What Steps Should I Take to Diagnose Autism or Not?

Just a note: My son does this too - and he's not autistic. Just stubborn or confused or defiant depending on the situation. I would just personally keep researching things myself until I had a good list of symptoms and then bring them to my doctor's attention if necessary.

Have you brought that to the attention of you dr. If not it is definitely one that I would- It sounds like quiet defiance to me which is what my older son used to do sometimes- I am reading a book called "Answering the 8 Cries of a Spirited Child" and discovered that there are children like my 6 year old who have massive meltdowns but then there are others like my older and sounds like your daughter who have silent "fits" if you will. Very interesting book with some helpful hints (although it took a little time to get to the meat of the book). Both of my children are very very smart (not just the mommy talking here) and that is very typical of "Spirited" children. I took my 6 year old to an educational testing psychologist to have him tested apart from school because the "system" takes too long. I did have to pay for it up front but the results were totally worth it. I then took the results of the testing to our pediatrician and to school so that everyone who cares for him is on the same page w/ regards to how we handle his "moments"- Oh I also shared it with his grandparents, aunts and a few friends that I knew are often with him. My husband and I along with the pediatrician came up with a "plan" for his care and with everyone on board his "meltdowns" are much fewer and farther between! Be proactive mom- you were given that sweet daughter through no accident and if you are concerned- get her some help. You are her spokesperson and I know you will be strong and confident- love her like crazy (I know you already do and will). Praying for you to find answers!

It is very possible she has a form of Aspergers. The school is no help as most teachers and staff are not trained to notice differences in kids other then the obvious learning styles. Your best option is to talk to the school district where they have specialist who can diagnose learning disabilities and come up with strategies to help.

Your other options are the pedi or Texas Children's if you are near to one. To mu understanding, the one is Dallas is better at this kind of thing than the one in Houston.

Good Luck and God bless!

Definitely talk to her doctor. The zoning out she is doing is a form of seizures and she should not be punished for this. Just stay with her until she comes out of it! And write it down!!! What time it started, ended and a few details of each episode. Have her teacher do the same!

Hi M.-

To get an official diagnosis you want to find a Developmental Pediatrician or a Psychologist who can diagnosis autism. My son was diagnosed at age 4 1/2 with Asperger's (he is 7 now). It is a "mild form" of autism. You might want to research Asperger's to see if the description fits your daughter. The actual diagnosis process is fairly simple. You'll be asked to complete a questionaire and will give a copy of the same questionaire to your daughter's teacher to complete. It's these observation by you and the teacher as well as the doctor seeing your daughter that will lead to a diagnosis.

Best of luck and if you have any questions I'd be happy to try to help.

K.

Dear M.,
I highly recommend a book called "Awesomism" by Suzy Miller. She gives an entirely different view of autism. One in which it is truly seen as awesome. Once understood, autism really is a blessing. Just google the book title and her name and you will find it. Anyone who has not read this book and thinks they know about autism should read it.
TALK ABOUT SYNCHRONICITY: I am just listening to a playback recording of Suzy's free conference call last Friday. About 55 mins in she starts to talk about seizures. Here is the link: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W3gDlw1s
As for your daughter being old enough or not? I applaud her for being who she is and not making apologies. People wearing masks has never sat right with me. Why do we do it? What are we trying to prove? Who are we trying to prove it to? We tell our children to be who they are, "Just be yourself" and then castigate them when they are. Every person no matter what age has the right to chose how they respond to others. They will receive whatever reaction that brings and will then be free to choose again next time if they desire.
But to say she is not old enough to know who she is and decide to be that would be very confusing to her if you are also telling her to be herself.
So anyway read Suzy's book and then get back to me with your thoughts. :)

If you believe she may have Autism go get her tested. Unfortuntly, you have to be your childs advocate because no one else will. The school probably finds it eaiser to just get on to her instead. If she is making good grades and goes with the flow, the school can just say that she is emotionally immature. The Pedi. Doctor may or may not know by talking to you that it might be Autism; I would go to a specialty counsler and have her evaluated. They will be able to help her cope and deal with things wheather it is Autism or not. I wish you the best! Keep up the good work with your little girl!

This sounds similar to my daughter at this age, however the "zoning out" did effect her grades and the pedi suspected absence seizures. Start with your pediatrician for referral to a specialist for testing.

Hi M.:
A dear friend of mine has a daughter who is described as your daughter's actions of "zoning out" as well. She said they found out a few years ago that the child was actually having mini brain seizures. She and her husband had been concerned and after several tests the dr determined the cause being from the seizures. Perhaps you should check into this with your dr. She is also a very sweet girl (one of my daughter's best freinds). She takes a liquid medication and otherwise is a vibrant, respectable and well-mannered little lady. God-speed to you and yours. -Elaine

I read your post yesterday and let me tell you our story before you do anything.My daughter is grown now but when she was litte I found staring off into space,"zoning out " frequently.I told the pediatrician repeatedly that I thought she was having petit mal seizures which are basically zoning out episodes where the person doesn't move for a couple of minutes and doesn't hear anything. and he said she was "daydreaming".I didn't push it because she did well in school and the teachers didn't complain that she wasn't paying attention.She graduated from college and got a job.One day she was in a meeting and had a gran mal seizure after going to a birthday party the night before,staying up late and drinking.She was taken to the hospital and the EEG showed she was having little seizures very often.She got on seizure medicene and didn't have another one until right after her first baby,again she was sleep deprived and stressed.That was 3 yrs ago and she is fine.She told me that all her friends through the years called her "dittsy" because she would miss what someone said.Ask your pediatrician about seizures.It is a very easy thing to control when the medication is adjusted and the person takes the medicene correctly.

M., in my opinion, it doesn't sound like autism. Possibly Asperger's (on the spectrum) but I'm still not even sure about that. You mention "socially and emotionally you have a problem" but then you go right into the "zoning." Is the zoning the only actual problem or does she seem awkward socially? Is she able to read the social ques of others? I would probably talk to her pediatrician and definitely get in with a pediatric neurologist right away. Very often they have VERY long waits so I'd make an appointment as quickly as possible. She could be having mild siezures. You don't mention if she moves around when she zones. Does she completely stop what she is doing or does she go about her business but ignore those around her. Regardless, I would see a neurologist. If there is any sort of autism there, they can help you with a diagnosis. My son does some "zoning" and some ignoring. I can tell when he's ignoring me and when he is just so involved in what he is doing/thinking that he literally cannot hear me. Don't scold her, there's something going on here that she cannot control. It just doesn't sound like defiant behavior to me. ...not at all. Just try to talk to her and see what she remembers. If she tells you she doesn't know, than there's something going on. By the way, don't panic. I have A LOT of friends who are dealing with things like Aspergers, Austism, Gran Mal Siezures, sensory processing disorder, etc. They are all great kids with friends. She'll be fine. Good for you for doing something about this now. ....and GOOD for her for saying she wants to be herself!!! That's fantastic. Don't let anyone break that spirit! She's sounds like a good girl!!

I would not say that it is Autism. I have a daughter who is on the Autism spectrum and it sounds to me like your daughter does not display the symptoms most commonly associated with autism. Take her to see a neuropsychologist. They may be able to determine if she may be going through something else. It sounds to me like her sentence structure is pretty good in the way that she expressed herself to you that she would just be herself. The parts where you say that she zones out are probably something else. Have you specifically asked your daughter about why she zones out? Did you ask her if she remembers what happens when she does this. My daughter has Autism but she can always remember what happens. Most kids who have autism have very good memory even though some of them may not communicate it well, but they can surprise you when they see something familiar again. Get a formal diagnosis. It will help you get your questions answered. Good luck to you and your family. I hope you get the answers you are looking for.

M.,
I'm glad you took the time to write this, thank you. I actually have the exact same thing going on with my daughter and she's now 11. She started this zoning out at around the age of 2. I was concerned that she was having seizures but people kept telling me she was just trying to get attention. She behaves exactly as you describe and people respond exactly as you describe. She's really a sweet little girl - very loving. She has developed ticks, starting at around 8 years old, but it was after her father told her that he was divorcing me. She immediately developed this wrist twist and facial stretch thing she does, and she repeats it whenever highly stressed. Including when she's on stage for Christmas performances! It looks like she's joking it gets so bad. She is now starting to say "actually" and "possibly" all the time. I have a close friend who's a behavior specialist at school - she is suggesting that it's Aspergers which is a mild form of Autism. I'm thinking that her dad has it too which explains some of the reasons why he left and lives the way he does. On his own terms, with nothing and no one to distract him or for him to take care of. It's not always that "dark", but he made a choice not to be with the family. Very strange.
I'm anxious to read the responses because it has worried me too.
God bless you and your family - I hope you find the answers that you need.
Merry Christmas,
D.

I would take her to her Doctor ASAP. What she is doing sounds like a seizure. When I taught special ed. some students presented with this same behavior, they were having seizures.

If you are truly concerned then take her to the doctor. But in my personal opinion (I am not in the medical field) it just sounds like you have a child who is "defiant" and sensitive to confrontational issues of any sort.
Sometimes kids just don't like feeling as if they are in trouble when they are being spoke to, and they often just flat out ignore people.
Have you asked her-after the fact, not during the episode- how she feels (emotionally and physically) at those moments? If she knows she is doing it or why she does it? You may very well find some clues to what is going on if you just try to talk to her about it.

definitely something to bring to the doctor's attention. he may not have noticed anything if she wasn't "zoning out" in his office and you hadn't really brought THAT up. maybe epilepsy? some sort of seizure. something is up,it seems. good luck.

That sound like petit mal seizures to me

I agree with others. Don't wait for someone to bring a diagnosis to you. Bring your child to your pediatrician and ask for a referral to a pediatric neurologist if necessary. This sounds like ti could be medical related and not necessarily autism or aspergers, but it could be. I definitely do not think that she is being defiant. There are also other disorder related to narcolepsy where instead of falling asleep you zone out when faced with stressful situations. (One disorder i forget the name, you actually are paralyzed for several seconds). Or it could be a seizure. It sounds like she is becoming overwhelmed by social or stressful situations and that could be causing the reaction.

Also do not be afraid to request your daughter see the school counselor. That is what they are there for. You may need to sign a release form but just request her teacher to send one home with her.

Good luck!

I actually know what you are seeing. My three boys have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (it is considered to be somewhere on the Autism Spectrum) or autistic (on an evaluation my third son scored '90' where it is noted "a child scoring 90 or above is considered autistic". All are very loving but have a very difficult time understanding another person's point of view or interpreting body language.

I have done both:
expressed my concerns to the pediatrician and got a referral to a psychologist and eventually psychiatrist

had the school initiate an evaluation based on concerns they saw (late speech development was a big problem for my boys at around the 4-yr-old and 5-yr-old age)

Either way, just speak up. I would find it hard to imagine that your pediatrician would not give you a referral. He/she would probably give you one to "calm your fears" ! LOL

Do enjoy your children's strengths. It is often all too easy to see the weaknesses and not nurture the strengths.

I would also recommend asking the pediatrician and/or the psychologist for reading material for you.

Bless you!

Hi M.,

Your situation sounds very simular to what my daughter was going through in 2nd grade. She would zone out for about 15-35 seconds. The Neurologist ordered an EGD test and my daugther was diagnosis with Petit Mal Seizures. The seizure may be sometimes be mistaken for a lack of attention or other misbehavior. We thought she was just ignoring us. But then I realized something was just not right. Here is some of the symptoms: Typical petit mal seizures may include:

Muscle activity changes
No movement
Hand fumbling (especially with longer spells)
Fluttering eyelids
Lip smacking (especially with longer spells)
Chewing (especially with longer spells)
Consciousness changes
Staring episodes (unintentional)
Lack of awareness of surroundings
Sudden halt in conscious activity (movement, talking, etc.)
May be provoked by hyperventilation or flashing lights, in some cases
Abrupt beginning of seizure
Each seizure lasts no more than a few seconds
Full recovery of consciousness, no confusion
No memory of seizure

Atypical symptoms:

Unintentional staring
Lack of awareness of surroundings
Sudden stop of conscious activity (movement, talking, etc.)
Hand fumbling
Fluttering eyelids
May be provoked by hyperventilation, in some cases
May have slower, gradual beginning of seizure
Each lasts only seconds to minutes
Recovery may be slower
May have short period of confusion or bizarre behavior
No memory of seizure

Hope this helps..Please let me know what you find out.

Is her hearing okay?

it sounds to me that your daughter might be having absent seizures, these types of seizures will cause her to "zone out" and seem like she is ignoring you or daydreamimg when in fact she is unaware of what is going on around her but epilepsy or seizure dioreder is often related to autism my son has epilepsy and is also autistic she may have what is called childhood absent epilepsy which is the most common type of epilepsy in children this type is really no cause for concern and she will most likely grow out of it aside from having to repeat your self from time to time and explaining it to her teachers it wont affect her too much the absent seizures are normaly very short most of the time too short to even notice. my son has grand mal seizures and absent seizures also he is very young 3 years old so i am havinf a very hard time finding a doctor that willing to even comsider the fact that he may be auistic i wish you luck with your daughter if you have anything you would like to ask or any advice nto offer just re post thanks and god bless you and your family

It may not be Autism but somethign else related neurology.

See your pedi and ask for a referral. Don't continue waiting for your doctor or teachers to say something - you are around your daughter 24/7 and know her like no one else does. Meet with the pedi and voice your concerns.

You could certainly check into autism, but to me it sounds more like petit mal seizures. Please have her checked by a physician ASAP! If it is seizures, she has no control over the "zoning out" and needs medical attention.

I'm not sure how much I can add to the already great responses.

From my own experience...I have a 15 yr old w/ severe autism and seizures...I would definitely demand a full physical checkup including a referral to a neurologist and neurodevelopment pediatrician.

IF you are looking at something on the autism spectrum, I would say I would lean towards Aspergers which is a form of autism where the individual is high functioning with social deficits.

I would agree that you need to rule out seizures. Asking your daughter ?'s, determining whether she snaps out of it immediately with an outside stimuli or not and documenting when/how/what is going on will go miles in helping the doctors and your school determine the best course of action in helping your daughter.

She may even be a bit oppositional defiant...meaning that it is in her character to create situations in which she defies social norms.

It may just be a case where she is going to have to grow in emotional maturity. Dealing with situations that are unpleasant require skills; she just may not have those developed yet. I would suggest you also look into play therapy which can help any of the above-mentioned issues.

Whatever you do, try to emphasize to her why it is to her benefit to respond positively socially: alienation, lack of opportunities etc. so that she is aware of how she is hurting herself more than anyone else by her behavior.

I wish you the best of luck!

I agree with a few others. Check out the seizure theory. I work in Brain Injury and that is typical behavior for a seizure disorder. Good Luck!

It really doesn't sound like autism. But have you had her checked out for siezures? There are types of siezures, typically petit mal siezures, that look like the person is day dreaming or zoning out.
Hope this helps.

Bless your heart--I know what it's like to fear that something is wrong with your child, and nobody will listen to you. My 27-year-old son is autistic and mentally retarded, and it took a YEAR for me to convince his pediatrician that something was not right.

Anyway, you need to rule out anything physiological. It sounds like she may be having little mini-seizures. "Zoning out" is exactly how these are manifested. Ask your pediatrician for a referral to a neurologist--INSIST on it. If he/she won't give you one, find a pediatrician who will (you can tell your current doctor that you are planning to do this, and maybe they'll relent and give you the referral).

If all comes out normal with regard to the seizures, then you need to request that she be evaluated at school. They will be reluctant to do this since her grades are so good, but if you make enough noise, they will do it.

This is such a hard road to travel. You must be strong and have confidence in your feeling that something is not right. Moms know these things--you know your child better than anybody. Fight for her. She deserves it--and so do you!

If ya'll are not already seeing a developmental pediatrician, get a referral ASAP. There are some that have a sub-specialty in treating and diagnosing autism. Ask to speak to someone in the special-ed department at your daughter's school, preferably the director or head of the dept. You've got to become an advocate, calling, talking and staying on top of all involved in your daughter's care and ed. You may even ask to be referred to a neurologist. Good luck!