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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

ASD diagnoses before age 3 are wrong more than they are right.

Even seasoned clinicians find a differential diagnosis at young ages difficult. Receptive language issues often look like autism. Joint attention and the ability to read non verbal cues are what tell ASD children from children with language issues.

Get help for your child, but be skeptical of an ASD diagnosis at that age.  [/quote]

I do not agree with that, but I would say ASD diagnoses before 24 months of age tend to be premature. I have 3 kids on the spectrum (I posted in the other thread about the signs), with my youngest being diagnosed at 26 months. The signs became more and more apparent between 18-24 months, but she would not have gotten the label at 18 months old. The increase in language and the (slight) increase in social demands was what truly brought it out. Although she is high-functioning (she is verbal), she has always been very reserved outside of her familiar environment, and I frankly hoped she would just be "painfully shy" (Something that we would have addressed as well but that wouldn't have required the same amount of intervention as maturing can help with that), but I had a gut feeling that she, too, was on the spectrum.

Both of my older children had neuropsychological evaluations done last year to ensure that the diagnosis is indeed still accurate, and it is. But they have definitely made HUGE progress thanks to EI.

OP, please do not let the label defeat you. I would seek out EI services and continue educating myself on spectrum disorders, but in the end it is all about treating the symptoms, just like a PP stated. [/quote]
Thank you. I still cling to the hope that he was misdiagnosed or he’ll lose the symptoms and the diagnosis down the line. But I can also see why he was Dx. Although DS is social, he doesn’t engage us in play, nor does he pay attention to us when he’s hyperfocused on an activity/ toy. Although he can and does play with toys as they’re intended, he seems to default often to restrictive/ repetitive play (spin wheels) and becomes distracted by the sensory aspect of a toy. He can say/repeat many words now (more than 50) but doesn’t get the meaning of most words; we’re sure he understands only 5 words (per ST, kids normally acquire receptive language skills first). He also doesn’t seem to understand simple 1-step commands without gestures (like bring me the book, go to dad). The specialist said one of the main differences between ASD and a speech disorder is non-verbal communication. Kids with speech disorders overcompensate by using gestures and other non-verbal communication; ASD kids do not.[/quote]

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