Developmental Disorder??

Hi There,
I am an Occupational Therapist who has worked mostly with children who are on the Autism Spectrum. What you are describing are traits that many children with PDD have. However, these traits alone do not mean your child is on the spectrum. The traits you describe are all related to Sensory Integration Dysfunction, which many children with Autism have, but can also stand alone. As one person mentioned, "The Out of Sync Child", is a good resource.
An Occupational Therapy Evaluation will be a good place to start to address these issues. You can ask your pediatrician for a refferral to Early Intervention, and if your child qualifies for services (according to test results), Early Intervention will supply services (or the local school system when he is school aged- over 3). The Occupatioanl Therapist will assist you to find ways to help him adapt to his environment to be able to function to his potential and participate in everyday routines without difficulty. The sooner you address these issues the better. At the same time, his quirks may just be a phase or just his way of coping with overstimulating situations, but if you are concerned, get him evaluated to put your mind at ease.

Dear C.,

First let me say that I am not an expert but I do have a son with autism and some other disorders so I am a little familiar. You should definitely talk to your Dr if you are concerned. Do not wait and see. Better to be overreacting than find out there was something wrong and you could have helped sooner. In my opinion it sounds as if he has a sensory issue. Check out this site http://www.spdfoundation.net/aboutspd.html If this seems to explain your son you may want to pick up the book " Out of Sync Child " Also know that a sensory issue does NOT mean he is also autistic.

It sounds like you have some relevant concerns about your son. First steps would be talk to your Pediatrician, and also contact your area (town school district or something) Early Childhood Center - ours is ages 3-5 years. It sounds more like your son might have some Sensory Intergration issues which can cause the overstimulation as well as some things to calm himself. Pervasive Developmental Disorders contain a variety of different aspects, each kid is different but have some connecting characteristics
: no conversational speech, little to no eye contact, socialization issues as well as speech-cognitive connection problems. My son is very high operative PDD NOS but still struggles to connect with kids his own age and although he is very bright and creative, will always be just a bit behind academically. So go with your gut instinct and start contacting people with your concerns. Also keep a log of what your concerns are, when then happen and what happens to trigger and solve them. Good Luck! Mommy knows best!!

If you are concerned an evaluation will put you at ease. They will not find for what is not there, and if something is there at least you will know early.

hi C., its probably nothing, just quirky or stages. however, i would definitely talk to his ped about getting an evaluation. it certainly cant hurt, you pay enough taxes, you may as well get something for it. my son got it done, he had a blast, loved it, loved all the attention. and if it is anything, the earlier you get intervention, the better off he will be, especially before he goes to school so he will get early intervention at home, so its one on one and they arent missing any part of the school day. i brought my son in because i was worried about his speech, turned out that his speech was fine but they said he needed ot. he got it at home for a year and he absolutely loved it, he still asks when can we see kelly again, and its been months. also, he started getting the services right when my 3rd child was born, which was awesome because it was some attention just for him when he was really needing it. best of luck, D.

Dear C., What I am about to tell you honestly may not be what you want to hear but nonetheless, you should have him tested for autism. What you have described are signs of a mild case of it. I am not a Dr. and am not trying to diagnose your son, I am simply telling you what I know from experience. My oldest daughter acts the same, especially when she is excited is when it comes out the most. The hand wringling, arms flapping, standing on her toes and rocking back and forth. She has autism. When she was first diagnosed (by the public school system and related Doctors) they stated she would not ever be able to even spell her own name let alone be very functional in a school environment. We home schooled her until this last year were she went into her sophmore year into the public school system. This year she is doing her junior and senoir year at a provate Christain school. She is an excellent student and though she may have some problems she has proven all of the naysayers wrong. Your son may or may not have this but I would recommend checking it out so you can at least either a: rule it out or b: at least know what you are dealing with and can begin studying the effects and what you can do to help him. Know this C., He is a VERY capable young man who can make of his life what ever he sets out to do, period. My daughter's goals are to be a substitute teacher/teacher's aid in elementary school so she can concentrate on being a wife and mother. We have a very large family and she is looking foward to having one of her own. There's no doubt in my mind she will accomplish what she has always had her heart set on in becoming. Be blessed!

C.,
If you have any question about your son, go see a specialist; see you pediatrician, so he/she can recommend a good therapist to you. At a year-old, he was delayed in speech, and some "quicks." After an extensive evaluation, our son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 2.5 y/o. Since having speech and occupational therapy (to work with the "stimming"), he has gotten much better. He has friends in pre-school, and is becoming more socialable. So, all this to say, get your son tested, so that you'll be able to help him in whatever way you can.
Be Blessed