In Process of Autism Diagnosis

Tracy - posted on 11/16/2010

Hi.
I went through something similar. My daughter started seizures young, 4 months possibly even younger ..... She ended up with a lesion on her brain which resulted in brain surgery just because they were so constant and no meds working. She was globally delayed due to all the seizures . She is now 4.5 years and doing well, but has now been diagnosed with PDD -NOS....even though she is not totally autistic, she has a lot of characteristic to get diagnosed. Short of the story...can the seizures be the culprit? Since the surgery stopped the seizures, her delays are slowly improving . Are your little ones seizures controlled? It's hard when the doctors are not helping...keep pushing for answers.

Sheila - posted on 11/14/2010

Hi Tara,



Although many children with autism have certain physical characteristics (low muscle tone, fine/gross motor issues) seizures are not caused by autism.



A child with autism has a perfectly healthy brain. The issues lies in the way the brain processes the information.



So, a child with autism can be globally delayed HOWEVER, there will be an underlying issue.



Have you been to a pediatric hospital. For example, if you were in Ontario I would recommend Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.



I am including this information on Rett's syndrome. Clearly I am not a doctor, but your description sounds like there are some similarities:



"Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder of the grey matter of the brain[1] that affects girls almost exclusively. The clinical features include small hands and feet and a deceleration of the rate of head growth (including microcephaly in some). Repetitive hand movements, such as wringing and/or repeatedly putting hands into the mouth, are also noted. Girls with Rett syndrome are prone to gastrointestinal disorders and up to 80% have seizures.[2] They typically have no verbal skills, and about 50% of females are not ambulatory. Scoliosis, growth failure, and constipation are very common and can be problematic.



The signs of this disorder are most easily confused with those of Angelman syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism.



Some argue[citation needed] that it is misclassified as an autism spectrum disorder, just as it would be to include such disorders as fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, or Down syndrome where one can see autistic features.[3] It is classified as an autism spectrum disorder by the DSM-IV. However, it has been suggested that it be removed from the DSM-5, because it has a specific etiology.[4]"



I hope you find your answers.



Sheila

Tara - posted on 11/12/2010

I agree that there is something missing in all of this. It is even more frustrating cause the most recent therapist involved who specializes with Autism told me that low tone in Autism is very common and that an 18 month old toddler/baby on the spectrum could very well not be able to sit up due to low tone. I have never heard such a thing! There has to be something else. I guess the seizures she had could be the culprit on there own as to why she is physically delayed, but what caused the seizures...Autism?? I have heard of seizures and Autism before, but would there still be another underlying cause at birth, or is it possible a child can be born Autistic and seizures are the first symptom??

Rachael - posted on 11/12/2010

Not knowing what your little girl is like or how she functions makes this a hard one to reply to and we can only give you our own experiences for some level of guidence... My Son also had a lot of health issues early on 10/11 months which caused delays in some area's as we nearly lost him and basically "started again", but none of them related to our concerns in regard to the "Autism" elements that started to "shine" as he developed in the following months and which we then needed to review when the time came. I personally feel that your dear little girls delays with crawling/walking and arching/stiffening up is related to something else that should be examined futher and more specifically. That's not to say that "some" kids with Autism have trouble with balance, co-ordination type things but no, I think they need to break it down further for you and do some more investigation into this part of it specifically... They must be looking at the Autism element from another perspective? The seizures are a concern and I just read an article about this recently - A work colleagues partner (19) started having seizures so I investigated a bit.... Can't help myself - look up peadiatric seizures, causes etc. and see where this takes you... Very interesting and covered a range of issues i.e. food intake, diet, sleep, stress, TV and games etc. The only commonality is that all seizures are caused by abnormal "electrical" disturbances in the brain and are different and should be treated seperately from that of the elements displayed under the guise of Autism. When my boy had his MRI it came back that he was perfectly normal yet he is severly Autistic! No speech etc. I don't think they have fully mastered this diagnosis area yet in regard to Autism and how it "appears" within the brain. An 18 month old "choosing" not to sit up.. It doesn't sound right, something is causing her brain to respond in order for her not be able to do this.... ! Break it down further - I think it would be worth it!! Thinking of you....