atypical autism

[worried mum]

Hi there, i've got my sons definate diagnosis now it's atypical autism & i'm wondering if anyone could give me any advice. Do the school need to have him statemented? does this type of autism worsen as they get older? CAMHS weren't really any use after diagnosis, just got it by letter stating to read up on this. School are being brilliant with him (even prior to diagnosis) and found what worked for him, doodle books, "own table/crayons" etc explaining everything so he's prepared for any change. at home we've also been doing the same too, and even though he flares up, we can prevent a lot of these from escalating. he's only 6 now and whilst i appreciate autism does not go away, i was wondering if anyone on here has any experience if atypical autism will get worse or maybe a little better as my child gets older and can cope better.

 

thanks for all your help on my previous posting re dla, i've sent it in now and it took a 10days to even get an acknowledgment!! so i don't know how long i'll be waiting for a decision, i did send the school report in with it though that they had filled in for CAMHS

[mummy]

Atypical just means not typical. So this could mean a number of thins but implies that he's somewhere between classic autism and Aspergers.

(Please someone correct me if I'm wrong)

 

I work in a special school and i see how the kids change as they get older and approach adulthood.

Generally they lean coping strategies as they get older especially if they are at the more able end of the spectrum.

You won't need a statement simply because he has an ASD diagnosis but if he is having difficulties with his learning then a statement maybe appropriate.

Does he generally work with kids his own age?

It sounds like you have a good school who are doing everything they can for him but his next school may not be so good so a statement may be needed to be in place before then as there are clearly, from what you say, things that he may need help with.

 

I wish you well and i expect I'll 'see' you around.

 

mummy xx

[Cat]

It it my understanding that atypical means that the child did not fulfil the criteria for the triad of impairments needed for a diagnosis of autism. To diagnose autism the child or adult must have impairments in every area of the triad socalisation, communication and imagination. You will usually only find two of these impairments in people with atypical autism. ie not typical of the criteria needed but enough traits for it to be included into the umbrella of ASD.

 

I have also read that it often has a later onset than autism but I am not sure about this.

 

There are no straight lines with any forms of autism. Our children appear to be doing well and then can regress. I personally think that this often links in with periods of stress and of course their hormones.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cat

[Kathryn]

There are no straight lines with any forms of autism. Our children appear to be doing well and then can regress. I personally think that this often links in with periods of stress and of course their hormones.

 

I agree with this. I think generally the challenges increase as children get older: schoolwork requires greater organisational skills, there's more pressure to conform socially especially in the teens, and secondary schools can be very confusing places compared to smaller primaries. For these reasons I think autism may become more obvious later on.

 

It's great that the school are doing well without any nagging or prompting from you. Re statementing - this depends very much on what the school can provide from its own funds. To get a statement you would usually need to gather evidence over time that the school is not able to meet your son's needs and he is not making progress. This wouldn't be easy as the school seem to be doing OK at the moment, from what you say. Talk to the school about it though and keep an eye on it as the situation can change - as he goes further up the school he may need more support.

 

Good luck with the DLA .

 

K x

[worried mum]

thanks for your postings, he's doing well academically wise (apart from his handwriting which is really bad), he doesnt need anybodys help with his school work so i thought he wouldn't need statementing but i wasn't sure if because he'd had a diagnosis that he would need one. I'm lucky that the school is so good (and his class mates are quite chillled as well). it was the school who first brought it to our attention that there might be "something different", we'd always accepted his behaviour as different to that of our other child, but it was our son and we didnt think anymore of it, however after the schools concerns this prompted further queries/investigations by the doctor etc.

 

speak to you all soon no doubt x

[Tally]

As I understand it, atypical autism, also known as PDD-NOS (pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified) means that there are autistic traits, but not enough to meet the full diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of autism or Asperger's. The problem is that some people will be inclined to see the condition as "mild autism". A person with autism may exhibit all the symptoms to a slight degree, while a person with atypical autism may have some very pronounced, distressing symptoms. This is why it might be best if you do get a statement, because you need his needs to be taken seriously, not just now but in the future as well.