Ds and Autism (ASD)

August 9, 2007

Has anyone suspected correctly that your infant (before their first

birthday) has autism? If so, what were the signs/characteristics

that made you belive that your child had autism? I ask because I

have firmly believed my 8 month old has autism. I have believed this

since around two months of age. He stares at lights, has no reaction

to smiles (though he will smile when unprevoked and for no reason-so

he does smile, just not for the " right " reasons). He stares at his

hand, does not make too much eye contact-and will fight you on making

him have eye contact. I just feel that he does have signs I should

be concerned about-even at eight months of age. For those of you who

know what I am talking about, were you able to get an evaluation at

such a young age? What type of professional did you see?

In addition to DS, Chase also has infantile spasms (seizure activity)

which he has been seizure free for more than a month now and he only

had the seizures for about one and a half months before we were able

to control them. This is a very short amount of time in the IS

world. But I have read that children with Ds and a history of

seizures have a higher likelyhood of developing autism.

Anyway. I was just curious.

Thanks!

August 10, 2007

Uh, in a word, no, don't think so.

I can sort of see where you're coming from and why you're concerned. But

I don't much think anybody has any business diagnosing any 8 month old

with autism, and think even less so a kid with Ds.

I was just telling somebody that I've got a crackpot theory that kids

with Ds who do also have autism can develop or show autism at a later

age than kids with autism without Ds. I think that may have been one of

the obstacles to kids getting that dual dx. You'd normally expect autism

to show up by age 3. I think in some kids with Ds you might not see

it--and possibly not see it because it wasn't there yet--until age 5 or

even 6.

But I think you're right that there's some evidence that kids with Ds

who had IS are at greater risk of later developing autism.

But I'm afraid you're going to have to wait and see. But I could be

wrong about that. I'm no doctor.

And for a moment I thought I was reading another board, thought I was on

my group. You might want to go over there and ask this question.

/

Might get some different answers. But you might do better to ask this of

Dr. Capone at KKI or Dr. Bonnie at Cincinnati

Children's or Dr. Pipan at CHOP or any good behavioral

developmental pediatrician with interest in and knowledge of Ds and

autism. And if your son is still followed by a neurologist, you might

want to ask that doctor about this idea and about whom to ask. -- Bob,

dad to Charlie, 8 years old and with Ds-autism

August 10, 2007

My is nearly two ( sept 2) She would make Eye contact. And

Smile ( sometimes) when smiled at. But other than that

displayed the same traits your describing. She DOES NOT have IS though.

When was about 8-9 months she started hand flapping. ( or what

I thought was hand flapping) Her jaw drops and her feet and hands flap.

And she would just sit there.. staring and her hands and feet going and

her mouth wide open like she was going to say something but nothing

comes out No real emotion in the the eyes though to clue me in. Not

fearful, not surprised, not happy. For this means she is

excited about something. For instance. You mentioned flashing lights.

Sam would look and do this flapping thing for about 5 minutes, Even

now.. at near two she does it.. but after a minute or two she will

babble at them or go “ WOOOOO” or clap. Smile, and maybe turn to see

what your doing.. make sure your smiling etc. She is at that emotional

stage where she is still looking to mom or dad or sibs to find out “

ok.. this looks fun,, but do YOU think its fun?” watching for our

emotional cues etc.

It just took her awhile to make a more “typically” appropriate reaction-

or an action I would have expected. But she is getting there. So I asked

similar questions to yours here when was about the same age.

Now that I have been around more children/babies with DS , it sounds

like your child is just displaying some of the other traits of DS.

Actually outside from smiling on occasion and good eye contact,

she was pretty unresponsive to most stuff. BUT she was taking it all in

( hindsight) . She did not play with toys at 8 months, she did not sit

alone, she did not hold a toy ( nor a bottle if she was using one) , she

did not feed herself, she did nothing really. She slept A LOT when she

was not eating. She was breastfeed so that snuggly ness made her more

sleepy I think. She could roll and lift her head. That was about it. I

was starting to get real concerned/scared. But at 12-13 months it was

like someone flipped a switch. She began sitting, propping on arms,

Clapping, babbling, etc. by 18 months she was feeding her self with her

hands, holding bottles, playing with the toys she could work with her

hands, pulling to stand etc. Using some sign language. Now she is going

into a lull again. She stands alone but wont walk with out something to

hold on too. Talks to people she warms up to. She likes to make the

first move. But not really picking up new stuff for a while. BUT I know

she is taking it in. She is the 6th of 6 children. And I read a lot

about DS, etc. But still I heard it, I read it, but I still did not “

understand” exactly. So I am just telling you this for FYI and hope. Is

chase your first child?

I second the Dr. Bonnie . At Cin. Childrens. Or any of the docs

mentioned.. We go to Dr. Bonnie now and then.. And if your in the area-

or you go there for evals, etc, let me know I live near it.

I just saw a show on Oprah the other day on Autism. I heard a doc

telling people the symptoms to watch for.. and they were giving “

symptoms” for babies/toddlers. And I was sitting there shaking my head

and thinking of the 13 babies from age 10 months to 3yrs that I know who

have DS from our play groups etc.. and I am thinking.. I don’t know a

single one of them who met those milestones at the age that doc was

telling us to . ( eye contact by 4 months etc) and she was making NO

distinction between a typical child with Autism or a child who had a

delay to begin with. And If I had heard that when Sam was 8 months I

would have been convinced. She had autism. But know better now.

I agree with WRBlack when he says he thinks that Autism may nto show up

in a child with DS until a later stage. BUT also the professionals and

parents that I have asked… all said not before age 3. ESP in the child

with DS.

I would be more worried about checking Chase’s hearing. For us.. that

was a big factor. Sam could not hear squat. Being treated for the fluid

in her ears made a profound difference too I think.

Steph

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means

doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case,

the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. "

C.S.