Expert: James Michael Roan - 2/5/2009

Question
I'M SERIOUSLY NEEDING SOME HELLO FROM AN OUTSIDE OPINION, MY SON IS NOW 4 YEARS OLD.
WHEN HE WAS A BABY HE NEVER SPOKE A WORD UNTIL HE WAS AROUND 2.5 YEARS OF AGE WHICH WAS MUM NEVER SPOKE IN SENTANCES UNTIL AROUND THE AGE OF 3!! AT ONE POINT WE THOUGHT HE WAS DEAF HOWEVER THE TESTS CAME BACK SHOWING PERFECT HEARING!! AS A BABY HE WOULD NOT AS MUCH AS BLINK WITH A BANG OF A DOOR OR LOUD NOISES!! HE NEVER SLEPT MUCH WAHT SO EVER! HE WAS A HARD BABY BEHAVIOR VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL TEMPER AND TANTRUMS ( NOT NORMAL FOR AGE)HE WOULD NOT ALLOW YOU TO CUDDLE HIM KISS OR BE EFFECTIONATE!!

HES NOW 4.5 AND HAS HAD TO BE PUT TO A DAY CARE CENTRE FOR CHILDREN WITH ADDITIONAL NEEDS AS HE WAS ASKED TO LEAVE FROM 2 PREVIOUS PRIVATE DAY CARE NURSERYS AS HIS BEHAVIOUR WAS TO HARD TO CONTROL AND WAS VERY NASTY TOWARDS OTHER CHILDREN!! HIS NEW DAY CARE CENTRE ARE ALL FULL TRAINED STAFF FOR CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS HOWEVER THEY ARE STILL FINDING HIM HARD TO COPE WITH, HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY HYPERACTIVE NEVER SITS DOWN AND ALWAYS ON THE GO BUT NEVER SEEMS TO BURN ENOUGH ENERGY, HE DOES THE COMMON SIGNS SUCH AS FLAPPING OF THE ARMS ( HOWEVER WHEN HE WAS A BABY HE USED TO NOT FLAP HIS HANDS BUT PLAY WITH HIS HANDS)

WE HAVE BEEN THREW A TERRIBLE TIME WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE ( HE DID NOT WITNESS) MAY HAVE HEARD AND WE HAVE MOVED ALOT AND PROFESSIONALS SEEM TO BE FOCUSING ON TRUAMA RATHER THAN GETTING TO THE REAL ISSUE, IM NOT SAYING THIS HAS NOT AFFECTED HIM BUT HES BEEN SHOWING SIGNS OF AUTISM FROM A BABY ( IN MY VIEW ) THEY ARE NOW DISCUSSING ADHD AGAIN I DISAGREE THIS IS THE CASE ( HOWEVER HAVE TO GO WITH THE  TESTS ) THIS IS SO STRESSFUL MY SON NEEDS 24/7 ATTENTION AND IS CONSTANTLY IN MY FACE WITH SERIOUS BEHAVIOUR ISSUES!!
ALL HIS PICTURES HE DRAWS ARE ALL STRAIGHT LINES, HE LINES CARS UP (INSTEAD OF PLAYING WITH THEM) LIKE A PERFECTIONIST, HES VERY INTELLIGENT WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY BUT IS VERY MUCH BEHIND IN ALL OTHER SUBJECTS OF EDUCATION AS HE IS NOT INTRESTED!! HE WONT PLAY WITH TOYS HED RATHER BREAK THEM ( AT ONE POINT AS A BABY BREAKING THEM AND TRYING TO HURT HIMSELF WITH THEM) HE HAS ALWAYS HAD A COSY TEDDY AND SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY THING HE LOOKS AFTER!! HE GET VERY AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS OTHER CHILDREN FOR NO REASON, EVEN HIS OLDER BROTHER!! HE IS ALSO STILL ON NIGHT NAPPIES AND IS NO WHERE NEAR TIME TO COME OFF THEM FOR HIM HE HAS ALSO WENT BACK TO WETTING ETC ETC WHICH AGAIN I THINK IS AN ATTENTION THING THIS HAS ONLY EVER HAPPENED WHEN AT DAY CARE CENTRE AND NOT GETTING ONE TO ONE ATTENTION!!!

PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR VIEWS ON THIS AS ITS REALLY GETTING ME DOWN I JUST WISH I CAN HELP HIM BUT EVERYTHING I SEEMS TO DO DOSENT HELP

Answer
Hi Chevonne;

It is quite possible he does have an autism spectrum disorder. Download the M-CHAT link here:http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpsy/faculty/M-CHAT.pdf. You can score it or I can score it. Here are the scoring instructions: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwpsy/faculty/M-CHAT_score.pdf

The M-CHAT was developed from the CHAT, which was a sceening tool for autism in children 18-36 months or older that was developed in the UK where I presume you reside. It's a well respected tool by pediatricians and psychologists alike. It gets their attention. In any case I would like to discuss the results with you further.


Kind regards,
James



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Bio

James Roan is a certified school psychologist who has been consulting in the areas of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and learning difficulties in the United States and in Ireland for over ten years (http://www.jamesroan.com). James earned his M.Ed. in School Psychology and M. Ed. in Adult Education and receives ongoing post graduate training in autism at the University of Washington’s Autism Center. James Roan has traveled to Galway, Limerick, Mayo, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and other cities and counties across Ireland assessing children and adults, and consulting with solicitors (lawyers) in defense of children with disabilities. James Roan was the consulting psychologist responsible for many of the autism and AD/HD screening tools and other content for Access Special Needs.Com. James Roan consulted with the graduate department of the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford Ireland in the development of their graduate program for the certification of private autism tutors. James has conducted formal assessments of students in the Autism Unit in the Claddagh National School in County Galway Ireland.