Expert: James Michael Roan - 7/26/2006

Question
I have a 5yr old boy who was diagnosed by 2 psycologists and a Developmental pediatrician with AS, PDD-NOS, and HFA.  Each had a different oppinion.  When he was younger he had a lot of characteristics associated with ASD to the point that we were told he was a tipical autistic but since he has progressed so much, now his label has changed. Most people or medical professionals, that did not have a chance to meet my child before, won't beleive he is in the ASD.  My child had typical characteristics such as tip toed walking, hand flapping, no eye contact, no speech, no social interest, toy alingning, hated physical contact, echolalia when speech started, and the list goes on.  Most characteristics are gone, he has develop language to the point he makes sentences and can be understood very well.  He still has problems with verbs, pronouns and a most of all with receptive language.  He has no problem socializing with adults but he is very selective with children, he prefers to play by himself and he tells me so.  My questions are; Is it possible that a child with ASD can progress so much to the point that he can be considered almost a typical child? Is it responsible to tell us that my child could loose his label later on?  We know he still has some difficulties such as obsessions to schedules, times and dates and a lot of sensory issues.  His diet is very limited and receptive language and his socilization with peers are poor.  There are a few other issues that need to be worked with.  All his progress is due to ST, OT, GFCF diet, supplements, Tomatis therapy and other methods.  I will appreciate your comments.

Answer
Hi Yolanda;

Most autism specialists agree that AS, PDD-NOS, and HFA are really the same thing. Your son's behavior sounds to me like classic Asperger's. No, it will never go away, especially the social piece. The good news is, he will develop strategies and skills to the point where people will not see anything different about him. His biggest challenge for the rest of his life will be developing "friendship skills" such as making and keeping friends. He needs to be taught these skills by you or his school.

My opinion, and my opinion only, is that Asperger's Syndrome is neither a syndrome or a disorder but a cognitive style. They have been around here forever and are, in some people's minds, responsible for the industrial revolution, digital era, and much of our technological advances. If you are interested, check out Ebay for either of two books written on this subject by Professor Michael Fitzgerald of Trinity College, Dublin.

Kind Regards,
James