Reply to Are AS kids' social deficits exemplified at home? Confused about the DSM criteria.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DS shows AS symptoms according to a Child Find psychologist. My question is whether AS kids's social deficits are exemplified at home. 3.9 year old DS interacts well with family members. He has good eye contact, affection, reciprocal conversation, initiation of games, pretending play all the time. He can recognize facial expressions easily. He wants to be hugged and kissed; also hugs and kisses others. However, he does not play much with other children outside our home. Although he seems interested in interacting with them, as exemplified by hanging around them and chasng them some times, he also says he's afraid of other kids and has no friends. He changes from an active bubbly three years old to a very shy child in his preschool. He does not sing at all in his preschool's music class but sings in his own bedroom.

He walks tiptoeing quite often. He loves fans, windshield wipers, but also likes trees, houses, dogs etc. just not as much as the mechanical stuff, esp those that move, turn and spin. He has no sensitivity to lights, sounds. On the contrary, he enjoys going to noisy and crowded places such as shops, parks, large restaurants. He does not like to stay home.

If you have an AS child, are the social awkwardness shown both inside and outside home, or only outside home? When I read the DSM's criteria on AS or Autism, I don't know how to answer them because DS behaves completely different in and outside his home.[/quote]

Many of these characteristics are very similar to our DS (now 4.5). At 3.9, DS' preschool teachers raised similar concerns. However, evaluations from a developmental pediatrician and Early Stages in DC did not show any AS characteristics. Nevertheless, he has an IEP for social/developmental delays and goes to social skills groups once a week. DS again was two different children with family and away from home, very shy and quiet. He didn't show any sensitivities nor any particular affection for things that spun or moved, is/was an excellent traveler with no consideration for routine. Even now, he is a bit tentative around other children in his preschool but will join in and play. He seems to join in when the games involve running around or pretending to be pirates/superheros/cops and robbers while pretend play at home is considerably more involved. Apparently AS kids can deal with social norms more easily in familiar environments (home/close family) but are less able to cope when more is expected socially. Are Child Find psychologists allowed to make clinical diagnoses? Perhaps you should get an appointment with a developmental pediatrician (KKI or Children's or Dr. Dan Shapiro). They can be an invaluable resource for coordinating and suggesting therapies going forward, if any are needed.[/quote]

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