Is PDD-NOS more common than we think?

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Oh I don't know, all right I will just say ''that thing where someone has a few noticeable traits of AS but not enough to need a diagnosis''. My brother is a perfect example of a ''that thing where someone has a few noticeable traits but not enough to need a diagnosis''.

Do I have to join up all the dots here all the time? I thought I was explaining a good point, instead nobody seems to know what I mean.

I kind of agreed with you didn't I?

I get what you mean, even if I can't confirm or deny the idea of somewhat common PDD-NOS of limited severity amogst the general population


One thing for sure, in autism, is that there are people with traits and people with spades of it. I have spades, my brother (who I no longer have contact with anyway, but using him as an example) too has some traits, but not enough to derail his life.

Maybe similar to you and your brother.

Anyway, thanks for raising the issue

Those are the three big ones, but there are also many PDD NOS who fall into none of those groups.

In my case, I have plenty of repetitive behavior, but my social impairment is mild.

I've also heard of kids who are too young or delayed to show full autism traits (for example they wouldn't be expected to speak or have pretend play anyway) being diagnosed as PDD NOS because the doctor feels they are autistic.

Sorry, I didn't read all of the posts, but I'm glad you did try to figure out what I was trying to say.

My brother is a perfect example of a PDD-NOS too. I don't think my parents and teachers would have missed his condition (if he did have AS) if they didn't miss mine as a child, and I'm only mild. I didn't show any traits at all until I started school, and there are a lot of traits (especially social AS traits) I don't have what a lot of Autistics do have, but I still got a diagnosis.

My brother is a perfect example of a PDD-NOS too. I don't think my parents and teachers would have missed his condition (if he did have AS) if they didn't miss mine as a child, and I'm only mild. I didn't show any traits at all until I started school, and there are a lot of traits (especially social AS traits) I don't have what a lot of Autistics do have, but I still got a diagnosis.

You're quite lucky on that score (which is a good thing- the under-diagnosis of women is scandalous frankly), I had to basically fight like hell to get mine recognised, and I'm flaming autistic. I have had FOUR diagnoses by this point, and finally I think I'm safely on the side of being diagnosed and recognised, but I had loads of pompous, arrogant, ignorant male doctors undermine it as I was growing up.

I was first identified as having a severe and pervasive developmental disorder at age 13. I should have been confirmed as autistic then, and treated appropriately. It's taken until I was 25 to have a settled diagnoses. I had to have three assessments in adulthood for it to be accepted. None of this is down to ''mildness'' or a lack of obvious symptomatology, but plain old ego issues between consultants. It's a scandal frankly.

Anyway, enough about me, but it's nice to know at least one woman got a diagnosis in childhood. There needs to be much more of that!

Wait you can have PDD-NOS and not be on the autism spectrum? Did I understand right?


I was 12 when diagnosed BTW and it was also mild. It was also early too for the diagnoses because it had only been in the DSM for three years at the time when I got diagnosed. I could have been diagnosed young as eight whenever the month the DSM-IV came out in. I was more severe then but I had always been mild. I was never a textbook case of it. But I was very hard to diagnose because of my medical history.

I hope not. At least I don't feel that my dx is so mild that it does not warrant me a place on the spectrum. I have seen AS folks here who are actually functioning better than me, e.g. being in a relationship AND living independently.

As for the OP, I don't really know what other people are doing, most former classmates/acquaintances/friends I don't know of at all. Facebook is not an option to me. Those who I know of are living independently, have a spouse and children. There's only one exception that comes to my mind at this moment, besides my sister, who is bipolar.

I can live fairly independently, earn good money, although my flat is a complete mess at the moment, I'm not in a relationship (this is my usual state), and I can't function properly without mentoring.