninterested.

That is why it is a spectrum now. Read Neurotribes if you haven't already. It was very helpful in understanding why the spectrum came about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By definition an autism diagnosis requires a serious deficit in social interactions. So it is hard to understand how a "very socially motivated" child would fit in. I do think this is part of diagnosis-creep. Interestingly, I read a Phd thesis by a sociologist who found that basically every single child evaluated by the autism center she researched was given a diagnosis - this suggests to me that there is a bias towards diagnosing once a kid gets in the "system" even if the problem is mild or something else altogether.

Maybe bc you can have "serious deficits in social interaction" and still be "very socially motivated"? Especially when they are young and haven't received a lot of social rejection yet.

Yeah, this is why I really question the utility of an autism "diagnosis." It does not seem that helpful or accurate to group together kids who love people and love to interact, with kids who are socially uninterested.

That is why it is a spectrum now. Read Neurotribes if you haven't already. It was very helpful in understanding why the spectrum came about.

Neurotribes is one skewed opinion. It's not fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster who said DS is "highly socially motivated". This was pointed out to us as a strength during ADOS/ADI-R testing at Children's when DS, 4, was diagnosed with ASD/Asperger's. Our neuropsych, Dr. Black, also pointed this out as a strength at 7 when DS was diagnosed with ADHD, combined type, and the ASD was confirmed. DS has normal eye contact.

It means that DS is social and likes to be around people. He is an extrovert and not shy but has trouble with nonverbal communication and pragmatics.

DS has had an IEP and extensive social skills training and pragmatic speech therapy since he was 4. Now at 8, DS has friends including a best friend and is the leader of his group of friends at school.

DS is fully mainstreamed at a language immersion charter and has no academic issues. His IEP is almost entirely about social communication.

what is his repetitive behavior? You post here a lot and it is hard to believe your child really has autism, or he must have such a mild case that it is more like a personality quirk.

Dr. Shapiro was our developmental pediatrician and Dr. Black is his neuropsych. They both diagnosed ASD so it is not a personality quirk.

He has obsessive interests in elevators currently and repetitive behaviors, vocal stims mostly but only when he plays video games.

Repetitive behaviors have to be more severe than that to qualify at even the Level 1 severity level.