Fourth dx

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dx given (On his birthday): PDD-NOS and GAD

Has been previously dx as being on the Autism Spectrum by three other professionals when he was two years old.

He demonstrates most of the traits characteristic of AS and HFA (both) but he was inconsistent. They will be getting to know him better before making a more definitive diagnosis.

Have nothing else to say but am excited to see whether or not the social skills training helps. It will be hard because they will simulate real life situations.

I was expected AS or HFA but it's just a label right now that will help us get him the social skills training. If we have to go to a public school setting, then they will change his label to get him services.

More added: On this one test called the ADOS, he didn't score within the Autism range. For social communication, he scored within that range and barely made the overall cutt off. His score was higher because he was above the cuttoff for creativity, rigidity and some other areas.

The doc said that if he was in the school system, he would probably label him as AS.

The GAD bothers me more because my poor son is reacting to me. I am a high anxiety stress case. Yes, some of it is genetics (anxiety) but some environmental. I often tell him to "Hurry up" and need to think of a better way. Poor child.

Last edited by natesmom on 13 Aug 2008, 12:08 am, edited 2 times in total.

Good to hear you have a diagnosis. By the way, what is GAD?

GAD= Generalized Anxiety Disorder

glad to hear he got the dx. even with a dx of PDD-NOS, he'll get services. good luck

I would not let the school give him an educational label of "Emotional Disturbance." They might see GAD and try to do that. ED programs are the pits. They put my son in one because he's a hand washer. It was a nightmare and I homeschool now because of that.

GAD? Don't about 99.999% of human beings have that? there is a lot in this world to be anxious about.

Please know that this is not a comment on your child's issues at all. Just a general disgust and weariness at our society's tendency to label EVERYTHING and then create a medication for it so it will go away.

PDD-NOS = HFA. There's no authority on either of these terms that would make them seperate conditions.

Anxiety is a symptom of autism spectrum disorders, and I would be hesistant to call it a completely different condition from the PDD-NOS.

Well ... actually, no. While I have mood swings and deal with depression, and even have been known to have a panic attack or two doing things like snow skiing and finding myself on top of the wrong (too steep) hill, I really don't feel anxious about much. Not like my son or husband, anyway.

My mother doesn't tend to feel anxiety or depression. Her and I had a conversation about it a year old, when she was trying to understand the concept of depression. She truly has never felt it. Occasional anxiety, sure. Anyone can feel that. But it's not pervasive to my life nor to my mom's life. I don't think that there is a lot in this world to be anxious about. It isn't how I view things.

Note that I consider myself pretty much NT, with a few AS traits. My husband and son are AS. My observation would be that a relatively higher and more pervasive level of anxiety is an Aspie trait.

ACTUALLY, logically, traditionally, and semantically, PDD-NOS Means PDD NOS!

PDD includes items like:

Kanners and Aspergers

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/overvi ... iteria.htm

But HOW could someone have HFA AND AS symptoms when the differences are so OPPOSITE!

I didn't see anything being "opposite" in that link you posted.

299.80 Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (Including Atypical Autism)

This category should be used when there is a severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction associated with impairment in either verbal or nonverbal communication skills or with the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities, but the criteria are not met for a specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizotypal Personality Disorder, or Avoidant Personality Disorder. For example, this category includes "atypical autism" - presentations that do not meet the criteria for Autistic Disorder because of late age at onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these.

It just basically say "Yeah, PDD-NOS is pretty much like these other things, but not quite."

You have to realize too, the DSM 4 is not the authority everywhere. Many neurologists do not look to the DSM because it's considered an encyclopedia for mental illness, and it's also not used outside the US.

There really is no singular definition of HFA, AS, PDD-NOS or other autism spectrum disorder that is accepted by every autism organization or research center around the world.

This is why labels of HFA or PDD-NOS don't really make a difference. Any therapist or outside help just needs to know what the individuals specific weaknesses or needs are, and help with those.