Autism symptoms coming and going??

[nursymel]

I have a question.....if anyone has any input ,from experience as a parent or caregiver/medical professional it would be greatly appreciated.
I have a 5 year old son who this past December was diagnosed as having High Functioning Autism and was told as he gets older it will present itself more as Asperger's.This of course was a tough pill to swallow ..but couldn't really live in denial.Everything I have read either in books or on the web really seem to fit.Of course he didn't exhibit each and every symptom/characteristic.
So here we are a few weeks away from starting full-time kindergarten eek .The summer went pretty well and then I stopped and realized so many of these symptoms were not rearing there ugly heads (clapping,chanting,anxiety atacks,major meltdowns,OCD like symptoms,hypersensitivity to noises) Is this normal..to have the symptoms one day and then NOT or Extremely minimally?? Is it related to the pressures of school and the socializing there?Don't get me wrong he is still kind of doing his own thing.Just curious and I guess hopeful.....Anyone?:

 

[SuperTrouper]

Well, I have the same experience, mostly noticeably with language. When I'm not under any stress, my language only has a few oddities. When I'm somewhat stresse (think: at the mall), I get repetitive and echolalic. When there is a lot of stress (think: fire drill) I'm completely nonverbal, and if things are really bad, I can be nonverbal for days at a time. One day to another really varies, though, and it's not really obvious to other people what's causing the changes.

 

[KirstenB]

Our dd is 4, and also dx'd with HFA. Honestly, it was when she was younger, I felt more like some days she was more autistic than others. This last year, she's come forward in some ways (playing more with other kids at school, recognizing when someone is happy, sad etc). However, unfortunatley, she's started doing some things I would associate closely with autism. She now lines up her toys, she also frequently appears to have conversations when there's no one in the room and she has rituals, like shutting every door in the house.

Now she does have good days and bad days. On the bad days, she just seems to live in a temper tantrum. I used to really wonder if she did have ASD, or maybe just sensory processing disorder, but it becomes more apparent it's ASD.

I think you're onto something, and the previous poster as well when you mention stress as a trigger. It must be inherently stressful to have ASD in a neurotypical world. But if everything's going okay, your child has the energy to put in the extra effort. But if it's a bad day, maybe it's just easier to retreat to what's intuitive? I guess that's true for all of us, when stressed, we do what makes sense to manage it.

 

[nursymel]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply.I guess I am always kind of waiting for the other ball to drop(is that the saying?) .The past 8-9 months if one symptom would fade another would exacerbate .He is a wonderful child ,affectionate,engaging and 95% of the time HAPPY! I just hope he will remain happy....If only I could get my hands on one of those crystal balls....

 

[jezaduck24]

Some days my son seems almost neurotypical....others...he is like the textbook example of Asperger's. I'm still learning since he was just diagnosed and I feel like most days I walk on eggshells waiting to see who appears.
I know that's no help....just commiserating.

 

[Earstou]

I have a teen aspie, so have had a few years to experience this.

Our experience has been that the older he gets, the less obvious (especially to other people), his problems are. Some of his behaviors did disappear around age 5. Whether he learned to cope, or they disappeared, I don't know.

For example, he used to flap his hands when he was excited, and no longer does that. He went from doing it anytime, to doing it only in his room whille playing with toy cars, to not doing it at all. To me, it seems as though he realized others don't do this, so he regulated himself, until he quit doing it altogether. I'm guessing that he learns to cope.

Also, as others have said, stress plays a big role in all this. School takes a lot out of my son. His doctor has said that ds works really hard to be like others at school. So during the summer, when he is home in a comfortable environment, not worrying about social stresses, homework, tests and any other school stress, he is a much happier, easy-going child. I really hate it when the school years starts!

 

[saveaquarter]

It's absolutely normal. My husband's aspie qualities can be set of by anything from a major change in routine to something as minor as a book in our meticulously organized library being out of place. And he can't rest until whatever is going on is corrected.

I read this on here quite some time ago, but I think it stands repeating.

Try to imagine the child balancing a large serving tray on one up-turned hand. Every distress for that child is like a liquid filled glass you are putting on this tray. The ‘distress glasses’ are unique to each kid…but generally include things like auditory or visual over-stimulation, social interaction, ‘surprises’ or unexpected changes in the schedule, lack of clear leadership, the number of people in the room, whatever is ‘sensitive’ for that child. (Don’t forget the ability to read body language and anxiety of the adults around them!) The size and weight of the ‘glass’ for that child varies: just like the ‘distress glasses’ vary for each kid. Some things are merely shot glass size, while others it can be a two-litre jug. At some point the tray is going to start to wobble…the liquid will start spilling out of the glasses on the tray. The ‘cues’ this is happening will vary kid to kid: just as the cause and size of a ‘glass’ varies kid to kid…but generally include regressive behaviour, avoidance or ‘shutting down’, giggling or minor ‘acting out’ to get attention. Hopefully someone will help the kid rebalance that tray or remove some of the glasses. Perhaps taking a break, or allowing time to refocus or process will work, again techniques are unique to each kid. If there is no intervention, the addition of one more glass will topple the tray to the floor. The cause is not the most recent ‘glass’ you added, but the fact that the tray was too full or too heavy (the latter is why the child seems so unpredictable to some people). Ignoring ‘cues’ can be disastrous, from the classroom disruptions to a major regression. When an autistic kid’s tray crashes to the floor- it is always a major event.

 

[AJKMOM]

Since autism is a spectrum disorder, no one person has every symptom, and they can sort of come-and-go depending on the mood or stress on the individual. DS, age 20, was doing OK with his autism, but at age 18 developed OCD. That one is tougher to deal with than the autism; counting, don't step on cracks, doing over what I did. Meds help, but....

 

[SueM in MN]

Since autism is a spectrum disorder, no one person has every symptom, and they can sort of come-and-go depending on the mood or stress on the individual. DS, age 20, was doing OK with his autism, but at age 18 developed OCD. That one is tougher to deal with than the autism; counting, don't step on cracks, doing over what I did. Meds help, but....

My youngest DD does not have autism as a diagnosis (my sister has a son with Aspergers and my sister thinks my DD exhibits some of the same things, but I don't see it). She does have some OCD 'tendencies' (a wishy-washy diagnosis from her neurologist).
Some days she is just impossible to live with - everything has to be just so and anything out of place is very distressing to her. Some of her big triggers are threads (she can't stand a loose thread), her fingernails when they have grown enough to have any white showing - she will pull them off to below the quick) and miniscule spills or crumbs (new shirt is needed if anything spills on it). Other days, the same things don't bother her.

I like the tray example. I think it works for a lot of things and it's very important to realize that the thing that caused the tray to tip, may look like a 'big' problem because it causes a big tip. But, it may be a small problem that only tips the tray when combined with other things.

 

[jenandkids]

My DS has Asperger's. (he is six, was diagnosed at 4)

There are those great days when he seems very NT. Then those other days when I want to

I will be completely honest, when you think you finally have a handle on what to expect- it will change. The good news is that you will be able to handle it!

Promise!!

 

[bookwormde]

In a word, yes.

You really have to break it down into characteristics, manifestations and co morbidities.

Characteristics (lack of innate social skills, different EF system, sensory variations, etc.) are always there, but the environments and the skills the child has learned and generalized make a big difference in how “noticeable” they are.

Manifestations and co morbidities, especially those related to anxiety (meltdowns, withdraw, OCD symptoms etc) can very widely depending on the challenges that the child faces in different environments. In a familiar (and family like) environment where a child is allowed to “be who he is” it is very common after a period of time for many of the characteristics to become quite minimal. In new, socially challenging and/or unsupportive environments the manifestations can rise almost instantly.

bookwormde

 

[nursymel]

Thanks to everyone for your insight/input.He started kindergarten on Monday.They had a 4 day week.And so far ,I am being told by the para that's with him(we call her his personal assistant) that he's doing great and doesn't even need any breaks.At the last IEP meeting in June it was decided that he would have some sort of break every hour.So'it's so hard to imagine him going without any.I agree with the walking on eggshells comment..I am there.I felt like I was on high alert all week ..kept checking the home phone/cell phone..oh was that a ring.But ,so far so good.I guess I have to learn to take it as it comes and roll with the punches.Again,thank you.

All I have to say is.......18 DAYS TIL DISNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bookwormde]

Sound like you are heading down the right path.

With a good para that can help your child manage the issues that generate unhealthy anxiety at school, the great gifts that come along with be HFA/Aspergers will begin to show themselves as he moves through elementary school, it is really a fun thing to watch (even through the difficult days).

bookwormde

 

[jenandkids]

That is wonderful that he has been doing well!

Sounds like he is enjoying Kindergarten!