About Michelle 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 superheroes, phonological disorder from 2- 4, which he received 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 egotistical mommy mind, I thought he was affectionate with me. HE never had a comfort object, or went through separation anxiety (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?
So far, on the M-CHAT, he got four minor things wrong - the following things have stuck out - being swung, bounced on knee, - he is currently in physical therapy for 8th percentile gross motor skills - one of the things we are working on is modulation - regulation - fear of falling - and so on. He gets very excited and she has to calm him down, or he is a lump and is very uneasy when presented with tasks, however, she says he is doing much better. Climbing stairs - he does not alternate - and clings to the railing. Oversensitivity to noises - he is in OT for a lot of sensory problems including screeching and running around aimlessly when blender, vacuum, blow dryer, things fall, etc. I also find him running around aimlessly throughout the day - he bumps into things a lot during this time, which is why I call him my little molecule. He just started to engage in pretend play in his fourth year of life. He does fixate on things - talks about transformers constantly -even when asked not to and explained to that it is inappropriate, listens to repetitive music for hours a day. When he was two, he had a phonological disorder, which started showing improvement within a year of therapy. His eye contact improved with his speech as well. Since he has come so far, some have been reluctant to diagnose autism. Right now, he seems very social, but he does have some social faux pas, such as jumping in loudly when he wants to play with kids at preschool, repeatedly spinning (walking around the room in a circle) and he has a marionette like stature. He is described by teachers as a "bull in a china shop" He is just now experiencing separation anxiety and tantrums at 4 years old. He never had comfort objects, was not very affectionate, and flapped. The latter did not come to light until I was watching home videos this past weekend. Bach then, I did not know anything about Autism, and no one asked me about it. Please let me know what you think. I would be happy to provide more info
Answer It sounds like your son is demonstrating some characteristics that may indicate spectrum concerns. Many professionals hesitate to diagnosis "high functioning" autism, as it is not a medical term. However, commonly associated medical "diagnosis" may include Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD or PDD NOS) or Asperger's Syndrome. Some websites that you may find helpful:
I hope this is helpful. I would recommend that you contact the local early childhood/child find representative or your local school district and request a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation.
I am copying/attaching a questionnaire that you may print and fill out for his doctor or the school psychologist:
EARLY CHILDHOOD/PRESCHOOL PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Name of Child: _____________________ Date of Birth: ________ Age: _______
Name of Referrer: __________________ Relationship to Child: ______________
Parent/Guardian: ______________________________________________________
Names Address Phone
Date of Referral: ____________
Referral Concern (Please list any concerns about child’s communication, behavior, or development): _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Medical History:
Pregancy: _____________________________________________________________
Prenatal: ______________________________________________________________
Birth: _________________________________________________________________
History of Chronic Illness, Head Injury, Ear Infections, Hospitalization, or Accident: ______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Mother: ____________________________ Father: ____________________________
Siblings: _______________________________________________________________
Family History (Special Education, Developmental Delays, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health): _________________________________________________________
Who lives with the child: __________________________________________________
How does the child relate with:
Mother _________________ Father __________________ Siblings _______________
Family activities: ________________________________________________________
Does the child experience difficulty with peers, extended family, or social settings?
_______________________________________________________________________
As an infant, did the child experience difficulty with colic or soothing (stiffen or pull away when cuddled or stroked)? ___________________________________________
Communication:
1) Does he or she respond to his/her name: Never Sometimes Often Always
__________________________________________________________________
2) Does he/she express her needs or wants: Verbally Pointing Pulling Tantrums
___________________________________________________________________
3) Does he/she talk like children his/her age? ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4) Does he/she follow simple or complex directions? ________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5) Have you ever wondered if he/she is deaf? _______________________________
6) Does he/she seem to hear at times, but not at others? _______________________
7) Does he/she ever seem lost in own little world or stare off? _________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8) Does he/she mimic, copy, or like to immitate? ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9) Does he/she seem to have lost words, or say fewer words than before? _________
_____________________________________________________________________
Social Concerns:
10) Does he/she smile at family members? __________________________________
11) Does he/she smile at strangers or become overly frightened by strangers? ______
____________________________________________________________________
12) Does he/she prefer to play alone or overly dependent on parent/caregiver for entertainment (you are his favorite/only toy)? ____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
13) Does he/she get things for self? _______________________________________
14) Is he/she very independent or overly attached (extreme separation anxiety)? ____
_____________________________________________________________________
15) Has he/she met milestones early or unevenly? ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
16) Does he/she seem to avoid eye contact or have too much eye contact (watching without mirroring or reacting like a little professor)? _______________________
_____________________________________________________________________
17) Does he/she often seem “lost in own little world”? ________________________
____________________________________________________________________
18) Does he/she seem tuned out or uninterested in other children? _______________
____________________________________________________________________
Behavioral Concerns:
19) Does he/she seem to have excessive tantrums or emotional outburst with little or
no provocation? ____________________________________________________
20) Does he/she express frustration or over react to small changes or routine? ______
_____________________________________________________________________
21) Does he/she demonstrate a lack of understanding in playing with toys (excessive mouthing, banging, lining up, sorting, focus on one part like spinning, or lack of interest)? __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
22) Does he/she seem to get stuck on things regularly (wants to stick with one activity over any others, watch the same movie over and over, read the same book over and over, or other)? _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
23) Does he/she have unual attachments to objects? ___________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
24) Does he/she toe walk or have unusual facial movements/grimacing? __________
_____________________________________________________________________
25) Does he/she make any unusual hand movements or spin for long periods of time?
_____________________________________________________________________
26) Does he/she seem overly sensitive to textures or sounds? ___________________
_____________________________________________________________________
If Age Appropriate:
27) Did he/she babble by 12 months? ______________________________________
28) Did he/she gesture (point, wave bye bye) by 12 months? ____________________
29) Did he/she use single words by 16 months? ______________________________
30) Does he/she seem to have an unusually advanced vocabulary? _______________
31) Does he/she seem to have an extremely good memory? ____________________
32) Does he/she demonstrate two-words spontaneously (not echo) phrases by 24 months? _________________________________________________________
33) Has he/she demonstrated any loss of language or social skills of any kind? _____
_____________________________________________________________________
(3-4 years of age)
Cognitive:
34) Show him/her a doll or stuffed toy, touch one to a box and have the other
pretend to look in the box. Ask him/her “Which one knows what’s in the box?”
Response: ____________________________________________________________
