AboutMichelle Fattig Expertise I can answer questions about educational testing, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Special Education, IEP, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Processing, Parent Advocacy, Response to Intervention, living and parenting with disabilities, parent rights in special education, school psychology, and more. I cannot provide a medical diagnosis.
Experience I am a school psychologist, medical technologist, author of the Annie Books series: Experience Aspeger's Syndrome and Attention Deficits Through the Eyes of a Child, RTI facilitator, ILCD facilitator, parent advocate, presenter, and researcher. My children and I have Asperger's, ADD/ADHD, and learning disabilities.
Organizations National Association of School Pyschologists, American Medical Technologists, Learning Disabilities Association of Nebraska
Education/Credentials Ed.S. in School Psychology, doctoral studies in SPED Law, SPED Systems Enhancement Leadership, and doctoral candidate Education Leadership. MT(AMT) and MLT(ASCP)
Question My son is four years old. Since he was 1, there have been concerns about repetitive behavior, premature fascination with sperheroes, phonological disorder from 2- 4, which he recieved speech therapy for and is now being discharged from the program. He lines his toys in a row, spins, used to have a huge problem with eye contact at 2, which has gotten better, has fine and gross motor delays which he is in therapy for, has significant sensory issues, obsessed with spiderman for 2 1/2 years, now it is Transformers. We saw a developmental pediatrician and neuro who have suggested autism. At the time of the interviews, I had not realized that he flapped at 2 - I just went through home videos and now I remember this significant detail which I thought was just nothing. He was not an affectionate baby - I was affectionate with him, and I guess that in my egotisticall mommy mind, I thought he was affectionate with me. HE never had a comfort object, or went through separation anxieyt (although he is now experiencing it at 4 - only at night, he needs a lot of reassurance and hugs throughout the night) On top of all of this, he just within a month, has started double marking - adding two ed's on his past tense words - I walkeded, I talkeded, etc. My question is this, since some of these things have resolved/or he has learned to deal, should I tell the developmental ped? IS this new double marking thing considered a loss of language skills? Will he struggle with this for the rest of his life? What do I do?
Answer Although the added "ed"s on words may just be developmental, or a kind of stutter (I am not a speech expert), or it could be a form of noninteractive self-regulatory echolalia? You may wish to request a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation through your local school district to include a school psychologist, occuapational therapist and speech pathologist. They may be helpful in determining the most appropriate supports and therapies through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in providing a free and appropriate public education (therapies at no cost to parents, mandated by state and federal law). Each state defines its own label criteria, but in my state this is the criteria for the educational "diagnosis" or label for autism:
Autism shall mean a developmental disability, which significantly affects verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before the age of three, that adversely affects educational performance. Characteristics of autism include irregularities and impairments in communication, engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, unusual responses to sensory experiences, and impairments in the development of social relationships. The term does not include children with characteristics of the disability category "behavioral disorder."
006.04B
Autism
006.04B1
The MDT shall include at least:
006.04B1a
A school psychologist or licensed psychologist;
006.04B1b
The child's teacher(s) or a teacher qualified to teach a child that age;
006.04B1c
A speech-language pathologist; and
006.04B1d
A school administrator or a designated representative.
006.04B2
In order for a child to be verified as having autism, the evaluation shall include the analysis and documentation of the manifestation of severe developmental and educational problems exhibited in varying degrees of atypical behavior in each of the following areas:
006.04B2a
Disturbance of developmental rates and sequence. The child's developmental profile reflects varied developmental age levels for skills. The child exhibits delays, arrests, or regressions in physical, social, sensory processing, or learning skills. Areas of precocious or advanced skill development may also be present, while other skills may develop at normal or extremely depressed rates. The order of skill acquisition frequently does not follow normal developmental patterns.
006.04B2b
Disturbance of responses to sensory stimuli. The child exhibits unusual, repetitive or nonmeaningful responses to auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and/or kinesthetic stimuli. The child's behavior may vary from high levels of activity and responsiveness to low levels.
006.04B2c
Disturbance of cognitive processes. The child exhibits abnormalities in the thinking process and in generalization. Delayed intellectual functioning may or may not be present. In addition , one or more of the following occurs:
006.04B2c(1)
Difficulties in abstract thinking, awareness, or judgment;
006.04B2c(2)
Perseverative thinking; or
006.04B2c(3)
Impaired ability to process symbolic information.
006.04B2d
Disturbance of communication. The child exhibits a qualitative impairment in verbal and/or nonverbal communication. The impairment includes problems that extend beyond speech and language to many aspects of the communicative process. Speech and/or language are either absent, delayed, or disordered.
006.04B2e
Disturbance in relating to people, events and objects. The child displays difficulties in relating to people, events and/or objects. Often th child is unable to establish and maintain reciprocal relationships with people. Their capacity to use objects in an age appropriate or functional manner may be absent, arrested, or delayed,. The child responds positively to consistency in eh environmental events to the point of exhibiting rigidity in routines.
The child displays marked distress over changes, insistence on following routines and/or a persistent occupation with or attachment to objects. The child may display a markedly restricted range of interest and/or stereotyped body movements. There may be a lack of interest or an inability to engage in imaginative activities.
I hope this is helpful to you. I wish you and your family the best in your pursuit for answers and supports. As far as what this means long term... many, many individuals on the spectrum go on to lead happy, productive lives and can be found in almost all careers and/or education levels. The diagnosis of spectrum disorders generally indicates that your son may be happiest in a job that he can work with things rather than with personal interactions (such as an engineer or math professor, rather than a social worker).
