Misdiagnosed with autism

Autism in GeneralMedical News Summary from Arizona Daily Sun published and article about a hyperactive boy with the poor concentration who was misdiagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactive disorder which in the end diagnosed with type of autism – Asperger’s syndrome.

At the age of 3 the boy stopped speaking, began to fear from particular sounds and motions etc. All of this represents typical autistic manners. Proper therapy helped him to learn to talk, concentrate and interact with people while reading remained an issue for the boy.

Autism is usually misunderstood condition in medical circles which often leads to misdiagnose. Autism is developmental neurobiological difference in brain function which causes difficulties with communication and social interaction and unusual or limited activities.

Autism symptoms are commonly displayed in the first three years of life although Asperger’s syndrome is usually recognized later.

Autism disables communication skills and social relationships and sometimes can be followed by aggressive behavior. Depression, anxiety, isolation and eating disorders are normally present in autism.

Autistic person can display repeated movements like hand flapping, odd reaction to others and oppose routine changes. Affected may be attached to certain objects and be sensitive in the senses.

Autism is often seen as mental handicap, behavioral disorder, immaturity or hearing impairment.

Asperger’s SyndromeAsperger’s syndrome is distinguished by high intelligence, wretched social skills and communication, avoiding eye contact, strict requirement for routine, anxiety and depression and obscure speech.

Person with Asperger’s syndrome strongly reacts to criticism, humor, frustration, compliments and sensory experiences.

Multi-disciplinary assessment is required for proper evaluation which includes psychologists, teachers and therapists, developmental, cognitive and behavioral evaluation. IQ is also necessary for evaluation. American Association for the Advancement of Science reported that autistic people usually have high IQ and can function better than it was formerly believed.

Tests like WISC can give erroneous results when used for autistic children since it is based on verbal testing and therefore those children can be seen as mentally retarded.

If autism is diagnosed in time and proper therapy is included outcome will be better though this disorder is everlasting.

One CaseA schoolboy age of 12 with Behavior Disorder special education label was exhibiting extreme tantrums and meltdowns. Information and evaluation was requested by the team in order to establish proper behavioral interventions.

Evaluation included Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT), Behavior Assessment System for Children 2 Teacher Rating Scales, Parent Rating Scales and Self Report of Personality, Observations, Interviews, the Childhood Autism Rating Scales (CARS), Gilliam Asperger’s Disorder Scale (GADS), Speech Language Evaluation, Occupational Therapy Evaluation, Sensory Checklist and Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement.

Diagnose was autism and doctor prescribed stimulant in low dose. Afterward, behavior was improved at school and at home and tantrums were not frequent as before.