Does anyone think Autism is being over-diagnosed like ADD was several years ago?
By mizcheekz
@mizcheekz (178)
United States
February 27, 2007 9:20pm CST
It seems like the answer to any kid problem now is Autism. Same thing happened several years ago with ADD and ADHD. Whereas I know it is a sensitive subject, just because a child misbehaves or a child is a little slower learning, does not mean they have a problem. Yes, I know there are many kids who do have disabilities and need that special attention, but it seems like it's going overboard at the moment. My cousin works with autistic kids and she said it is unbelievable the kids they are sending her. She said about 40% of the kids they send her are perfectly fine and there is no way they should have been diagnosed with autism. She said it just seems like it's being used as an excuse in a lot of cases. I'm most certainly not trying to offend anyone or make light of the disability, I'm just curious on others thoughts about it.
4 responses
@sylviekitty (2083)
• United States
3 Mar 07
My son was diagnosed back in September, and just recently he started speech therapy with a private therapist, who used to work at a private school for kids with Autism. She told me after just one visit with my son that she "didn't see it", and was very curious to see the diagnosis report, because he seemed pretty typical to her. He's been back to see her 3 times since, and although his vocabulary has astonished her (she told me he's testing at the level of a child the age of 5), and the fact he's already starting to read, she can definitely see that he was having a good day when they first met. LOL
In my opinion, some of the problem lies in what defines "high functioning". You can have two kids considered high functioning by a doctor, but yet one looks more or less "neuro-typical" to a casual observer, and the other looks like a "classic" case of Autism. Not to mention, once a child has had enough therapy to bring their speech up to the level of their peers, they might seem like a lot of typical kids who just don't particularly care to socialize.
@sylviekitty (2083)
• United States
3 Mar 07
My son is 3 1/2 now. He was diagnosed w/in weeks of turning 3, just after starting preschool. He does have a great vocabulary now, but he has had some issues with receptive vs. expressive speech. In other words, his ability to understand, and then be able to respond to a question (for example) has caused him troubles. I think this may have something to do with his fitting the "speech delay" part of the Autism diagnosis. There has also been the echolalia, etc.. but thankfully that has decreased as he's been able to better express himself.
As he gets older, and as he reaches Kindergarten and is re-evaluated (assuming he continues to improve), I do wonder if they will diagnose him with something else? I don't want him to have Autism, but I know he's benefitting from all this extra help, too. (Right now he's in special needs preschool, plus in extra OT and Speech. I'd also like him to work on his social skills, as he is not interacting much with his peers at school).
@mizcheekz (178)
• United States
3 Mar 07
I can absolutely appreciate your response. I think a lot of it too lies in the definition of autism. It seems like such a harsh word. If someone has a speech delay, to me, I don't think they should be diagnosed with autism. But maybe I'm just afraid of the word. In the past if you had an autistic child, they were considered special or handicapped. Which they are now too, but it is looked at much differently now than it used to be. Your child could have merely a slight delay or "blip" in his radar and now he's called autistic. Hopefully that makes sense. Also, I was wondering how old your son is. You mentioned him being tested at a 5 year old level, but didn't mention how old he is. Thanks. Like I said, I appreciate your response and think it was very neutral.
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
28 Feb 07
I just want to say that the autistic spectrum is very broad and that while some children do not seem autistic they might very well be. I would like to know what work with autistic children your cousin does? Is she the one who diagnosis the children or does she only take care of them in a home or school? Her view might clouded because autistic children tend to behave differently in another enviroment outside the home. While some of these children may seem normal at first glance their problems become only apparent after some time.
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
1 Mar 07
I'm not in this field but I have an autistic child and my opnion is based on the talks I had with professionals and other parents. Autism is not very easy to diagnose and I know that some children will be diagnosed again if they go to a new school. In my country that is the case.
@mizcheekz (178)
• United States
1 Mar 07
She does not diagnose, she works in a special school. She also takes care of one particular boy through the summer and on weekends. So more of a home setting. And that boy IS most certainly autistic, but many of the kids in her class she said maybe just are a little slower learning but eventually pick it up. And once they "get it" they're fine. She's worked there for many years and just doesn't understand why all of these kids are being diagnosed when they may have a small learning diability that is fairly easily overcome. Are you in this field and what do you witness?
@MrNiceGuy (4141)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I'm not sure. I have extensive experience with autistic children and I would say that many with high functioning versions are pretty average just slower in speech or social skills or learning. Thats it sometimes. But when it comes to more severe cases, it is obvious there is a problem.
@mizcheekz (178)
• United States
1 Mar 07
So do you think those with minimal signs, perhaps issues that can be corrected, should be diagnosed with autism? I completely understand those who have serious problems being diagnosed, and I am well aware that it is a real disease, just seems to be over-diagnosed right now. Thanks!
@gardengrrl (1445)
• United States
28 Feb 07
I saw a bit on a tv newsmagazine that said that while autism diagnoses have risen dramatically, diagnoses of mental retardation have dropped equally dramatically. I think you're right, there's a bit of diagnosis du jour going on here. Of course, some of the increase is also due to more doctors being educated about the disease, but still...one out of 114 kids in New Jersey is autistic, according to a recent study. Who are these people kidding?
@mizcheekz (178)
• United States
1 Mar 07
Right, 1 in 114 seems like quite a bit. And I understand that doctors and people in general are learning more about the disease but it just seems they are diagnosing just about every diability now as autism. So if you have a speech delay, does that make you autistic? I'd like to do more research and have some solid facts for when my kids go to school. Not that they'll have any problems but what if they did? Thanks for your response.
