Can a person grow into Autism?

Question

I have a nephew that when he was little was the average kid. He had friends, was in little league, did good in school, plus he was a social person. Now at age 22 he is very, very, (and again) very withdrawn and hardly speaks at all. He plays on the computer literally from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed. When you ask him to do something he either won't do it, or you have to "let him know in advance" that a task needs to be done because he can't anything at the "spear of the moment". When you do ask him to do something now, he will get very argumentivie and start screaming at the time of this lungs. My sister claims he has been tested and is told he has autism. My sister does tend to stretch the truth. So I don't know if she telling the truth or not. I think that my sister has contributed to this behavior. She will give him EVERYTHING he wants. Oh by the way, at age 22 he has never had a job. So my question is, is he really autisic?

Answer 1

that doesn't sound like autism to me

first off, people don't really 'develop' autism. You know you have autistic kids from the time they are very young. They often have some level of mental retardation, and a high level of behavioral problems. They are developmentally very slow, and often never reach full maturity. Autistic kids don't kick and fuss when you ask them to do something right away, they can be incapable of doing many simple things.

The fact he was a productive kid is the biggest indication. He had good grades, was in sports, and had a social life? No way.

This kid just sounds spoiled to me, and has a bad mother. He doesn't sound autistic at all, you don't 'develop' autism.

Answer 2

First of all, if you are feeling the least bit freaked out right now, you should know (and doctors will tell you this) that many people have the symptoms you have and that they are treatable. The answer is no, you do not develop autism as you grow up. You are born with autism -- it just becomes apparent as the child develops (usually around 18 mos). It's a genetic condition. If your parents did not notice that you had autism at the preschool level, it's highly unlikely that you have autism. It's possible (but not very likely) that you may have features of autism or Aspergers Syndrome and that you did not recognize it until now, but I would be more likely to suspect that if you had repetitive behaviors (like flicking your fingers repeatedly or saying the same thing over and over), pronounced sensory sensitivities, and a communication disorder, such as pragmatic language disorder, or even OCD. If you had one of these disorders, it would have caused you plenty of problems by now. If you are intelligent in a lot of areas (as you seem to be in this post), I would also be less likely to consider you to have autism. There are plenty of people who have autism who are intelligent but not typically in a lot of areas, and more than 50% have below normal intelligence. You may have ADHD/ADD, however. Both autism and ADHD/ADD are neurological disorders (or differences, depending on who you ask) and can be best be assessed and diagnosed by a neurologist, although they may also be treated by other medical professionals. You may want to be screened for learning disabilities and depression if you are found to have ADHD/ADD. If you don't have ADD/ADHD, you may have an anxiety disorder -- incredibly common and also treatable. These symptoms, especially the feeling of disassociation, are associated with anxiety disorders such as post traumatic stress syndrome (to name just one). It is also very common to have these traits when you suffer from depression, which can be a sneaky ailment to diagnose. For anxiety disorder or depression, you will want to consult a competent psychiatrist. And one final note -- none of these may be true for you. You may just be undergoing an unusual amount of stress right now. The symptoms you describe are also associated with (temporary) bouts of unusual stress. If you are going through developmental or hormonal changes, they can also contribute. A doctor can help you determine this. Whatever your issue, eating right, and getting plenty of exercise, sleep (on a schedule is best), and social contact (in a way that makes you feel comfortable) and reducing your stress level will help alleviate your symptoms until you find a treatment plan that works for you, should that become necessary.

Answer 3

I agree autism isn't something you grow into, and yes it sounds like there is another problem and your sister is contributing. He has no purpose right now. He needs to grow up and get a job.

Answer 4

Wow, I never heard of that. I think it is probably a different mental or personality disorder, or perhaps he always had autism, but it was so mild it was not detectable until he got older and had to deal with more challenges in life, but I doubt it. Maybe it is depression. I would be very interested if this were truly a case of autism.

Answer 5

he doesn't have autism. he just doesn't want to fact the fact and grow up. I mean 22? hello?! He seriously needs to get off the computer and get a life.

Answer 6

You have to be born autistic my mother is a care giver for people with special needs and my lil bro is autistic. It sounds to me like your nephew is just spoiled and used to getting his own way.

Answer 7

they don't become autistic; they're already born like that. he could have something else wrong w/ him, tho.

Answer 8

he lies?