OT: Did you see Jenny McCarthy on Oprah?

[camouseketeer]

Thank you for your kind comments, but we are going to continue his speech therapy, work with his OT and behavior therapy until he is a bit older. If he continues to lag behind we will get him tested.

You obviously are knowledgable about your child and the system he is in.

As I said before, best of luck to you and your son!

 

[graygables]

Our experience w/ vaccines, autism, and reactions...

Now 11yo DD was vaccinated on schedule and was a normal, outgoing, smallish happy child. She did have some vomiting issues that no one could figure out, but other than that, was fine. After her 15mo series, she suddenly developed mysterious rashes, most notably under her eyes. People would ask what she was going to be for Halloween. After several doctors, she was finally dxed with psoriasis, although there is no history of it and it appeared suddenly after her vaccines.

When she was 5, just after her last round, she developed a full blown, confirmed case of pertussis (whooping cough), despite having been vaccinated. It was the scariest thing that had ever happened. She was stabilized at the hospital, treated and released and was a changed child. She developed "selective mutism", gained 9lbs in one month, and started exhibiting signs of Asperger's. She would have spurts of rapid weight gain, despite no changes in exercise or diet and was soon obese. The selective mustism and Asperger's symptoms continued to worsen and she is now struggling to adapt and function.

Now 8yo was vaccinated on schedule until the 12mo series. At that point, the nurse botched the immunization (refused to let me help hold DD down) and stabbed DD several times with the needle. The doctor decided she didn't get the full vaccine and had me bring her back a week later. I honestly didn't know what to do at that point, even though DD was my 4th and I was an experienced mother, I was afraid NOT to go back (hadn't had the pertussis scare with 3rd DD yet...). They gave her the vaccines again and we thought all was fine. The site of the first mess-up healed from the punctures, but a lump developed. The doctor would poo-poo it, saying that it would go away, but it kept growing and growing. Finally, he sent her to a surgeon when she was 2 and she now has a 2" scar on her thigh as well as nearly constant pain in the muscle from where they removed a mass that was somehow caused by the botched vaccination. We went to a new ped after that and following my 3rd DDs issues, we decided mutually that we would only keep the tetanus vaccine up to date.

For us, it wasn't so much the autism issue as much as it is the efficacy of protection. Obviously it did NOTHING to protect my 11yo from whooping cough. We won't know until years down the road how effective the varicella vaccine is and that's a dangerous game to play. It's important for parents to weigh ALL aspects of immunization to make the decision that is best for their own children. If you want the immunizations spaced out, then by all means you should do that. If your doctor's office won't, find a new doctor.

 

[fakereadhed]

So, I know I just posted but I thought since there are so many of you whom have knowledge of autism I would post here.

I watch a 26 mos old girl a couple days a week.I have felt that she should be take to see someone other than her ped. but I'm not her parents so I have no say so. But even one of my other parents asked if she had seen someone.

She does know a few words but they are ma, da da and no.
She throw temper tantrums sometimes for up to 5 hrs.
Motor skills are very poor.
Does not play well with children her own age.
No eye contact.
Would rather play alone.
Does not like to be touched
Cries alot for no apparent reason, lex. will be coloring happily then just start to sob.

I think she could be somewhere on the spectrum or do you think I could just be over analyzing?

It definitely sounds like sensory issues, which can be present with autism but also a bunch of other things.

 

[momof2n2]

we vaccinate, but slowly. I can't give that many at once.

By the time my kids are 3 they have had them all.

Except varicella. I am holding off on that, hoping to give them time to contract chicken pox on their own. If they get to be 10-12 and haven't had it, I will likely vaccinate.

We HS, so it isn't a problem re: school.

 

[NemoMOm]

I think it's a shame but I think as parents we can no longer rely on docs to dx our children like they should.

Last summer DS was playing then suddenly leaned over and was sick. An hour later he had a fever of 102 and was listless. We called docs office and eas given standard reply virus is going around take him to hosp if temp reaches 105. Well, by early next morning he had temp 103 and he skin looked like a boiled lobster and he literally just laid in bed staring at the ceiling. We called told them we were on our way which we were told there was no need but we overrode them and told we would be there in 5.

We get there and the nurse says "Oh look at his sunburn, poor baby" Then gives me a look, I gave her a dirty look and said ds has never had even a tan in his life (ok so he's 18 mos) I said this is the result of that virus that's going around.
Turns out he had Scarlett Fever.

As parents and patients I think we have to do our own dx and make our own judgement calls and poo poo if the doc doesn't agree with it. There have been too many docs in my life that have made bad calls and I'm not trusting my children with them.

 

[jodifla]

I think it's a shame but I think as parents we can no longer rely on docs to dx our children like they should.

Last summer DS was playing then suddenly leaned over and was sick. An hour later he had a fever of 102 and was listless. We called docs office and eas given standard reply virus is going around take him to hosp if temp reaches 105. Well, by early next morning he had temp 103 and he skin looked like a boiled lobster and he literally just laid in bed staring at the ceiling. We called told them we were on our way which we were told there was no need but we overrode them and told we would be there in 5.

We get there and the nurse says "Oh look at his sunburn, poor baby" Then gives me a look, I gave her a dirty look and said ds has never had even a tan in his life (ok so he's 18 mos) I said this is the result of that virus that's going around.
Turns out he had Scarlett Fever.

As parents and patients I think we have to do our own dx and make our own judgement calls and poo poo if the doc doesn't agree with it. There have been too many docs in my life that have made bad calls and I'm not trusting my children with them.

That's sort of a blanket statement. There are good pediatricians and bad ones. It's our jobd as parents to find them a gone one.

They do still exist! I hope you find one that will be good for your child.

 

[tjlovespooh]

What I find interesting when thinking about the possible causes of autism is the fact that this condition affects considerably more boys than girls. 75% of those diagnosed are boys. If the cause was vacinnes, wouldn't it be split 50/50? Also, the studies done in countries that don't vax still have children with autism. Some say the trigger is too much early television exposure. Some say it's environmental pollution (which would explain the clusters of autism that show up in certain areas). Some say there's a genetic component. I don't know what the answer is.

I too find it very interesting that the #'s suggest that so many more boys than girls are diagnosed autistic. I wonder if it has anything to do with many ADD/ADHD boys possibly being misdiagnosed?
I've also wondered about the impact that early/excessive TV veiwing can have on a developing mind (reason why I still don't let my 21mo old watch). I've just always felt that there was some sort of connection between the rise in ADD/ADHD and the increase in "child-oriented" television programming. I mean, yes TV has been around for a long time now but honestly kids have access to "cartoons" and such 24/7. As a child I remember looking forward to "saturday morning cartoons" - there simply weren't nearly as many programs geared toward children. Perhaps it's possible that our lifestyle changes (more processed foods, more TV at younger ages, more video games, etc) are, in part, to blame for the rise in Autism? I don't know - it's just all so scary to consider.
BTW, most of my family/friends think I'm insane for not letting DS watch TV - I just feel it's better to wait until his mind is more developed. The first few years are so important for many reasons. Who knows - maybe I am crazy

 

[jodifla]

I too find it very interesting that the #'s suggest that so many more boys than girls are diagnosed autistic. I wonder if it has anything to do with many ADD/ADHD boys possibly being misdiagnosed?
I've also wondered about the impact that early/excessive TV veiwing can have on a developing mind (reason why I still don't let my 21mo old watch). I've just always felt that there was some sort of connection between the rise in ADD/ADHD and the increase in "child-oriented" television programming. I mean, yes TV has been around for a long time now but honestly kids have access to "cartoons" and such 24/7. As a child I remember looking forward to "saturday morning cartoons" - there simply weren't nearly as many programs geared toward children. Perhaps it's possible that our lifestyle changes (more processed foods, more TV at younger ages, more video games, etc) are, in part, to blame for the rise in Autism? I don't know - it's just all so scary to consider.
BTW, most of my family/friends think I'm insane for not letting DS watch TV - I just feel it's better to wait until his mind is more developed. The first few years are so important for many reasons. Who knows - maybe I am crazy

We had Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo every day when I was growing up. So I probably started watching TV around 3 or so.

I think it's cool your putting off TV. Not sure how people manage to do this, but your certainly not harming your child. (My child: total TV lover from 6 weeks on. Baby Einstein stopped his colic, so we had nightly 5 p.m. viewings.)

 

[sha_lyn]

We had Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo every day when I was growing up. So I probably started watching TV around 3 or so

I watched those daily along with Sesame Street, Mr Rodgers and the Electric Company.

 

[java]

I have read some misinformation here according to our experiences. At my daughter's first round of shots(the DTP) She had a reaction exactly 12 hours later. She stopped breathing. It was the scariest moment of my life. Thankfully it happened when we were awake and saw her. By the grace of God she was ok. It was determined that she had a reaction to the Pertusis portion of the shot. As a result she never ever has had the P part and has been given just the DT.
Now my other 3 children have not had reactions. And I do vaccinate. Do I think it causes Autism. I don't know. But I do pre-order non-mercury vaccines(that I have to pay for)I won't take the chance if I don't have to. And mercury goes by many names- thermisol is just one of the most common.

 

[sha_lyn]

Jenny was just on 20/20 and she did not mention vaccinations as the cause. She was actually talking about reactions to dairy and gluten as the cause.
She did mention it all started out with a seizure and a misdiagnosis of epilepsy.
However it did sound like he had some of the classic symtoms (hand flapping etc) before the seizure.

 

[tjlovespooh]

We had Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo every day when I was growing up. So I probably started watching TV around 3 or so.

I think it's cool your putting off TV. Not sure how people manage to do this, but your certainly not harming your child. (My child: total TV lover from 6 weeks on. Baby Einstein stopped his colic, so we had nightly 5 p.m. viewings.)

I too remember watching the classic kiddie shows as a child. I guess I maybe just remember watching an episode or so and that was it. The TV wasn't left on for hours on end throughout the day the way it is in my sister's house (and she only has one child). I'm sure a large part of the reason for that was because my father insisted that the TV be turned off if there wasn't someone sitting on the couch watching it (he literally would turn it off if you got off the couch to use the bathroom, LOL). I think the other reason it wasn't left on all day had to do with the fact that after an hour or 2 all the "kiddie" programs went off the air(no cable kid channels in our house) and what kid wants to sit and watch adult programs Hence, the TV got turned off since noone was watching and the kids went and played.
Like I said, I'm certainly not suggesting that we all need to turn off our TVs, just making an observation. Times have changed and there are plenty of things different now then even a mere 30 years ago. We eat differently, we "play" differently, and I think it may be helpful to consider those sort of environmental factors when looking for the "key" to ASD.

I only have the one child so keeping the TV off isn't an issue at all. I can definitely see how it would be if I had an older child that wanted to watch his favorite show(s). DS does know who Elmo is (and Mickey and Pooh Bear of course ) but he's gotten acquainted with them through books, pictures, and stuffed toys.
BTW, I'm a firm believer that every parent needs to do what works for his/her family - if that means watching a half hour of Baby Einstein to keep baby happy, go for it Hey, a happy baby makes a happy mama, right?

 

[twinmom319]

So many posts today! What a great thread! Here are some more thoughts...

Babies technically don't need the Hep B shot when they're born unless the mom has it, correct? And they can test you for it right?

This is correct. The reason that the HEp B shot is now given in the hospital is because there have been studies done that show that this greatly increases the chance that the child will get all three vaccines in the series. But there is no other medical reason to give it when born UNLESS mom has Hep B OR her status is unknown.

my ped. is respectful of my decision to delay but also reminds me how terrible it would be if the baby contracted any of the diseases the vax prevent. It's as if she's trying to scare me into staying on schedule. ... Anyway, I didn't even know that the MMR could be split up (I thought it was combined into one shot) and this is something I will definately be researching before he's due for that.

It's not so much that she is trying to scare you into staying on schedule, as she is trying to make sure you are aware of the risks of not vaccinating. And many offices don't carry the split up MMR, so you would definitely have to check with your ped.

She does know a few words but they are ma, da da and no.
She throw temper tantrums sometimes for up to 5 hrs.
Motor skills are very poor.
Does not play well with children her own age.
No eye contact.
Would rather play alone.
Does not like to be touched
Cries alot for no apparent reason, lex. will be coloring happily then just start to sob.

Some of the things you wrote, at 26 months, could be normal: the not playing well with kids her own age, would rather play alone...but she is quite severely speech delayed and it seems as if she has some sensory/emotional issues as well. She definitely warrants referral to a specialist for a full developmental evaluation.

As parents and patients I think we have to do our own dx and make our own judgement calls and poo poo if the doc doesn't agree with it. There have been too many docs in my life that have made bad calls and I'm not trusting my children with them.

Not to be defensive as a doc, but it sounds like in that story it actually wasn't the docs that told you he was ok, it was the triage nurses. Who, to be fair to them as well, have a very difficult job, trying to sort out the people who need to be seen from those who don't over the phone. It sounds like a very scary experience for you and your child, in any case. I've had docs who have made bad calls for me and my children...it's important to remember that we all are human, and none of us are perfect. Like I've stated in previous posts, a good ped will work with you to find out what's going on with your child/help make decisions. But it's also important to remember that we work with very sick kids every day - and there are some things that we have to at least tell you about in order for us to do our duty as physicians and healers by your children.

BTW, most of my family/friends think I'm insane for not letting DS watch TV - I just feel it's better to wait until his mind is more developed. The first few years are so important for many reasons. Who knows - maybe I am crazy

You are not crazy!! that's great! The TV seal broke for us right around when they were two. They discovered the Little Einsteins when my best friend came to visit with her kids and it was downhill from there. We still try to keep it to less than 2 hours a day, though. There has definitely been some evidence that more than that can be harmful.

To all those who kids became ill after vaccines: I'm so sorry.

It's such a complex topic, complicated in no small part by the fact that kids get vaccines every few months in the first year of their life, and so it is very easy to point to a recent vaccine as a cause for the illness. In some cases it is; in some cases it could just be a coincidence. But just another anecdote about vaccine efficacy: The generation of docs before me practiced before the Hib (hemophilus influenza type b) vaccine. This is a vaccine that protects against a bacteria. They tell of how they would see children die routinely from meningitis caused by this bacteria; they saw cases of swelling of the epiglottis in the throat, essentially suffocating the child, monthly; very common cases of horrible pneumonia.
THe Hib vaccine was introduced several years before I entered training.
How many cases of disease caused by Hib have I or any of my colleagues of my age seen? I can count them on one hand. And none of these cases were severely ill. This is why it seems that many peds are so vehement about this. Especially the older peds have seen the benefits of vaccines simply in their lifetimes.

 

[hsmamato2]

I saw it, and the favorite thing she said was this" when are scientists and doctors going to start LISTENING to the moms? My child is my science,and I see a problem,whether you want to admit it or not!"
That said, my own kids were selectively vaxed,and on a more spread out schedule than recommended. Why? B/c many of these vaxes are unnecessary,and I absolutely believe that it's the QUANTITY of poisons that we're injecting into our children that is the problem. Yes,thimerasol is no longer an issue(in the US,whatya' think they do with all those premade vaxes,throw them away? )
Yes,all vaxes are toxins,and J MCarthy was right, why would a 10 pound baby require the same amount of tetanus vax as a 200 pound adult male?
Note, the CDC for the 1st time didn't say "all vaxes are safe, there is NO link with autism" -J M was right, they used to automatically insist there was NO link, now they can't b/c the truth is, no one knows yet!
Doesn't make sense....questions need to be answered,and my choice was I'm not willing to use my own kids as guinea pigs in the process.
I chose to delay starting them at all- I saw no need for a 10 lb. tiny baby to get shot up with the same toxins that were being injected into hearty 2 year olds..... I waited till my babes put on some weight,built up immunity in this world thru good nutrition,then made my choices as to what was truly necessary to need protection from....there are frivolous vaxes,IMHO,and there are some that truly save lives,even with the element of danger that they are,by their very nature.
If autism mostly occurs at about 18 months,and *coincidentally* the shot is given right at the same time, so *no one can say for sure how it happens to all these kids...* then my choice was to delay that MMR shot til the age of 3- this way if *something* happened, it would be crystal clear what the cause is....
likewise with the first set of shots.....ever ask your doc WHY they vax for HepB in newborns,even if Mom/Dad aren't in a danger zone?
It's a sexually transmitted disease,and the docs community wants to vax the next generation BEFORE they hit sexual maturity,aka in the hospital immediately after birth! IF parents aren't in a danger range,WHY put this into a newborns tiny underdeveloped immune system?
That's just a couple of examples....the point I'm trying to make is ASK QUESTIONS- educate and inform yourself- Most docs are highly intelligent,well trained people, but they too are fallible,and sometimes the 'party line' isn't always right.
I know folks who don't vax at all,and some who vax on the schedule as doc orders......

 

[eliza61]

I think it's a shame but I think as parents we can no longer rely on docs to dx our children like they should.
.

Please remember that we are not Gods. Any childs first line of defense is always the parent or caregiver simply because you know your child best. Doctors work on information given at that time. Most professionals that I work with, care very much about our patients.

 

[hsmamato2]

www.mothering.com
wealth of info *if* you'd like a different than mainstream opinion on this subject.....

Oh....read some pp's..... the whooping cough blew through our town a few years ago.....ds1 only got the 1st ddp shot at 7 months, had a reaction,no more ddp's...
ds2 got the 3 ddp series over time,at age 5, the only person in the house to actually contract whooping cough(the'p' in the shot) was,of course,ds2!
would've been funny,if he headn't been sick....

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I honestly think the causes of autism are varied & complicated. There was research that came out in the past year or so that said that while it is not a genetic illness, there is something in the genes. The women I work with with an autistic child says that she sees autistic tendencies in herself, her spouse & their other children.

I am an SLP in the public school system who has a nephew diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and a cousin who has Autism. I totally agree with the above statement. Every child (relative or not) that I know who has Autism has parents/family members who have autistic tendencies (odd behaviors, difficulty relating to others, socially backward). I really believe that children with autism (up and down the spectrum) have a genetic predisposition toward autism and then the condition is triggered (vacs, toxins, preservatives, etc.). My SIL admits that her DH would have been diagnosed with Asperger's when he was younger, if they knew what it was back then.

So, I know I just posted but I thought since there are so many of you whom have knowledge of autism I would post here.

I watch a 26 mos old girl a couple days a week.I have felt that she should be take to see someone other than her ped. but I'm not her parents so I have no say so. But even one of my other parents asked if she had seen someone.

She does know a few words but they are ma, da da and no.
She throw temper tantrums sometimes for up to 5 hrs.
Motor skills are very poor.
Does not play well with children her own age.
No eye contact.
Would rather play alone.
Does not like to be touched
Cries alot for no apparent reason, lex. will be coloring happily then just start to sob.

I think she could be somewhere on the spectrum or do you think I could just be over analyzing?

The symptoms that you describe would warrant an evaluation in my mind, but you are in a tough spot. How do you, a caregiver, tell a parent you suspect there is a problem? I feel for you. I have been in that position and it is difficult.

Lots of kids are diagnosed by the school system as autistic without any other medical professional confirming/denying. There are several folks on this board who can attest to that fact because they participate in the process at the school level.

There's no law that says you have to have a medical diagnosis before you get slapped with a completely wrong label that shuffles along with you through school.

Not in my system. School psychologists (who do our educational testing) do not have the authority to diagnose a child with autism. That should be done by a team including neurologists, educational specialists and other professionals.

In our case, our son is developing with his age group in some areas, in others we are behind. Drinking from a cup, using utensils, learning the phonetic alphabet, potty training, learning from mistakes and reasoning, taking two step commands (pretty well, he is 3 after all!). Also his gross motor development is exceptional for a three year old. He climbs ladders (and most anything else in our home), runs, jumps, skips, points, marches, etc.

When she said that I was kinda taken aback. I know he lags behind in some areas, but that is mainly due to speech which can be a HUGE set back and affect many different areas of study. He can hear perfectly, but the fine motor task of getting the words out of his mouth is difficult. I know there is that connection between and object, it's name, it's use and then the word coming out of his mouth. He does this for some items, like helicopter, or elephant. But he refuses to say PLEASE. (this is why I think it is more a battle of wills than anything else)

It's not that I discredit her knowledge level, just at the age of 3 given what else it could be I saw no reason to pursue. I have worked with autistic children in the past. If my son is he is VERY high functioning. It could be ADD, ADHD, ODD or a strong willed child with a speech delay. I am an education major and respect highly those individuals that are out there everyday working with kids. It is a thankless job. But there is also a draw back: labelling and pigeon holing. In the best of worlds this would never happen but unfortunately we are all human and if my son is not autistic or add or adhd or ODD then what happens if his behaviors at the tender age of three are misinterpreted and he is diagnosed as such? As I said there were too many other factors she wasn't taking into consideration when "diagnosing" him to me, just the hand flapping and stare.

Thank you for your kind comments, but we are going to continue his speech therapy, work with his OT and behavior therapy until he is a bit older. If he continues to lag behind we will get him tested.

There is quite a range of ability within the spectrum. My nephew is performing and functioning in a regular classroom with Asperger's. There are plenty of kids on the spectrum who have great fine/gross motor skills, or great readers, or are able to focus their attention.

I understand he has a language delay but the combination of that with the staring and especially the hand flapping would raise a red flag with me too. Wouldn't it be better to know for sure what he is dealing with now, so you could get everything you can for him, instead of waiting? Maybe he is not on the spectrum, maybe he is, wouldn't it be better to know for sure?

 

[jodifla]

I am an SLP in the public school system who has a nephew diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and a cousin who has Autism. I totally agree with the above statement. Every child (relative or not) that I know who has Autism has parents/family members who have autistic tendencies (odd behaviors, difficulty relating to others, socially backward). I really believe that children with autism (up and down the spectrum) have a genetic predisposition toward autism and then the condition is triggered (vacs, toxins, preservatives, etc.). My SIL admits that her DH would have been diagnosed with Asperger's when he was younger, if they knew what it was back then.



The symptoms that you describe would warrant an evaluation in my mind, but you are in a tough spot. How do you, a caregiver, tell a parent you suspect there is a problem? I feel for you. I have been in that position and it is difficult.



Not in my system. School psychologists (who do our educational testing) do not have the authority to diagnose a child with autism. That should be done by a team including neurologists, educational specialists and other professionals.



There is quite a range of ability within the spectrum. My nephew is performing and functioning in a regular classroom with Asperger's. There are plenty of kids on the spectrum who have great fine/gross motor skills, or great readers, or are able to focus their attention.

I understand he has a language delay but the combination of that with the staring and especially the hand flapping would raise a red flag with me too. Wouldn't it be better to know for sure what he is dealing with now, so you could get everything you can for him, instead of waiting? Maybe he is not on the spectrum, maybe he is, wouldn't it be better to know for sure?

Because kids are mislabeled as autistic every day, and she doesn't want her child to be mislabeled. Treating a child whose issue is a language impairment with wrong treatments, like some types of ABA, could be ruinous to a child.

It's tricky to diagnose autism. And it goes way beyond language delays and hand flapping or staring into space, although every Tom, Dick or Harry who has read about autism on the side of a cereal box thinks they are qualified to diagnose your kid.

The ASD spectrum is completely out of control, with many wrong kids stuck on it, IMO. That's jacking the alleged autism rates through the roof.

Parents want correct evaluations, not the diagnosis of the day. Amy is doing right by her son by not having him railroaded.

 

[DVCJones]

I haven't read through all the posts so I don't know if this has been mentioned.

I really didn't have a problem with them suggesting that vaccines cause autism. I think it is a valid thought and should be looked into more. My heart goes out to all the families that have been diagnosed. I can't imagine not having answers to why this happened.

I just felt uneasy with the symptoms that Jenny was describing. I just thought a lot of the "early warning signs" also sound like normal behavior too. (hand flapping, putting toys in a row/line. I would hate to think that thousands of mothers got freaked out after watching the show.

I know a lot of kids that exhibit some of the "warning signs" ( my own included) and they are not autistic(thankfully). I know it more of the social, emotional/ lack of emotional signs that are more telling, but parents can be freaked out easily when hearing that kind of information.

I thought it was great the Jenny looked for information on how to help her son with a special diet and therapy.

A friend of mine has Celiac Desease (sp?) She found out at the end of her pregnancy. She needed to go on a gluten free diet. Sadly, her son was diagnosed with autism at 2 1/2 yo. After listening to Jenny and her thoughts on a gluten free diet, it makes me wonder if there isn't some truth to that.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Because kids are mislabeled as autistic every day, and she doesn't want her child to be mislabeled. Treating a child whose issue is a language impairment with wrong treatments, like some types of ABA, could be ruinous to a child.

It's tricky to diagnose autism. And it goes way beyond language delays and hand flapping or staring into space, although every Tom, Dick or Harry who has read about autism on the side of a cereal box thinks they are qualified to diagnose your kid.

The ASD spectrum is completely out of control, with many wrong kids stuck on it, IMO. That's jacking the alleged autism rates through the roof.

Parents want correct evaluations, not the diagnosis of the day. Amy is doing right by her son by not having him railroaded.

IYHO

I work with children everyday who have ASD. I have seen some children who's diagnosis was incorrect in terms of severity, not incorrect as far as what the diagnosis is.

Amyhughes described her child as having episodes of staring. I would check with a neurologist on that sympton alone. What if it is related to seizures? When you have a group of symptoms occurring at the same time, it brings up a red flag. The consistent hand flapping is not a behavior that occurs in normal development.

You seem to thing it is dangerous for me to recommend that she has her child evaluated so she will know for sure what these behaviors mean and what she can do. I think it is dangerous to wait and postpone evaluations. Early intervention is key in helping preschool age children who have developmental problems.

Really, its true. I see it every day. People who listen to peds who say "He'll talk when he wants to." "don't worry so much" when their child could be getting services that will make a real difference in their ability to function.

But hey, that is just my educated opinion.