Anonymous wrote:Can a child have Auditory Processing disorder, ADD, and a language disorder? Or would most physicians just call this ASD?

My nephew was a rule out PDD NOS at 2 yo. But now at 6 y.o. I do not think he is still on the spectrum. I think he has multiple disorders especially a language deficit which impacts everything. I believe he thinks socially, and can be social without a lot of language. He likes to do things with friends, especially non language based activities - like play at the park, or crafts etc. He likes kids and asks for them, and smiles at them, but is not very verbally comfortable with them. He can do the "basics" like greeting and showing them around the house, showing his toys, etc. but when it comes to pretend play he just can not keep up verbally.

Also my sister has him on celexa for severe anxiety. He started speaking and answering us immediately after this. So I even wonder if he had selective mutism. Anyway, he has a lot of things going on, but he is so compassionate and always has been. He is so affectionate and always has looked at us, his family, in the face and been aware of our feelings and seemed emotional in tune with us. He has no negative behaviors. And does not some reassurance when things change, because of his anxiety. His teachers call him a people pleaser and perfectionist.

I think this school thinks he is Autistic. Of course this is fine if appropriate, but to me he is so much more improved since he was 2 y.o. Could this be MERLD? He definitely is a visual learner.

Does any know someone who spends time getting to know the child and family before giving an ASD diagnosis? If it is autism I would be really surprised. I just think it is something else and would like someone who did not use a language based test but other ways to determine what is going on?

I understand there is a different approach with ASD and Merld or significant Language Disorder and would want to make sure we were using the appropriate techniques at home and in class.

If your sister can take your nephew to the Camaratas, she will likely get a lot of answers and a path forward. They are a cut above everyone else who saw my child.


Yes, you can have a lot going on that is NOT ASD. In fact, the latest DSM removed language as a symptom of autism, because so many parents and doctors were leaping to that conclusion when a child has a language delay. Also, check out "The Mislabeled Child." Great book, written by doctors, on how language disorders and ASD are quite different, need different treatments, and why so many people get the diagnosis confused.

8:09 again. I think my post makes this clear but let me be explicit: there is nothing hopeless about having an ASD.

Honestly, this is how stigmas are created and perpetuated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

22:48 here:

The roots of the language disorders with MERLD and autism are different. Autism language therapy typically focuses on compliance and teaching social communication skills along with language, while MERLD children do best with back and forth matched responsive play-based therapies designed for a child with a speech disorder.

Once a MERLD child's language has come in, they become fairly typical kids with only residual language weaknesses that they learn to cope with. Once a child with autism has language, it becomes more and more apparent they are autistic, and they then have to cope with the other issues that autism brings.

That's not true PP. I have a non-ASD kid with MERLD and APD too.

This describes my child perfectly. As the speech is coming in, the functioning and social skills are coming very quickly. The autism therapy was worthless as we didn't have the typical behaviors that needed addressed at home (or we were doing ok with them). Our primary focus is on speech. Everything else is coming naturally when it is ready as the speech progresses.

Every child is different and should be looked at in that way.

It may describe your child perfectly but not my non-ASD kid with MERLD and APD. It also doesn't even come close to describing the many children I know who are on the spectrum. I agree with PPs you definitely have many misconceptions about ASD. It's sad that you often perpetuate them on this board.

Our diagnosis soup is autism, ADHD combined type, generalized anxiety disorder and dysgraphia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Now you've done it. MERLD mom will now say that when the kid's speech comes in, the a MERLD kid will be NT.

The catch is that not all MERLD kid's speech "comes in" then it's a good bet that there is something more going on than just MERLD.

If your kid is 10+ yrs old and still has MERLD, it's probably a good idea to see exactly what is going on.

My kid is 12 and still has severe MERLD -- as well as other additional diagnosis that complicates things for him academically.

He's still not autistic, though.

Why do you so desperately want MERLD children to be autistic? Is it because it makes your situation not appear so hopeless?

Why do you stigmatize kids with ASDs as hopeless?

Kids with MERLD don't have good outcomes. Most kids with MERLD have worse outcomes than kids with HFA or Asperger's.

http://www.medmerits.com/index.php/article/developmental_language_disorder/P10

A study like that doesn't surprise me, unfortunately. Too many people don't do enough research to get the specific help the children need. Luckily, in the MERLD groups I'm involved in, most of the children are progressing well.

Autism is a severe lifelong developmental disorder. Most do not marry nor hold jobs. MERLD is something different, although with plenty of its own challenges.

Now, lots of kids today are being called "ASD" -- but they are not truly autistic. Instead, the have a mixture of challenges that a sloppy system lops together as ASD.

Autism can be severe or it can be mild. It varies widely. The apparent increase in people with ASDs is largely due to treaters recognizing more cases taht are mild and providing help for those kids. That's a good thing because more people are getting help.

Please stop spreading stigma and stereotypes about what it means to have an ASD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Now you've done it. MERLD mom will now say that when the kid's speech comes in, the a MERLD kid will be NT.

The catch is that not all MERLD kid's speech "comes in" then it's a good bet that there is something more going on than just MERLD.

If your kid is 10+ yrs old and still has MERLD, it's probably a good idea to see exactly what is going on.

My kid is 12 and still has severe MERLD -- as well as other additional diagnosis that complicates things for him academically.

He's still not autistic, though.

Why do you so desperately want MERLD children to be autistic? Is it because it makes your situation not appear so hopeless?

Why do you stigmatize kids with ASDs as hopeless?

Kids with MERLD don't have good outcomes. Most kids with MERLD have worse outcomes than kids with HFA or Asperger's.

http://www.medmerits.com/index.php/article/developmental_language_disorder/P10

A study like that doesn't surprise me, unfortunately. Too many people don't do enough research to get the specific help the children need. Luckily, in the MERLD groups I'm involved in, most of the children are progressing well.

Autism is a severe lifelong developmental disorder. Most do not marry nor hold jobs. MERLD is something different, although with plenty of its own challenges.

Now, lots of kids today are being called "ASD" -- but they are not truly autistic. Instead, the have a mixture of challenges that a sloppy system lops together as ASD.

Oh. My. God. I have no problem with the idea of MERLD, with the fact that your children have MERLD, but for goodness sake can you educate yourself about ASDs?

My DS has an ASD, aspergers type. So do both my brothers and my nephew. Trust me, this is something I know about. It is a spectrum disorder that ranges from people who are nonverbal and intellectually disabled, to people who have learned to compensate for the disability and function fairly well. I assumed everyone knew this, but I guess not. To address some specific misinformation in this thread:

1. People with ASDs are not incapable of social interaction. It is much more difficult for them because they cannot read social cues. But even nonverbal kids can be affectionate and interactive with their parents. My DS has quite a few friends. In some ways he has learned how to interact with them, learned the things that come more intuitively to other children. In other ways its pretty clear that his way of interacting is different than other kids. But the friendships are genuine and he has just as many as my NT DC.

2. It is a severe, lifelong disorder. I would guess that most lower functioning people with ASDs do not marry or hold jobs. But I have a married sibling with an ASD, many people with ASDs do work. This is especially true in the tech industry where the skills align with some people with ASDs (not all -- my DS is not a tech or STEM guy).

Not all kids with ASDs are completely detached. In fact, many of the kids who would have been in a previous generation have received interventions that have helped tremendously. My DS was initially nonverbal but because of extremely early intervention is now a good student in a mainstream school (with some issues -- attention, some challenges with abstractions).

You really, really have to stop with this idea that if a child is functioning well he must not have an ASD. Its a new world and things have gotten much better. You are working way too hard to wall off MERLD, like you are threatened by kids with ASDs who can communicate. You need to educate yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^Now you've done it. MERLD mom will now say that when the kid's speech comes in, the a MERLD kid will be NT.

The catch is that not all MERLD kid's speech "comes in" then it's a good bet that there is something more going on than just MERLD.

If your kid is 10+ yrs old and still has MERLD, it's probably a good idea to see exactly what is going on.

My kid is 12 and still has severe MERLD -- as well as other additional diagnosis that complicates things for him academically.

He's still not autistic, though.

Why do you so desperately want MERLD children to be autistic? Is it because it makes your situation not appear so hopeless?

Why do you stigmatize kids with ASDs as hopeless?

Kids with MERLD don't have good outcomes. Most kids with MERLD have worse outcomes than kids with HFA or Asperger's.

http://www.medmerits.com/index.php/article/developmental_language_disorder/P10

A study like that doesn't surprise me, unfortunately. Too many people don't do enough research to get the specific help the children need. Luckily, in the MERLD groups I'm involved in, most of the children are progressing well.

Autism is a severe lifelong developmental disorder. Most do not marry nor hold jobs. MERLD is something different, although with plenty of its own challenges.

Now, lots of kids today are being called "ASD" -- but they are not truly autistic. Instead, the have a mixture of challenges that a sloppy system lops together as ASD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

22:48 here:

The roots of the language disorders with MERLD and autism are different. Autism language therapy typically focuses on compliance and teaching social communication skills along with language, while MERLD children do best with back and forth matched responsive play-based therapies designed for a child with a speech disorder.

Once a MERLD child's language has come in, they become fairly typical kids with only residual language weaknesses that they learn to cope with. Once a child with autism has language, it becomes more and more apparent they are autistic, and they then have to cope with the other issues that autism brings.

That's not true PP. I have a non-ASD kid with MERLD and APD too.

This describes my child perfectly. As the speech is coming in, the functioning and social skills are coming very quickly. The autism therapy was worthless as we didn't have the typical behaviors that needed addressed at home (or we were doing ok with them). Our primary focus is on speech. Everything else is coming naturally when it is ready as the speech progresses.

Every child is different and should be looked at in that way.