sugarplum Report post Posted March 24, 2008 If a child of 5 is considered low functioning, non verbal, still in nappies etc etc can the become high functioning? I mean what is the likelihood of him being this way as an adult? I am a single parent so it is just me and ds, he gets all my attention and he is quite interactive and loves having my attention, he definately likes to be around people he likes Just a general question as I do stress about the future an awful lot Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elun1 Report post Posted March 24, 2008 <'> Hi I'm trying to think of the best way to answer this as I'm sure everyones experiences are different and I dont want to be depressing. My son is diagnosed as severely autistic with severe learning difficulties. He is also epileptic. Im sure from things Ive read that children (and adults) do 'move around' on the spectrum. So if a child is diagnosed with classic Kanners autism at 2 years old he may eventually (if reassessed when older) be seen more as HFA. I think I read this in Lorna Wing's book but I'm not 100% sure. Or they may not move much at all on the spectrum. There are no certainties with autism which at times gives you hope but at other times can be so frustrating. Like you I worry soooo much about the future. I've been told by ed psych who works with O at school in his unit that he WILL need lifelong 24 hr support and I need to keep this in mind (as if Im likely to forget!) To be fair to the woman I did ask her opinion and I'm glad she gave it but I've always known in my heart of hearts from day 1 that Os autism is very severe. However my niece K was diagnosed with autism aged 3. She had NO speech at all until she was 6 and then it was echolalia for a long time. She didnt have a lot of stims though and somehow you had a feeling that she understood a lot more than she let on. She was toilet trained at about 6 and gradually she let us in to her world a bit. She was in special ed until 9 and then my sister pushed for a mainstream place. Her language improved and she is now coping in secondary (she's 13) with 20 hrs support from a fantastic LSA. She's doing well academically but struggles socially. She doesn't see the point of girly small talk and will be very direct about this. Also if she sees any below par teaching she will point this out clearly to teacher in question!! But she's come so far from the silent beautiful little girl of 3 who used to pace up and down avoiding all eye contact. She's so gifted at art that it seems she'll be able to pursue it as a career. As you can probably tell I'm very proud of her Just as I am of my own children I seem to have written an essay sorry! Was just trying to explain my own experiences and to say I don't think there are any certainties Elun xx <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lucas Report post Posted March 25, 2008 Out of Leo Kanner's patients, those he described as the least able as children tended to be the most successful as adults. This is commonly put down to that they were encouraged to develop in many ways whilst the higher functioning patients were constantly misinterpreted and seen more as being able but awkward rather than intelligent with additional needs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) Welcome to the forum, Sugarplum To be honest, I think you need to be guided by the professionals who are involved in your son's assessments, education and care. The future must understandably be of great concern, but I think it also helps to try and enjoy our children for who they are right now, if that makes sense. I hope that hasn't come across all wrong What I meant was that when my son was little I was often so worried or struggling so much that I didn't/couldn't just enjoy him for himself, which now saddens me?? Sorry if this has come out in a clumsy way Bid Edited March 25, 2008 by bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sugarplum Report post Posted March 25, 2008 Hi all Thanks for the replies, i've found them very helpful it is quite hard because autism is so complex to say that he may be HFA when older... elun1 : thanks for that, my son seems like he understands alot more lately but he is a cheeky little rascal its lovely to hear your niece is doing so well Lucas: Thats very interesting and quite surprising to me! quite upsetting for higher functioning autistics who are misunderstood Bid: Don't worry I completely understand what you mean! to be honest its hard not to enjoy him hes such a gorgeous little boy with a huge personality, he lights up the room I have to say though, 2 years ago was much harder for us when me and his dad seperated and I found everything so overwhelming on my own...still feel guilty that I couldn't enjoy him as much as I should of The future is scary but I think I will have a chat with his ed psych/teacher/speech therapist and see what they say... Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lynden Report post Posted March 25, 2008 Hi there Its a difficult one and something I think about a lot. My son has also been described as severely, or low functioning autistic. And I would agree with that. However, since he started the school he's at, and we are betting managing to help him with his sensory issues, he is learning a lot faster than any of us expected. I struggled to seperate his learning difficulties from his autism for a long time, but I think I can do that now so I can see that whilst Logan might always be severely autistic, he might be able to do more than we ever thought if we can help him. If he's in a new environment where his sensory needs aren't met, he will regress or self harm. Would be fab to have a crystal ball eh? Lynne x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
