Advice on My Son Who Was Told to Have Autism.... but Not Sure

I would take the therapy for now. Even if he is "flying" through it, it is free and will only help him. In the meantime I would have him evaluated by a developmental pediatrician or a doctor who specializes in autism. If you've done this already maybe get a second opinion. Is he just overwhelmed by certain environments?? How is his diet? Sometimes food allergies can trigger all kinds of behavior. Could he just be adhd?? At least you know he is bright! Perhaps it is aspergers?? It is so hard and getting the right answer/diagnosis can be very frustrating...I wish you well.

Sometimes different doctors and other professionals do give different diagnosies. The NOS part of ppd-nos is "not otherwise specified" so he may not exactly he may not exactly fit the most common pattern of a disorder even if he definitely has significant symptoms or problems. You can always get a second opinion. But I suggest you write down the problem you are seeing and try keeping a journal for a week or 2 as to what triggers meltdowns or other difficult to handle behaviors. You might be able to find a behavioral checklist. I haven't researched it but you could ask his therapist or look for autism resources online. Once you have tracked his behavior a bit ask the therapist what the therapy is designed to address (the specific behaviors) and see if it matches up with what you identified as problem areas. If not then ask about changing his therapy to address what you see as the biggest problems. I'm not an expert on autism but you might be able to do some things on your own. If he has a really hard time adjusting to new, noise, busy places maybe you can gradually increase his comfort zone. See how he does in new but quiet places (like the library children's room when there is no program going on). If he is starting school next year definitely do as much prep ahead of time as possible (visit the school, meet the teacher, get his IEP sorted out). You probably already prepare him for new things by talking about them in advance so he is not surprised.

My only advice would be to get a 2nd opinion. And a 3rd if needed. Good Luck!

What approach is the autism center using? If it is strictly ABA and your son has good intelligence, he may be flying through the strutured tasks. His difficulty sounds like its more in the sensory/adaptive domains. Teachers/therapists with a floor time and sensory motor approaches may be a better fit. These approaches will help him problem solve better in play and have better control of his body/feelings in situations where he may become overwhelmed such as when you 'take him in public'. Teachers/therapists that can show you strategies to handle everyday situations may be a better use of the services that your son is eligible for.

It's important to keep in mind that autism isn't a physical disease, so there is no real test to determine if a kid is autistic. There is diagnostic criteria, yes, but they are a matter of interpretation, rather than hard fact, like something requiring a blood test.

So, I would take her comment as saying," who really knows what is going on with your son. we use the word autism to try to understand certain behaviors in kids, but this isn't to say there is anything really wrong with them. It could just be a phase...."

You can google "autism diagnosis checklist" and pull up the diagnostic critera and compare it with what you are seeing with your son's development. Without knowing this therapist, it's hard to know whether she is a qualified person to judge whether your son is on the autism spectrum and it's very possible that she could have just been giving you a flip response.

It sounds like he could have Aspbergers or a high-functioning autism. However, Autism cannot be diagnoses by a pediatrician without a series of tests. Did your doctor perform behavioral tests on him? Did you notice any odd or anti-social behaviors? If the answer to these questions is no, then it's time to find a new doctor.

I highly recommend checking out the book "The Way of Boys" by Anthony Rao. It's a great book on what's normal behavior for boys (especially young boys) and why/how a lot of boys get misdiagnosed. I would also take him for a second opinion on the diagnosis if you think and the teachers at the school seem to indicate that maybe he is not PDD-NOS.

While it may be "great therapy for him to start school" you don't want your son entering school with a wrong diagnosis and the implications that may carry as far as placement in special ed if it's not needed.

PDD-NOS is a catch-all for a lot of Pervasive Developmental Disorders so that covers a wide range -as does the Autism Spectrum in general. If the therapy is free I don't think it's going to hurt him. You may ask to have him re-evaluated before starting school to avoid putting him in therapies that will hold him back, but I doubt that would happen. You are lucky to be on that end as some families fight to get a diagnosis and can't get one. It may be a high functioning form of Autism or even Asperger's Disorder. If you question it, ask for a re-evaluation or second opinion. We just went through the process of having my older son (7 yo) evaluated for Asperger's and were amazed by the difference of opinion of several professionals who were working together. I think you are better off having a diagnosis than not, I didn't catch how old he is, but the school will evaluate him before implementing an IEP so it isn't likely that he will end up being stuck in a special ed class where he doesn't belong.

Just be on you kids side, fight for, BELIEVE in him...

He may be a very high functioning autistic. Most kids diagnosed with autistic tendencies are at the very high intelligence end of the spectrum. There seems to be more and more diagnosis of autism these days, but I think that's because its finally a syndrome that is getting better recognition and being better understood.

Leave him in the therapy, as the teachers stated, it will only help him advance even more. There isn't the stigma attached that there once was, so there is no reason to upset this routine for him. I'm sure you can always have him re-evaluated at a later date to determine if this was an accurate diagnosis or not.