Autism and Overdiagnosis: Rampant, in psychologist's opinion

[Anonymous]

The OP is a hypocrite b/c the ASD diagnosis lets her pay for all the speech therapy, yet she's terrified of the stigma and doesn't hesitate to create even more stigma around a diagnosis. OP, I'm sick of all your posts about how your kid was misdiagnosed by some vast conspiracy. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP is a hypocrite b/c the ASD diagnosis lets her pay for all the speech therapy, yet she's terrified of the stigma and doesn't hesitate to create even more stigma around a diagnosis. OP, I'm sick of all your posts about how your kid was misdiagnosed by some vast conspiracy. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat.

Hmmmm. You don't read very well. I'm the OP, and my child does not have an ASD diagnosis, and I pay for therapy out of pocket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The OP is a hypocrite b/c the ASD diagnosis lets her pay for all the speech therapy, yet she's terrified of the stigma and doesn't hesitate to create even more stigma around a diagnosis. OP, I'm sick of all your posts about how your kid was misdiagnosed by some vast conspiracy. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat.

Hmmmm. You don't read very well. I'm the OP, and my child does not have an ASD diagnosis, and I pay for therapy out of pocket.

Then why on earth would you post such a bigoted article? You need help OP.

[Anonymous]

The article is hardly bigoted. It is truthful and we don't hear this nearly enough. The autism and therapy biz are driving the autism diagnosis in this country and not enough parents are following their gut.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

I think in 20 years what we call "autism" will turn out to be a whole bunch of different genetic issues.

Regardless, this thread is a bit cranky for the SN board. I have an older SN dc and we went around and around for years and to so many different professionals-few of whom agreed with each other. It seems like diagnosing young children is much more art + guesswork than real science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think in 20 years what we call "autism" will turn out to be a whole bunch of different genetic issues.

Regardless, this thread is a bit cranky for the SN board. I have an older SN dc and we went around and around for years and to so many different professionals-few of whom agreed with each other. It seems like diagnosing young children is much more art + guesswork than real science.

Well, the diagnosis has "tightened" in recent years. My 7 yr old with ASD/Asperger's has only gotten this diagnosis from every single professional we've taken him to (or ASD, level 1 for those who insist Asperger's no longer exists), including a psych Ed eval at 4 yrs old, developmental pediatrician who observes at school, Children's ADOS/ADI-R and a full Neuropsych at 7. I think the quality of the doctor matters and I feel bad that some on this thread say that their child was diagnosed with ASD after only seeing the doc for an hour. I know my child would not have any diagnosis at all from such a sloppy diagnostician. Our pediatrician who has been seeing DS since he was three days old was surprised when I told her DS was diagnosed with ASD at 4.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP is a hypocrite b/c the ASD diagnosis lets her pay for all the speech therapy, yet she's terrified of the stigma and doesn't hesitate to create even more stigma around a diagnosis. OP, I'm sick of all your posts about how your kid was misdiagnosed by some vast conspiracy. Like it or not, we're all in the same boat. [/quote

I am the poster with the wrong diagnosis. I have tried to get it removed and the doc refuses. We have an hmo style insurance with little doctor choice. We have also private paid for speech and many other things. The point of this topic was about the misdiagnosis not to bash those who do not feel there is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think in 20 years what we call "autism" will turn out to be a whole bunch of different genetic issues.

Regardless, this thread is a bit cranky for the SN board. I have an older SN dc and we went around and around for years and to so many different professionals-few of whom agreed with each other. It seems like diagnosing young children is much more art + guesswork than real science.

+1. They do not really know what it is and it is probably multiple causes.

[Anonymous]

I think the trend in "overdiagnosing" or labeling kids on the mild end of the Autism spectrum has truly hurt the kids with "classic autism". I hate to think that it has been reduced to a zero sum game that there is a limited supply of money available and to feel jealous not more money goes to the kids and families with severe needs. It is hard to see so many posters talk about their kid or family member with Autism who is so social, gifted, academically advanced (ex. the poster who wrote my father has autism and went on to have a great, high paying job, a loving wife, and kids, and is humorous; or my kid is in a gifted program and has all of these supports) when you have a family member with Autism who can only say a few words and will need care the rest of his life. How can these people be lumped together? Sorry, it hasn't been a good day today.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think in 20 years what we call "autism" will turn out to be a whole bunch of different genetic issues.

Regardless, this thread is a bit cranky for the SN board. I have an older SN dc and we went around and around for years and to so many different professionals-few of whom agreed with each other. It seems like diagnosing young children is much more art + guesswork than real science.

Well, the diagnosis has "tightened" in recent years. My 7 yr old with ASD/Asperger's has only gotten this diagnosis from every single professional we've taken him to (or ASD, level 1 for those who insist Asperger's no longer exists), including a psych Ed eval at 4 yrs old, developmental pediatrician who observes at school, Children's ADOS/ADI-R and a full Neuropsych at 7. I think the quality of the doctor matters and I feel bad that some on this thread say that their child was diagnosed with ASD after only seeing the doc for an hour. I know my child would not have any diagnosis at all from such a sloppy diagnostician. Our pediatrician who has been seeing DS since he was three days old was surprised when I told her DS was diagnosed with ASD at 4.

All DSM diagnoses are sloppy, including the ASD one. The diagnosis will be tightened when researchers can identify the causes of the enormous heterogeneity within the category, same as the other diagnostic categories. That's what will actually help people.

[Anonymous]

what actually helps people is addressing g the issues they have with therapies and interventions and supports. Knowing the causes and being able to re categorize the spectrum does nothing for individuals with ASD.

[Anonymous]

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.