2.5 Year Old Diagnosis for Autism

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  Podroo on 14/04/2021 - 19:44

  -4

  Oh Man, clearly you are not in the medical field. Forget about autism. 99% chance the Dr just try to get fund from NDIS. They pay too much I reckon. and the Dr was doing you a favor while getting some coins in his/her own pocket, win win. Your private consultation fee cannot compare a regular NDIS fund. just take the money as you own it. and you will be laughing later for the couple thousands dollars you have saved. Seriously, forget about the autism, bilingual kids always develop slower, but you know what, they will be one giant step ahead other kids later. just go to bedroom and laugh under the cover already.

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  pulpfiction on 14/04/2021 - 20:59

  +4

  I understand this must be frightening for you and a shock. As others have said, continue to understand the diagnosis and find the appropriate support for the child. This by no means defines the child, nor does it predict their future.

  No experience as a parent in this situation, however I was diagnosed with a learning disability as a child. It was tough. My technology teacher in high school told me I would be a failure. Well, I founded a technology consulting firm where my lowest paid team member earns more than him (aside from maybe the admin staff). I have a happy life and family.

  A dear friend of mine is Autistic. He earns ~ $300K PA. He has a happy life and family, and is a wonderful person.

  I know these points don't mean anything in isolation, but don't let the diagnosis frame the kid's future. Follow advice for support and get the hell out of their way while they amaze everyone. Good luck.

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  preddye on 14/04/2021 - 21:42

  +2

  YOU DID NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM.

  Sorry just felt the need to start off like that. I helped my sister raise her autistic son so know a little bit about it all and the feeling that it can't be, my son can't have it. No, no,no,no.

  This is the wrong way to be thinking and your doing a disservice for your son.

  The key with an autistic child is to get it diagnosed early and to start a plan for assistance. The 'label' of being on the spectrum is not a bad thing and I know emotionally you feel like it is but is not. The autism spectrum is very wide and not every person is exactly the same. The way you described your son is sort of similar to my nephew, when he was a baby would he look at nothing and laugh? I know I'm almost contradicting myself I'm just trying to get a feel for the situation.

  Go for more testing that's not bad but the specialist are that for a reason and will help you come up with a action plan for helping him.

  I know you love your son but saying that's not my boy lalallala is going to hurt him in the long run.

  As I was typing up this I was asked my opinion by my wife and her sister and their sister in law about her boyfriend. They were always joking about how he acts in certain ways. So I asked her some descriptive questions about his behaviour and reactions to certain situations and then said it sounds like he might have a form of what used to be called aspergers straight away even though everything I asked about was agreed to both the other women were emotionally telling me I had to be wrong about because it's horrible to say that. Even after telling them that it doesn't make him a bad person at all they were both adamant that I should not say that even if everything I said helped put his actions and behaviours into a way that she could understand as soon as I said aspergers I was horrible and wrong.

  Do not think like that about your son, I know that there will be people that will have that reaction to the label of autistic but that's on them and if you let you stop you from getting early help for him then your going to make his life even harder

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    Seni0r El Cheapo on 14/04/2021 - 22:58

    RESPECT

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    bargain huntress on 15/04/2021 - 07:47

    He'd better get away from the sister in law then - with that attitude from her and her in laws surely the relationship has no future.

    If you can talk to him privately and ask him to do an AQ test on wired.com. and offering to do it yourself too may make it more palatable

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  bmerigan on 14/04/2021 - 22:02

  +4

  You're definitely over thinking it. I'm stunned that you cried over it. It's not terminal cancer.

  Having NDIS pay for your appointments is a good thing.

  This autism "label" as you call it is a spectrum, and I actually think more people are on it than might realise. It doesn't make a difference anywhere unless you want it to. If you don't want the school to know then don't tell them. Of course if you don't tell them and he's not fitting in or keeping up they won't know why and won't be able to help.

  My son is on the spectrum, has NDIS, has all the appointments you mentioned, and is doing great. Has some good friends, does well at school. A few more years of OT and Speechy and he'll be better at socialising than I am.

  If you bury your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist he won't have the opportunity to develop. Give your kid a chance to develop the skills he's missing.

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  belongsinforums on 15/04/2021 - 00:08

  +3

  The diagnosis won't change anything about your child. The diagnosis will provide you with avenues to get help, if necessary. I don't see the need to tell a 2 year old that they have been labelled, though.

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  ansonff on 15/04/2021 - 00:08

  +2

  I had the exactly the same situation (looks like yours is better) and my boy now is 4.5 years old with no problem, no diagnosis. I can definitely share my experience but just want to share it privately.

  You can message me privately.

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    bargain huntress on 15/04/2021 - 07:40

    +1

    Why? Aren't you using an anonymous username?

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  bringyadogalong on 15/04/2021 - 01:03

  +4

  Hi OP. Like many have said, I am no expert. However my son does have autism, ADHD and anxiety. In fact our story isn't so dissimilar in some ways. Our son, up until the age of 3-4 hit all of the 'normal' milestones. My mum, a 30 year+ high school teacher still swears to this day she saw nothing in him to suggest anything at all. His development was almost textbook. Walking, talking, reading, writing and his intelligence was all normal (as far we knew and in comparison to kids his age). No issues when sending him to school aged about 5 years and 3 months. The only things we did notice from the age 3-4, not long after his baby sister was born, was the 'tantrums' that went on to too long, stubborn refusal to cooperate at those times and it got harder to get him to sleep at night. The ADHD and anxiety was diagnosed first in prep (2015) as he didn't make it onto the spectrum. We struggled on (as parents) and after that we sought further testing in 2018/2019 and we had a final diagnosis (middle of 2019) that made more sense to what we had been dealing with alone up till that point - Autism. Now, I am not saying at all that the diagnosis has made our lives so much easier because we finally have NDIS funding (which started Jan 2020) - all the funding the in world can't help with day to day dramas we go through. But it does provide some comfort of having the support they provide. It was (finally) meant that he now has a funded aide for him in grade 6 (note: not through NDIS, but through his primary school, but clearly the funding of the aide was only ever possible from the diagnosis, despite him having been 'unofficially' having the assistance of an aide for many years) He has OT sessions and psych sessions once a fortnight and access to other specialists and tools to assist him (and us).
  I understand to a small extent you and your partners reaction, however I imagine that like all parents you want what's best for your child. We see what some other parents go through and wonder how they do it - they are amazingly strong. Our boy doesn't have cancer, a defective organ, cerebral palsy or daily seizures or a blood disease or a million other things that could have happened. It is only Autism.
  (Re: Time frames. Over 4 years for us to get answers. We wish we'd gotten a diagnosis (& help) sooner. If you don't have early intervention and diagnosis, then it becomes much harder to get help.)
  Don't be scared to get the diagnosis. Get it done and then get the support your son will need to assist him to live and, more importantly LOVE his life. (sorry, this post went for wayyy too long).
  Good luck and I hope all works out for you.

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  icejester on 15/04/2021 - 01:56

  +2

  Being bi-lingual and speaking 2 languages at home very well could be a factor

  I've seen quite a lot of children who speak 2 languages at home, most notably one is eastern language and one is western language, having speech delay at a young age.

  Speech delay is not autism
  If his other behaviour is close to normal for his age I'd say get a 2nd opinion from another paediatrician
  It's alright to get a 2nd opinion from another specialist.

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  saine on 15/04/2021 - 04:20

  As a teacher, I have seen many parents resist diagnosis in order to avoid labelling.

  From an education point of view, that diagnosis makes an additional support level available, including more regular meetings between parents, teachers, and support staff, so you end up being to advocate for your child much more often. Autism is covered both in initial teacher training and PD. Most teachers should be very aware that it is a spectrum and respond to the child's needs rather than just see a label.

  Early intervention can make the biggest impact on children on the spectrum. You do not need to make this diagnosis known to the school once he reaches school age, particularly if you find it is a misdiagnosis.

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  lackofsleepdaddy on 15/04/2021 - 06:03

  +2

  Hey there,

  I run a bilingual speaking speech pathology centre. The feelings you have talked about are very normal at the time of diagnosis and especially in the cultures we work with (chinese-english speaking).

  Autism diagnosis requires formal diagnosis from a paediatrician. So I would be seeking advise from them.

  Wether of not you choose to take ndis funding or not. It's important to acknowledge the findings of both speech and occupational therapists. We have both in-house and depending on the therapist, typically staff are correct in identification and are usually cautious of saying anything unless they have a high level of suspicion.

  Taking a diagnosis, can make parents feel like they are letting down their child and they have done something wrong. Also they can feel that it has forced their child into a box they can't get out of. But it's really the opposite. It allows you understand and make allowances for changes that will likely occur in your family. It allows for access to early intervention and sessions that could reshape and expand what your child's capabilities are at later life. In our day and age, especially as your child starts kinder or primary school it's quite important as certain milestones which may not be achieved will be adjusted. As you could imagine, expectations for a child with a learning delay to read or write at a similar level to another child can lead to disappointment for the child and parent/teacher.

  Don't forget, if your child really does have an autism diagnosis, if you don't pursue it now it'll still be around in years to come. And with schools etc it'll likely keep coming back as a query from teachers.

  It might be worth doing some research into autism and what it means for your family. There is such a large spectrum of severity and some you can hardly notice they have it. Technically we are all on the spectrum somewhat. Your paediatrician would be the best person to discuss with you what this means for your family. There are also agencies you can call to seek additional advise.

  Good luck fellow ozbarginare. I know it can be a tough road.

  R

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  gstfree on 15/04/2021 - 07:59

  -1

  probably seek a second opinion.
  My boy 2.5 years old does not speak at child care centre at all, because we never speak English at home and he comes to child care centre once or twice a week.

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  Oz em on 15/04/2021 - 08:18

  You are very lucky to get ndis funding. Many really need it but can’t access it.

  No one at school or the playground ect would know hjs diagnosis unless you tell them.

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  morebunnings on 15/04/2021 - 08:33

  My sister had to fight tooth and nail to get her son diagnosed with Autism so that she could access funding. He has a very mild type where he cant control his emotions or sleep. Now that he has been 'labeled' as you put it, he gets almost free access to specialists and medication that wasn't covered before the diagnosis.

  Sister lives in NZ though, so your situation is different.

  Hope you get the little fella sorted out.

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  SnakeCasablanca on 15/04/2021 - 09:00

  +1

  It's a tricky one.

  My youngest brother was diagnosed with Aspergers. I feel the diagnosis wasn't the problem it was that my parents basically told him he was disabled and both used it as an excuse for poor behaviour and taught him it was an excuse for poor behaviour.

  He is now a grown man with a good job.

  I'd take any benefits offered but try and minimise treating your child like they are different or letting them think that they are different.

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  porsche26c on 15/04/2021 - 09:42

  Take the diagnosis serious, and its good you are on to it very early. My cousin was diagnosed a little after 3-4 as the parents didn't pick it up (had 4 other children). But he was probably higher on the ladder than your son. The parents have gone to South america for stem cell injections and Russia and it has worked so much compared to the kid he was, i.e no speech and emotion (i.e reacting to something funny on the tv as he didnt understand it) until now where he is more emotionally engaging and talking.

  You have got it early, use every thing at your disposal to get the speech path etc as you stated and he may be perfectly ok with some difficulty in some things but most will be ok.

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  nikey2k27 on 15/04/2021 - 09:57

  +1

  Every body love labels I wouldn't be too worried about it many autistic kids go on to live amazing lives I'm talking mechanics chefs even doctors autism generally turns into perfectionism

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  ymidk on 15/04/2021 - 11:18

  +1

  Autism is a spectrum, so comparisons to another's experience is of limited value (I say that as someone who was diagnosed with ASD at 30).

  Your child is more likely to be hurt by your wife's reactions than by the label itself. I would have liked for my family to have been aware of the potential expressions of autism so they could have been more accepting.

  You say no issues with hearing etc. That may not be true, the spectrum allows for hyper as well as hypo sensory conditions. Being hypersensitive can be just as upsetting as hyposensitive (I'm hypersensitive to light, sounds and taste).

  Ultimately, they will likely find a way to manage their condition. I was developmentally delayed - until I wasn't. I simply didn't understand why people wanted me to demonstrate certain behaviours (playing with dolls etc.) - it seemed pointless to me (still does). Once I understood that people wanted me to commit seemingly arbitrary facts / concepts to memory, my autism proved exceptionally helpful.

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  Webber000 on 15/04/2021 - 12:17

  Hey @aliash
  Turn your private messages on in your OzBargain account and I'll send you a pm tonight.

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    aliash on 15/04/2021 - 16:14

    Done. You can PM me. Sorry i created the account few days back so not sure this is locked.

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  AJAJAJ on 15/04/2021 - 12:54

  I was in the same boat 2 yrs ago.

  Turn your pm so i can chat there

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    aliash on 15/04/2021 - 16:12

    Done. You can PM me. Sorry i created the account few days back so not sure this is locked.

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  Mnanda on 15/04/2021 - 14:45

  +1

  I am no expert but a father of 3 year daughter who hates to play with doll, tea cups .
  Also she is in child care and don't interact(don't like to I guess) with other kids and believe in parallel play. She is shy and won't speak a lot in child care.

  On top of it , her speech was delayed because we are bi lingual and preferred our mother tongue at home .

  Note : She never had problem with taking instructions (The only problem I see in your write up but only might be as he is listening to two languages )

  But we never went to autistic test nor we ever thought about it as she is good in the stuff she does like she can do one side of rubik's cube 2*2 (once I told her how to do), really good with board puzzles, really good in playing outdoor games like cricket, football, she does remember a lot of stuff like where is her old child care is .

  Her language got developed(2.7 year) when she stayed with us last year (child care were closed) and we started speaking to her in English.

  My only suggestion is give him some time and spend a lot of time on him .

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  aliash on 15/04/2021 - 15:19

  +2

  Hi Everyone,

  From bottom of my heart, i am thankful to each one of you for your valuable suggestions.

  I have opened my Private message.

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  VIV33 on 15/04/2021 - 18:08

  +1

  I work in health care but not commenting in ang official capacity.

  It is the systems interest to over diagnose. Why would you say you don’t need to see me when you can call them and earn an additional 2-5000 a year from someone

  When NDIS came Rate’s tor all these providers went up

  I would suggest

  1) cut out screen time
  2) go on with life for a another years
  3) ask kinder people if child needs help after
  Best to ask how they are going . If you say does my child have autism - they would think and judge etc- if they do not think of it all good

  Ps: been there done that

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    petry on 16/04/2021 - 12:59

    +3

    i do not believe a word you have written here.

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  voiletmay on 15/04/2021 - 19:04

  I have a child with autism (21 now) and I was so jubiliant when he was diagnosed (was even my birthday LOL). He needed help and I wanted answers. The paediatrican I went to (that my son saw right until he finished highschool) would not diagnose a child under three.

  Honestly for the schools sake, get a diagnosis once he is three, children can get a LOT more help and support at school with a diagnosis. The schools get extra funding and aide time which will help your child big time.

  I reckon you can leave it for six months and see how he goes and just do therapy at home or pay for it if you wish.

  A lot of young boys are delayed in expressive language.

  My son was different from birth from my two older children, I started having my suspicions very early on because of this.

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  Crazy-Eyes on 15/04/2021 - 19:11

  Hey op, not sure if it's been mentioned, but it would be unethical to diagnose your child simply from a screening test.

  There was a white paper on autism diagnosis guidelines published around 2018. The national guidelines indicate there needs to be an expert panel of clinicans to assess and agree on the diagnosis of ASD. Typically it is a paediatrician, psychologist and speech/Occupational therapist who conduct. Their own standardised assessment batteries.

  While 2.5 years of age is a very young age, there can be diagnosis at this age. However, there is the process in place and the mutual agreement from a multidisciplinary team to tease apart whether or not there is a diagnosis or not. At such a young age it can be difficult to accurately identify and may require further standardised testing.

  My suggestion is to first get a referral to a paediatrician if the doctor you mention is a GP. For reference, I'm a psych and have worked in the autism field for a number of years.

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  ekul777 on 15/04/2021 - 19:41

  Sounds like you’ve already made the decision with your question.
  And it’s a shame if your child does have Autism then they’ll may need some extra support and you won’t take it because your afraid of a label

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    aliash on 15/04/2021 - 19:46

    +4

    We have a meeting on Tuesday with the Doctor. I am making notes from all the comments. We are ready to put him on NDIS. Just need to clarify a lot of things with the Paedritician first.

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  ningjing143 on 15/04/2021 - 19:43

  +2

  My son is 7 now and it was exactly the same situation when he was around 2-2.5. Bilingual, babbling a lot. It seems like his mind is always somewhere else. But they are actually absorbing a lot of information. Then I saw a big change when he turned 3. Now he understands (at least) and speaks 2 other languages apart from English.
  We are always taught that everyone learns and develop at different pace. Just give him more time I would say. Hope this helps.

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  Apoca89 on 15/04/2021 - 20:54

  If it was asthma would you be this reluctant for a diagnosis? Or a missing limb?
  Everyone has a label, a diagnosis can help choose your label.
  Get the diagnosis (as far as I recall only a psych can give a diagnosis like this). If you're right, then you'll get a negative. If you're doing you'll be able to connect to your child in a new way and be able to help much better.
  (My experience- I'm a primary school teacher who's taught many autistic children and I have an autistic 6yo son)

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  madmo on 15/04/2021 - 22:34

  Autism is currently grouped by DSM into different levels based on support needs.

  Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with being autistic.

  A good starting point is to increase your awareness of autism. For example, Amaze Victoria regularly organise free awareness workshops for parents.

  www.changeyourreactions.com is also helpful to promote that everyone should embrace diversity and be kind with one another.

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  bazingaa on 15/04/2021 - 22:46

  +1

  I don't have much to contribute to the thread. But only thing which I can contirbute is suggesting to get a second opinion when it comes to medical things. Thanks all for the insights. I learned from the comments that being in a bilingual family will delay the child's speaking ability. Really valuable for the future for me.

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    zoob on 16/04/2021 - 09:05

    +1

    I wouldn't take that away from a few anecdotes on this thread. The research on kids that grow up bilingual is pretty inconclusive on that point, and there are thought to be other long term benefits.

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  clearance on 15/04/2021 - 23:40

  +4

  Some things I can comment on:

  1. There seems to be an eagerness from those who provide child services to label children so that the parents qualify for funding. Aside from their good intentions to help the child, there is also a lot of financial incentive for them to get the treatments early and lock you in for long term. I'm not accusing them of malpractice, but there's a lot of room for overdiagnosis at this age.

  2. Don't commit immediately into getting a screening test after just talking to one doctor (and labelling quickly with autism), but make progress with the therapy sessions and check for NDIS funding specifically for developmental delay. It's a tough balancing act to do, especially if the therapists are regularly harping at getting the child diagnosed for autism. Another reply (Crazy-eyes) mentioned that it should be a panel of experts making this diagnosis, and they'll tell you 2.5 years old is too early, except when some symptoms are evident (like a geneticist looking for phyiscal manifestations together with the genetic testing results).

  3. A lot of people said it, get a second opinion. If you're seeing a private doctor now, also sign up for a public hospital developmental pediatrician. You'll notice the difference in perspectives are when doctors are more interested in giving you a realistic diagnosis vs making you a repeat customer (going back to #1).

  4. Once you've settled, consider genetic testing for the child and the parents. This at least establishes the baseline if there is any genetic defect, or a developmental delay. You'll need to read and think about this, and it requires a developmental pediatrician's letter.

  5. Give the child regular time to interact with other children within their age group. That can be in a childcare, playgroups, or any setting where there are other children to emulate. It also gives you the opportunity to calibrate what is "expected", assuming he is your first child.

  6. Start educating yourself about the spectrum and delays, and read stories of other parents at the same age group as your child. Start building patience and adjusting your expectations about parenthood, as this will be different from most. The child needs to be eased into learning, building vocabulary and motor skills.

  7. Try a wide range of potential interests for the child, and hopefully he shows which ones give him the most enjoyment. This can be a starting point for developing other skills like speech (if the child likes dinosaurs, then get the child to talk about dinosaurs, and tie other topics to it).

  8. There is no shortcut for this, it's going to be day by day, week by week. At some point, the child will get to an age (within the next couple of years) where taking a test with a panel of experts is going to be ok with you, regardless of the outcome. Because you've seen enough of the child's and other children's actions to know where the delays are, if any.

  9. Go through the tears and emotions of having this situation, but don't let it cloud your judgment and eventually move forward. You, as parents, are the only ones the child can rely on to have his best interests in mind, without judgement or incentives. Please remember the child didn't choose to born with early difficulties or delays. And no one also knows yet how he will turn out, and it might be just fine when he gets older. Whatever his diagnosis turns out to be, see it as to how to help him grow and make progress, and not how he failed to live up to your expectations.

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  Praeto on 16/04/2021 - 05:33

  +2

  Get a second opinion and ask for more information.. but if it turns out that the diagnosis is correct.. don't be scared of it.

  I have two relatives that are on the spectrum. One was identified around the same age as your child was, and her parents have done absolutely everything possible to listen to experts and guide her in the way she needed. She has blossomed and is an amazing little girl.

  The other relative who is considerably older, had parents that didn't want to hear that he was "different" and tried to just treat him like their other kids. He has struggled most of his life, and it wasn't until he cut himself off from his parents and started trying to find his own answers that he got a diagnosis. He is now doing better in his 20s, but his childhood was rough and he really struggled. A lot of his issues were that he felt different, and understood that he wasn't the same as the people around him, but had a family telling him that wasn't the case.

  Don't view this as doctors telling you that your child is broken or inferior. They're telling you that your child may need to be taught differently, or need different assistance than other kids. It's not a bad thing. It's an opportunity to give your kid what they need to succeed.

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  immortalbjr on 16/04/2021 - 07:28

  +2

  I can see theres already a ton of info on here. But if it helps or makes it any better my son was diagonsed probably around 1.5/2 years old cant even remember now, and I understand how hard it is and how sad you can feel at first.

  My son also had a speech delay and would have only said maybe 5-10 words at best by the time he was 2, some words we only heard him say once and never again at the start. We started learning sign language and I was preparing myself for a non verbal child.

  He just turned 4 the other day and now doesnt shut up :) he didnt really start trying to talk until he hit 3. every child is different, but they also change and progress at insane levels at their age so try not to stew on it.

  My advice is take the diagnosis and get the funding and help in whatever way you can for him, dont let your ego get in the way. Mine went to speech therapy for awhile and it honestly changed his life (and ours). The sooner you can get onto any help for your child the better.

  If you want to chat either via here or even a phone call or in person feel free to reach out.

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  Unacceptable on 16/04/2021 - 09:15

  +2

  So much good information and heartful comments here.
  That's why I love to come and see ozb.

  My advice….. don't worry about the labelling. My son is ADHD & ASD and at first I was in denial just like you but once you acknowledge the diagnosis you will start to understand why the child behaves like that.
  As long as the child is happy and healthy growing that's all that matters!

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  gigmizzenmast on 16/04/2021 - 09:59

  +3

  Hi aliash

  I have some experience with similar diagnosis in the family and I thought I would share my perspective. I'm not going to get into the debate of 'the doctors wrong!' or 'the doctors right!' because I, nor anyone else on this board could possibly know.

  Instead I will address what feels like your main question about the implications, practical and emotional, of accepting a diagnosis for your child.

  My sister has two now grown children on the autism spectrum. One is more impacted than the other. The second child began showing signs (not dissimilar to your child) early on and, after the experience with their first, they actually fought to get him diagnosed to get early support. That early help can make all the difference in a child's life and in your situation I would take everything I can get.

  The second child with an early diagnosis is now studying at university and has a full and wonderful life. He has all the skills and tools he needs to navigate the world, even though his brain works differently to most people. Very few people know of his diagnosis as a child, but I am certain he wouldn't have the life he has know without that extra support.

  You mentioned being worried about being 'labeled' for the rest of his life. That really comes down to how you manage it as parents. You are in control of who knows of any diagnosis, although you may find that sharing it with certain people like teachers could be helpful.

  As a parent of a 2.5 year old myself, I can imagine what it would feel like to have something like this throw your way. But this isn't something that is wrong with your son. It's something that makes him who he is and what he can grow to be.

  By all means question doctors (we all should!) and seek second opinions or do your own research. But at the end of the day, how you feel about any diagnosis shouldn't get in the way of doing everything you can to help him grow to be the best person he can be. I would take any extra help I could get!

  In terms of doing your own research, there is a wonderful app called ASDetect from Latrobe University which is a screening tool for parents for Autism Spectrum Disorder. It has videos and a simple questionnaire which I found very helpful and interesting to use as my son has developed. I would definitely recommend downloading it and going through it. You are right that you know your son better than any doctor ever could, so using the app yourself could be really beneficial.

  Well done for your bravery and honesty in opening up to the community. All the best,

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  petry on 16/04/2021 - 13:05

  i am very distrustful of new threads relating to ndis because of the new liberal/nationals war on reducing its cost.

  this war will destroy the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of australia, and is being waged because they gave away billions of taxpayers monies to the richest people here and overseas.

  autism is a developmental disability which can be alleviated and improved through social investment at an early age. This investment reduces social costs later on in their lives, and saves taxpayer monies in the long run.

  these financial savings are very large since they reduce medical costs in mental health and reduce the prison population.

  A failure to invest besides demonstrating the moral degeneracy of australia only generates higher social costs at a later date, and causes terrible harm to families.

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  sunilyedla on 16/04/2021 - 17:47

  @alias Sorry to hear that your child is stamped as Autistic.. But don't go with what doctors for now. If your gut feeling says that child is normal. please i suggestion is to please both the parents Both Mom and Dad ( Parents ) of the child has to give their full attention to the child to teach everything each time maybe its 1 time or 10 times or 100 times .. please the child needs your personal time.
  If possible try to take him out of the house for socialising and outdoor activities and NO electronic devices to keep the child engaged
  That's my Personal view.As they come to the age of 5 years then you can give them from screen time of 1 hr in a day

  Believe me it's your personal time and outdoor activities are the key to child development. I know this is not for every kid.. but if they is a condition of socialising and not active then outdoors are important for kids

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  Gorge90 on 16/04/2021 - 18:10

  +2

  Haven't read all the comments but I am sure someone out there agrees with what I am going to say.

  As a primary school teacher we are seeing more and more students displaying behaviors that are common with the spectrum. In many of these cases these students end up being highly intelligent and successful and this is largely due to support and early intervention. There are many students who would likely be on the spectrum in each class without being diagnosed as the spectrum covers a wide range of behaviors. Its becoming so common now that as a teacher I dont even think twice about it.
  Some of the best students I have had are students that have been diagnosed with ASD and they have been some of the hardest, kindest and most motivated students I will encounter.

  Anyway the point I want to make is that it is quite common for these symptoms to be displayed in students and it really is something you should follow through. A good teacher would not think any differently and in most cases these students will not be highlighted or treated any differently, unless it is warranted. However, there is support available for these students and teachers are able to access this extra support when the parents provide the diagnosis. It makes our jobs so much more easier.
  I know each situation is different but on the whole I have always thought that as a parent, if there is any form of support available for a child why would you not take advantage of it?

  Don't be worried. Its a very common thing now and the diagnosis may change as your child gets older but going with the diagnosis now will only help your child be more successful, even if it is not the 100% correct diagnosis right now. You don't need to tell anyone but please let your child's educators know.

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  goraygo on 16/04/2021 - 19:57

  +1

  I can understand where you are coming from and your disbelieve of the assessment.

  I have met parents refused to believe their kids are on the spectrum even the kid is already in high school while every kids in the school recognise and see the kid being different.

  I want you to think about it differently.

  1. Putting him on NDIS will only give your child a better chance of getting better (if he really is on the spectrum). Many researches days early intervention will help tremendously.

  2. You don’t have to tell school or anyone your child has Autism. You can still do your normal things and goes to school without telling anyone if you wish. School don’t have access to your child’s medical record if you don’t disclose it. So your child can still has a normal life if you feel this is important. However, if he really is on the spectrum, this will not help him. Some school would pay special attentions to autism child but teachers will never tell other kids. But to be honest, other kids would know even if it is keep secret.

  3. Accepting help will only help your kid. There is no bad side of things as you said. No one will label the kid unless you go about telling everyone. By accepting early actions, your child can live a more normal life and can integrate into the society well. The later you start the intervention, the worse for him.

  Good luck in deciding.

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  Gorgeousmorgeous on 16/04/2021 - 21:06

  +2

  Have you asked extended family about speech issues or delays? I ask because my son did not walk till he was almost 2… Completely nothing wrong with him, his dad was also around this age when he walked. If I hadn't known this family history though, I would have worried.

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  pusink on 16/04/2021 - 21:59

  +3

  Sorry that I am a bit late to the post.

  I have a daughter (now 8 yo) and a son (now 5 yo). We are also a bilingual family. My wife and I are of Asian background where any labels of autism or learning disability is frown upon and kept a secret by the family.

  Experience with my daughter

  When my daughter was 3 years old, she could not say a sentence longer than 3 words. Our family said to tough it up and keep normal. We got a bit worried when at 4 years old, her language skills had not improved much although we thought that her receptive communication was not a problem. The childcare was assessing if my daughter could go to kindy the next year. Part cost, part shame were our reason to keep holding back.

  After much discussion with my wife, we took her to a community health centre and got an assessment from a string of paediatrician, social worker, occupational therapist and speech pathologist, we received their assessment that my daughter has autism.

  Sad, anger, disapointed, afraid all jumbled into one. But we took their assessment and, with that, the NDIS funding. We struggled to find therapist that suits my daughter's needs and personality but I at the end we were very grateful that we received the funding.

  My daughter went to an OT and SP weekly. We could even send her to a special education school to get her ready for kindy. We ended up delaying sending her to kindy by 1 year.

  After 3.5 years, the specialists deemed that my daughter no longer needed the funding and it stopped.

  Experience with my son

  We did not wait around this time around.

  As soon as we noticed that my son's language ability did not come up to the standard acceptable level (age-appropriate word count, sentence complexity etc), we took him to be assessed. He was even on a higher spectrum than his sister, and we received the NDIS funding for him as well.

  With a different program that was designed specifically for him, we took advantage of the NDIS funding to the fullest. He is still receving the funding and we also plan to delay sending him to kindy.

  My take away from the experience

  My wife and I see autism like a fever. In itself it can mean anything, from exhaustion, a viral infection or bacteria infection. We have to find what happened first then we can decide whether to treat the fever with a bowl of chicken soup or jab on your butt.

  Australia has it's warts and all but we were very grateful that we were afforded with such assistance that has improved our family's the quality of life.

  My extended family has their worry and they are looking out for us in their own way. Sometimes this is not the best for my immediate family. I needed to work on my ego to accept that every child is different and most of the time, is not for the worse. Also, to receive assistance (in this case, a government handout) does not mean that I failed but I live in a society that wants me and my family to be accepted.

  Your situation will be different than mine and I suggest to try out different specialists to see which one you are comfortable with. I hope my experience can shed a ray of hope for you and your wife. I wish your family the very best in this roller coaster you are about to get on.

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  tjswinno on 17/04/2021 - 07:33

  +2

  It disappoints me that I see a lot of… what I can only describe as prejudice and fear against autism in this thread from multiple people like Autism is a bad thing. I'm autistic, and I like the way I am. Some of the best people I know are Autistic. Autism is a difference in brain wiring, it's not the plague.

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    petry on 17/04/2021 - 14:05

    like i said there's a war going on with ndis funding waged by the coalition - short of cash now after giving it way to the richest and foreign investors

    ‘The agency that runs the National Disability Insurance Scheme hired an “external research company” to help create a “new narrative” aimed at selling its controversial reforms to its staff and the public, leaked documents show.’….
    ‘Other findings from the focus group research with “participants, staff and partners” included:
    that the agency needed to provide more “transparency” on “wrongdoings”;
    that it needed to reduce “corporate-speak and vague language” because “both lead to the assumption things are being hidden”;
    that it needed to “speak about sustainability of the scheme” because “even if the outcome is not liked – transparency is important”.’

    The money spent on selling the massive intended NDIS cuts is of course on top of the highly secret millions being spent by the coalition on online influencers, who are without doubt using this site.

    Disabled kids are reducing the monies available for legitimate defence spending on twerking dance troupes, as endorsed by Scomo.

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  factor on 17/04/2021 - 19:35

  +2

  Who would want to be a paediatrician? Pretty much any issue they report to a parent is the worst thing that has ever happened to the parents in their lives.

  The level of reaction to an autistic spectrum diagnosis is little different to reporting an early-onset terminal illness. OP - you're not alone in that. Your perspective is defined by the worst hardships you have seen. Potential issues with your own children are routinely the worst news you've ever received.

  I think you're really lucky. Your kid isn't dead or dying. (also as many above say … life will likely be really good, and smoother with a label and a little extra help to better guarantee your kid thrives)

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  chris2456 on 23/04/2021 - 19:31

  +1

  As surprised as you may be, ASD is very common. You don't need a formal diagnosis to receive funding by the NDIS if a child is under 7. They provide support for children without a diagnosis through early intervention. If after 6-12 months if it has not helped, then proceed with getting a diagnosis to get long term support.

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  Yoda I am on 06/05/2021 - 14:42

  +1

  I so wish our son got access to early intervention when he was younger……

  We had him assessed at RFW when he was 3. They said he was fine. The delayed speech would sort itself out over time.

  Great!

  He started preschool at 3,5yo and that's when things got more obvious.
  He would bite anyone and everyone that upset him. Because his speech was delayed, he had no other way of venting his frustration.
  He wanted to play with other kids, but very very bossy. His eye contact remained limited.
  He became loud, squealing and screeching, again, because of speech delay.

  After 6 months he refused to go to preschool. He would scream the house down. Kick and punch me and my husband, the car, the walls, etc.

  When he started school, he didn't want to read books, threw a meltdown if he had to do handwriting, got bullied by the other kids because his speech remained delayed, as we got no funding and we could not afford the therapy privately.
  We had school refusal from the 3rd week onwards. He would kick the teacher, run away from school, refuse to cooperate and do as he was told, etc.

  The paediatrician and us, tried to get our son reassessed, as school really triggered a lot of ASD symptoms that he previously didn't display. The anxiety and self-harming was so tough to deal with.

  We eventually decided to pull him out of year 1 and homeschool him. It made a huge difference to his anxiety levels.
  But still no new assessments, because noone in our town could provide the required ADOS2 assessment and RFW refused to reassess, because they saw him 4 years earlier and they stuck with their opinion without taking another look at him.

  We struggled for another 4 years and when he was nearly 8yo,we finally had a therapist in town who could do the new assessment.
  He ended up diagnosed with level 2 ASD, ADHD, ODD, and anxiety disorder.
  We missed out on so much support and therapy in his first 8 years of life.
  We now finally got him into speech, Occupational and physioherapy, thanks to the NDIS.
  After 3 years of intense and ongoing therapy, he's a completely different child.
  He's back at a mainstream school, top of his class, lots of friends, plays soccer 3 days a week, etc.
  Getting the ASD diagnosis (NOT a label), helped open doors that were previously shut tight.
  His speech is now in line with his peers, other than he speaks too fast and has a lisp. We're still working on that.
  He loves to read and writes lots of stories. He's fantastic with maths and science. He's polite, a gentleman, compassionate, emphatic, etc.
  A diagnosis isn't the end of the world.

  I understand that you don't think it's ASD, but beware that new social situations such school, can be overwhelming and trigger more symptoms. Just be on the lookout. That's all.

  I wish you goodluck and truly hope you're right about the ASD diagnosis :)

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  Veebee88 on 31/05/2021 - 01:56

  -1

  Can you child get NIDS funding if you make a decent salary?

  • 

    aliash on 19/06/2021 - 22:40

    Yes. Our combine income is close to 200k

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  bemybubble on 26/07/2021 - 21:10

  Hi op. What you’re describing is exactly what we are going through and our sons are the exact same age and are also being taught two languages.

  Doctors have told us not to worry. Had his hearing checked and booked in to see a speech pathologist.

  Out of curiosity is your son toilet trained yet?

  • 

    mariahwerk on 19/12/2021 - 11:37

    Hi since no one replied to your comment, I thought I'd jump in. I have been a certified practising Speech Pathologist for 4 years. Language delays are caused by a lot of factors including environmental and genetic, and not necessarily relate to autism. There are risk factors to consider. Boys are more likely to present with a language delay. A family history of speech/language delays is also linked to language delays.

    You booking in to see a SP is a great first step. They will do an assessment hopefully looking at how your sons are communicating/expressing themselves at the clinic but also at home. They will be able to tell you based on the assessment, whether your sons are delayed or within the normal range based on their age.

    Here are a couple of resources I usually share with parents that are from Speech Pathology Australia:
    - Milestones: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/Resources…
    - Raising bilingual children: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/Resources…

    Have a look at them and feel free to discuss with your Speech Pathologist too. I assumed they would have been seen already.

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