Does My Child Really Have ASD?

"We have a diagnosis of ASD from our pediatrician, but our counselor is telling me that she does not agree with the diagnosis because my son is very social with her and he always makes eye contact. He has ASD traits and then some that are not." 
 
==> Click here for the full article...
 
 

    Comments

    Anonymous said…
    My Aspie makes eye contact!!
    February 17, 2012 at 7:02 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Find another counselor. Once they think they know what's going on with your kid it's hell to try and get them to change their diagnosis, especially if it's something the parent has already suggested. Try to find one who's got a history with Aspergers and Autism-Spectrum related counseling skills.
    February 17, 2012 at 7:02 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son didn't make eye contact until he was 5, if I were you I would request to see a psyc to get a diagnosis.
    February 17, 2012 at 7:02 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My Aspie will make eye contact, too. He will even use sarcasm and understands it (sometimes--not always). There is no mold for these kids. They're all different.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Our psychologist used a computer program--he described it as actually walking him through, step by step, asking questions about specific things, some of which he may not have noticed without the program. Our son, also, did not show SOME characeristics of Asperger's, but we had unknowingly been 'treating' him for years (such as training him to make eye contact, even though it didn't come naturally). Once our examiner stepped back from the apparently personable little boy in front of him and begain to ask himself the objective questions, the asperger's diagnosis was undeniable. A huge part of the problem in my experience is that everyone--experts included--forget that all autism disorders are on a spectrum. They tend to remember Joe the classic autistic, Amy the stereotypical PDD-NOS child, and Sam who fits all the qualifications for Asperger's. We train our children from birth, both NT and non-NT children, to 'fit into' society. Without an objective viewpoint, there's no way to distinguish between a child who fits in naturally and one who has been trained to 'fake it'.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son makes eye contact, but it really takes an expert eye to see that while he does it most of the time, the quality isn't there. He doesn't use it as efficiently as others to communicate. Please see another therapist! It took us 3 to get a diagnosis when I knew that he wasn't just a strong-willed child. The diagnosis and intervention and therapy has changed our lives. Good luck!
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Your counselor CAN NOT make a diagnosis!He does not have the credentials. How long ago was your son Dx with Tourettes?I would return to them or find a new Neuro Psychologist, for testing.They also can recommend a good psycho therapist who deal specificaly with kids on the spectrum.Good luck!
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Mine does too unless he is uncomfortable or you are too close to him. He stares, which I think is the spectrum equivelent of lack of eye contact.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My aspie son makes eye contact. It makes him uncomfortable but he still does it.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son has always made eye contact and can be social with certain ages. I would find another person to do an evaluation.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:57 AM
    Anonymous said…
    change your counselor? espically if they do not have experience in Autism . My daughter has eye contact.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:57 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I agree with a previous comment - get a second opinion. We have seen several professionals and they all vary in 'diagnosis'.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:57 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I agree with everyone else. Our son can be social (especially with older and younger kids) it his peers he has the most trouble with.

    We had to go to our Ped, and she had to refer us to our Children's Hospital. There, he went through hours of testing (over several days) and saw 3 seperate Drs. as we observed via a camera. But, this was also our 2nd evaluation. The 1st we had done at another place, and they weren't even equipped for Aspergers.

    Get a 2nd opinion. You have to be "that" parent in this case.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:57 AM
    Anonymous said…
    my daughter has aspergers and can make eye contact but breaks it when she starts to talk to you. i think you need to speak to some1 else if thats all he's basing his opinions on
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    my daughter makes eye contact as well, but she doesn't really look at you. The psychologist we saw saw that right away. Get a different opinion ie a professional who diagnoses these things.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Every Aspie is different! My son makes eye contact & can tell jokes, etc. But had major mood swings growing up & major depression & anxiety. - I agree ... find another counselor!! Have your child tested.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son makes eye contact as wrll and his school tried telling me the same thing. Finally after jumping through what seemed like a million hoops, we got a dx. Good luck!
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son makes eye contact...always has, but has had major social issues. We went through our primary doctor who referred us to a psychologist for testing. That's when we finally got a diagnosis. I wouldn't depend on a counselor...go to a psychologist or psychiatrist for a formal screening or testing. Good Luck!
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My child was misdiagnosed for more than 8 years with depression & saw several therapists. If their diagnoses doesn't add up find a new doctor. Once I read up on it, it made total sense.
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    It took Dr.Psy/ test results and Child Advacot before an IEP team meeting to get the school board to take note for us . His blow ups are from his frustrations , each one has good reasons, example; in there room. it can be as little as a florsent flikering of a light in there room..Too to much noies..or just out of routine. Good Luck with public schools .I found there very limited on The different spectrum's of Autism and there anxiety's. Our Gr/son with a modifed' work plan can blow up with the skill of hand writing, but can A'ce answers on pc or out loud. Eye contact has to be taught to some..and becomes easy only in there confort zone. Ours can..but the social skills are challegened in the school settings'. Your counselor is not skilled and should be advising you and or recomending outside help!. Start at your state level..looking for Qualified Licensed Healthcare in this field. Good Luck..an God Bless!
    February 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    is there a difference between aspergers and high functioning autism? Our paediatrician said our son had aspergers but the official diagnosis in paper states hfa.
    February 18, 2012 at 3:16 AM
    Anonymous said…
    There's no difference between HFA and Aspergers...
    February 18, 2012 at 6:21 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I had 2 psychologists tell me my son didn't have AS because he showed empathy. When asked "Well what about the debilitating obsessions and all the other sign and symptoms he does have?" Finally sought out a specialist (neuro-psychologist) in Autism Spectrum disorder and he did diagnose him with AS. My son does make eye contact especially when he wants to take to you about his interests just to make sure you are listening. Follow your gut feeling on this one. Good luck.
    February 18, 2012 at 6:21 AM
    Anonymous said…
    He needs a Neuropsychological eval
    February 18, 2012 at 6:21 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Check on line for an Aspergers guidelines diagnositic list and have a look through it. I was told my son had conduct and emmotional disorder and not aspergers. I went around the psychiatrist after doing the list and realising my son had over 3 things in each catagory. We had to pay $900 for the diagnosis but was the best thing ever. We have access to programs and have applied to rotary groups for extra assistance. Good luck :) its a hard road but well worth fighting for.
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son makes eye contact so if I was you I get a second opinion from another counsellor .
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    my son makes eye contact some times when he has to lol! an we didn't get a proper diagnosis until he was 13 !! because he had a very high IQ which masked a lot of the aspy symptoms in the earlier years - all aspys r different just like all kids ... as a parent u need to follow your intuition ...
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Find a new counselor. My son and myself are both Aspie and we both make eye contact.
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Find a different counselor that is licensed to diagnose.
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Get him to an independent psychologist qualified to diagnose Asperger's! Schools might have a stake in not identifying him, if they have to create an IEP, etc. Frankly, I was pretty relieved to have this diagnosis, because lots of things make sense. (My son frequently makes eye contact and can be social, but can flip to stuttering and pacing, and his eye contact can also be oppositional.) Get to a clinic.
    February 18, 2012 at 6:22 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My son used to make eye contact when he was really young & then as he got older it seem to be less & less that he made eye contact. Now that he goes to speech & social group, the eye contact is getting much better again. I would suggest taking your son to a very reputable pediatric neurologist in your area. They can assess him & have him tested for autism. Go with your gut feeling.....no one knows your child better than you. I had a lot of people tell me that they didn't believe my son could have Autism/Asperger's Syndrome. You are your child's best advocate!! Best of Luck to you :)
    February 18, 2012 at 6:23 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My daughter who is now five and a half used to make eye contact to a degree and then it started to taper off as she got older. Now, it's hit or miss. There are times when she'll just stare and others where it's like pulling teeth to even get a sideways glance from her. I noticed that the only time she actually voluntarily makes eye contact for any length of time, is when she is showing off one of her artistic creations. Art is her world. I agree with what everyone else has said as well.
    February 18, 2012 at 8:52 AM
    Anonymous said…
    Change your counselor. My son has Aspergers and is in my face with eye contact. He is very sociable but cannot understand body language or many emotional nuances. He picks up tics very easily they are usually stress induced and appear when he is under scrutiny in social or interactive settings. He is very high functioning which is a problem for him in school because his grades are excellent but his behavior does not parallel [teachers have a tendency to think because he is smart that he understands more than he actually does when it involves performance like remembering names, assignments...etc...] My son's school counselor was convinced he had ADHD I knew there was an underlying cause for his lack of 'co-operation in class and pressed for an autistic evaluation. I personally believe many children with Aspergers are misdiagnosed with ADHD.
    Find a counselor who will listen to you. Do not go to one who doesn't have experience dealing with the autistic spectrum, that is paramount for your family's success because as you know [and you already know] failure is not digested easily by an Aspergers child.
    February 19, 2012 at 6:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I too feel like the psychologist my son saw misdiagnosed him. In her report, she put that he has anxiety disorder and PDD. She also said he was able to talk to her and give her eye contact. she spent about 20 min with him. After reading so much and visiting these forums, I truly believe he has Asperger's and does not have anxiety although he does get a little anxiety. Should I have him reevaluated or not worry about it?
    February 19, 2012 at 6:58 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I'm having same problem,my g p won't refer he said he has nothing on the file,the hos,says are in conclusive and my private one was in 04 they disregarded it,but services are brutal
    February 21, 2012 at 9:10 AM
    Anonymous said…
    I'm having same problem,my g p won't refer he said he has nothing on the file,the hos,says are in conclusive and my private one was in 04 they disregarded it,but services are brutal.
    February 23, 2012 at 7:09 AM
    Anonymous said…
    YOU SHOULD FORM A FORUM ON HERE AND GET AN HEALTH WORKER IN HEALTH BOARD INDEPENDANT DIAGNOSTICS AND A SPECIALIST CONSULT ON ACTUAL TREATMENT CAN CHANGE YOUR DENTIST WHY NOT CHANGE YOUR DOCTOR AND CHILDS SCHOOL IF THEY NOT CONCERNED OR MAKE NO PROVISION
    February 23, 2012 at 7:10 AM
    Anonymous said…
    20 minutes is not long enough to diagnose Aspergers. My son's school counselor was pressing me to have him evaluated for ADHD. I refused and told her that I believed the problem was more complex and said that I felt he had a touch of Autism. [I didn't even know what Aspergers was]
    Since I suggested Autism might be the problem, she was obligated to start a series of 'elimination' tests. [only because I refused her ADHD suspicions -If I had agreed to have him evaluated for ADHD they would have determined that was his problem, and would have stopped looking for the underlying cause for his 'attention lapses']
    After they tested and found he didn't have pragmatic language receptor problems, and a battery of other evaluations, they finally brought in the district psychiatrist who called to tell me my suspicions were correct. It took about 3 years. Don't give up.
    February 23, 2012 at 7:10 AM
    Anonymous said…
    My nephew definitely has Aspergers. I can see it. His parents can see it. Even his teachers can see it. It is definitely not ADHD. Unfortunately, the doctors cannot see it. A 5 minute consultation is insufficient to diagnose. His parents don't want to give him ADHD medications because they know it isn't ADHD. I am a nurse and I can see that too. However, the doctor says if they refuse to medicate him, he won't help them. What can you do? He is socially inept, has no friends. He is highly intelligent, but this is overlooked because without a proper diagnosis, the school can't / won't help him. He gets stressed when things get loud or if he is confronted and he needs to be on his own, but the school won't provide a quiet place for him to settle. On occasion he spends a little time with an Aide who is assigned to another child and when this happens, he excels. His parents have been persisting for 4 years to get a diagnosis, but to no avail. He is 9 years old now. Doctor's simply do not listen.
    May 9, 2015 at 11:36 PM
    a mother said…
    My Aspie son makes eye contact with people with whom he is very familiar and makes it sporadically with others. I never noticed he had difficulty with eye contact until a PT tried to get him to hold eye contact and he would squirm, walk away, lean back in his chair etc. He had learned to look very close to a persons face but not into their eyes. Because he made eye contact with me we did not consider ASD until this PT referred him to a developmental pediatrician. He was diagnosed at 11 and everything fell into place and began to make sense. Now that I know what to look for I recognize that he exhibits many ASD traits that I had failed to recognize as such previously. Our communication has improved vastly now that the barriers are obvious. Good luck.
    December 28, 2015 at 6:17 AM
    Unknown said…
    As many have already mentioned...each Aspie is different. You can teach your child to make eye contact. We have worked with our son for many years to look the person in the face when they talk to you. When he talks though he will look down and break eye contact. Our son has social anxiety, is a flight risk when overwhelmed and has a hard time understanding time and perception. Do your homework and get rid of your current counselor. Have your child tested at an accredited center where they specialize in autism. You are your childs only advocate. Although my son's school district still won't recognize he's on the Spectrum, they keep him under emotionally impaired for his IEP.
    May 17, 2016 at 7:19 PM
    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    The Telltale Signs of ASD Level 1 [High-Functioning Autism]: A Comprehensive Checklist

    Image
    Below you will find the majority of symptoms associated with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), also referred to as Asperger’s. The HFA child will not usually have all of these traits. We will look at the following categories: sensory sensitivities, cognitive issues, motor clumsiness, narrow range of interests, insistence on set routines, impairments in language, and difficulty with reciprocal social interactions. Sensory Sensitivity Checklist— 1. Difficulty in visual areas: Avoids eye contact Displays discomfort/anxiety when looking at certain pictures (e.g., the child feels as if the visual experience is closing in on him) Engages in intense staring Stands too close to objects or people 2. Difficulty in auditory areas: Covers ears when certain sounds are made Displays an inability to focus when surrounded by multiple sounds (e.g., shopping mall, airport, party) Displays extreme fear when unexpected noises occur Fearful of the sounds particular objects make ...
    Read more

    Raising Aspergers Children: Symptoms and Parenting Strategies

    Image
    Aspergers (high functioning autism) is a developmental disorder falling within the autistic spectrum affecting two-way social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and a reluctance to accept change, inflexibility of thought and to have all absorbing narrow areas of interest. Individuals are usually extremely good on rote memory skills (facts, figures, dates, times etc.) many excel in math and science. There is a range of severity of symptoms within the syndrome, the very mildly affected youngster often goes undiagnosed and may just appear odd or eccentric. While Aspergers is much more common than Autism it is still a rare condition and few people, including professionals, will know about it much less have experience of it. It seems to affect more boys than girls. In general terms they find making friends difficult, not understanding the subtle clues needed to do so. They often use language in a slightly odd way and take literal meanings from what is read or heard. They ...
    Read more

    Married To An Aspie: 25 Tips For Spouses

    Image
    If you are about to embark on a marriage to someone who has Aspergers (high functioning autism), there are a few things that you may need to know (some good, and some not-so-good, perhaps): 1. Although Aspies (i.e., people with Aspergers) do feel affection towards others, relationships are not a priority for them in the same way that it is for neurotypicals or NTs (i.e., individuals without Aspergers). 2. A relationship with an Aspergers partner may take on more of the characteristics of a business partnership or arrangement. 3. Although he genuinely loves his spouse, the Aspie does not know how to show this in a practical way sometimes. 4. An Aspie is often attracted to someone who shares his interests or passions, and this can form a good basis for their relationship. 5. An Aspie needs time alone. Often the best thing the NT partner can do is give her Aspie the freedom of a few hours alone while she visits friends or goes shopping. 6. An Aspie often has a ...
    Read more