Can't talk
Can't sign
Can't tell me if he's hurt or in pain

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm. I think the DSM says the defining characteristic or the primary characteristic is social deficit, not perseverations or rigidity. I thought these were secondary characteristics. For example, even to get a PDD diagnosis doesn't a child need to have social deficits? It isn't enough to simply have a perseveration, right?

Well the question was defining characteristic, not only characteristic. My DS certainly has social deficits but has learned how to be social. His biggest problem is his special interests and perseverations which, by the way, absolutely have a social impact. One reason kids with AS have trouble socially is that they can't perceive when others are turned off by their going on and on. But my DS has many friends who accept him as he is so I wouldn't say his social deficits define his disorder.

Anonymous wrote:For my Asperger DS, the characteristic that mostly sticks out is the obsessive interests in fans and now elevators. He's had passing interests in cars, fire hydrants, traffic cones, doors, gears, lights/fixtures, flashlights, etc. categorizing and organizing but they have always been secondary to fans and now elevators.

My AS child was diagnosed this yr by a developmental pediatrician, observation at school, in his office, forms filled out by teacher and parent, and child neuropsych using ADOS, parent interview, forms for teacher and parent, Wippsi, speech therapist, etc. School psych - school observation, teacher & parent forms & interviews. They all came to the same conclusion independently - Aspergers.

His social deficits are borderline normal but his obsessions and repetitive behaviors are beyond normal enough to qualify for Aspergers. I was told all three are weighed equally in giving the diagnosis.

For my Asperger's/HFA child I would say...

-inattentiveness, but also hyperfocus on thing that interest him

-developed pretend play on time and enjoys it, but it has never been at the level of intricacy his peers use

-occasional happy or anxious flapping

-ASD type interests over the years-though none were excessive, it was more extensive than the interest of NT peers...locks, spinning objects, doors, numbers, letters, clocks, computers, gadgets, robots, presidents, planets

-incredible memory-suspect it may be photographic memory

-Language development proceded in a different way from NT peers

-Socially immature, but has friends

Anonymous wrote:20:22 PP here. My DS has Asperger's but is fine socially. The way we were told he was PDD is we (my DH and I) were both given a survey to take. We couldn't do it together in the same room so we couldn't ask each other what we were putting for each answer. Once the tester scored each test, we were told that both of our tests scored that he was PDD. He also has a psychiatrist (who is on the fence about the PDD diagnosis) and a weekly therapist (I'm not sure her opinion, I've never asked her). He has also been diagnosed with Mood Disorder NOS (changed from Bipolar NOS) and OCD.

How were your kids tested? Is the parent survey thing a normal way to diagnose?

A parent checklist (that we could fill out together) was just one component. The psychologist also observed her at school, had her teachers fill out a lengthy checklist, and observed her over three sessions -- two were formal testing (WPSSI and something else) and one was a play session. Just a checklist doesnt seem like it would give enough information to make a definitive diagnosis and rule out other possibilities.

For my dd, her most asperger quality is social deficits and low frustration threshold and, more positively, her amazing memory for totally useless details (i.e. she know what number track on what CD for every song she listens to).

20:22 PP here. My DS has Asperger's but is fine socially. The way we were told he was PDD is we (my DH and I) were both given a survey to take. We couldn't do it together in the same room so we couldn't ask each other what we were putting for each answer. Once the tester scored each test, we were told that both of our tests scored that he was PDD. He also has a psychiatrist (who is on the fence about the PDD diagnosis) and a weekly therapist (I'm not sure her opinion, I've never asked her). He has also been diagnosed with Mood Disorder NOS (changed from Bipolar NOS) and OCD.

How were your kids tested? Is the parent survey thing a normal way to diagnose?

Hi - 14:43 PP here. You are mostly correct, I think. When my daughter was diagnosed with autism back in 2008, we were told the criteria was X number of deficits (I think at least 6?) all three categories (social, communication, cognitive). I don't think any one outweighed the other. That's why in my response I said that it's really hard for us to tell a "defining characteristic". When she was 2 years old, it seemed like the perseverative play was more prominent because social and cognitive skills were hard to compare at that age. Now that she speaks and communicates (to a point) and her cognitive functions have developed, it seems like the social deficits really stick out...although she still definitely has issues elsewhere. So - it's very hard to put a thumb on a "defining characteristic".

Hmmm. I think the DSM says the defining characteristic or the primary characteristic is social deficit, not perseverations or rigidity. I thought these were secondary characteristics. For example, even to get a PDD diagnosis doesn't a child need to have social deficits? It isn't enough to simply have a perseveration, right?

For my Asperger's DS (9), I'd say it's his rigidity. Things have to be a certain way all of the time. Also, he thinks he is right 100% of the time. He will argue about EVERYTHING. Does anyone else deal with this?

Also, he gets "stuck" on things. He will have to repeat the same sentence, question, phrase, or paragraph over and over again until it is "right" in his brain. And then he can move on.

For my Asperger DS, the characteristic that mostly sticks out is the obsessive interests in fans and now elevators. He's had passing interests in cars, fire hydrants, traffic cones, doors, gears, lights/fixtures, flashlights, etc. categorizing and organizing but they have always been secondary to fans and now elevators.

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain - in layperson's terms - what Theory of Mind is?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200805/empathy-mindblindness-and-theory-mind

Very difficult to answer through the years. At first, perseverations and stims? Then, communication deficits. Now, still communications but more so for social skills.

Can someone explain - in layperson's terms - what Theory of Mind is?

Special interests! Perseverations. Inattentativeness. He has Aspergers.

What would you say is the defining characteristic of your child that is on the spectrum (Aspergers included)? Is it social skills, is it lack of ToM (theory of mind), is it perseverations, stims?