how do i distinguish autism from a learning disability?

Question

how would one know if they are autistic or have a learning disability or perhaps both?

Answer 1

Some of the behaviors that both of my autistic spectrum children have esp. when they were young, my 7 year old still has are: hand flapping and pigeon toe-walking (during the younger years); esp. when they were nervous or worried; repetitive actions esp. my daughter did this. She would not really play with toys just line them up, no imaginative play, not really much doll play, mostly just lined up stuffed animals or whatever.

Most autism are said to have delayed lang. like my son, he saw a speech therapist at 3 because he was not speaking. But my daughter on the other hand was an early speaker at 6 months, but did a lot of echolalia where she would repeat phrases over and over again (so my husband really had to watch his language!!!) They are also very obsessive about things. I think all kids have this to some extent, but they really take it to another level. They always have an obsession and it is very difficult, almost impossible for them to focus on anything else. Currently, my daughter is obsessed with Pokemon, before that dragons, before that dinosaurs, human body, etc!

They also both have sensory integration disorder which my son has the most severely. He cannot stand being touched, hugged, or kissed. They both cannot stand anything sticky being touched and eat fried or barbecued chicken by encasing it with paper towels (they love the taste but hate the feeling!) My son used to scream being bathed or touching grass (still doesn't like baths!)

My daughter doesn't seem to have any noticeable learning disabilities, but my son does have the dyslexia that his father and grandmother do. That has been addressed with a lot of Orton Gillingham reading programs, phonemic awareness (also called phonological awareness) programs, phonics, vocabulary, etc.

You can tell if one is dyslexic pretty quickly by going to http://www.interdys.org/servlet/compose?section_id=5&page_id=41 (If you have an older or younger child, click on the Symptoms for Preschool Child or 5th-8th or High School & College or Adults and look at the symptoms according to age.

My son has always exhibited all the symptoms of each age as a preschooler and as he has grown. The addition of his dad and his grandmother having dyslexia (I believe dyslexia is genetic in origin) and if there is a strong family history of dyslexia that is another good clue.

Answer 2

Most learning disabilities would not affect communication or socialization, whereas most of the deficits in autism are around those two areas. If you are concerned, you should speak to a pediatric psychologist, or a developmental psychologist to have an evaluation done. They will be able to tell you if the child is showing signs or has areas of concern in relation to autism. if not, they usually will be able to at least narrow down the areas in which they are having trouble, and helping find the area of learning disability.

I'd call your local autism society and ask for a referral to doctors in your area. We spent a fortune going from psych to psych before we finally hit one that knew anything about autism.

Answer 3

There are alot of resources out there that can help you come to the decision on if you have a learning disability. The best way is the get an assessment done and that will tell you were you stand and where you need to go from there.

Answer 4

Autism is a specific psychological/psychiatric disorder, the criteria for which are located in the "clinician's bible", the DSM-IV. It requires diagnosis by a psychologist or psychiatrist. Autism-spectrum disorders have more generalized symptoms of impairment to global (whole-person) functioning than simply academic difficulties, such as problems in interpersonal relationships.

"Learning disability" is a catch-all phrase for a variety of more specific difficulties in learning subject content or, in the case of dyslexia, an inability of the brain to properly process visual material.

Some people with autism (or, autism-spectrum disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome) also have learning disabilities. Some do not. Noted professor of animal husbandry Dr. Temple Grandin has written and lectured about her life experience as a person with autism. Bill Gates of Microsoft has acknowledged that he has Asperger's Syndrome. Two examples of people with autism-spectrum disorders who are enormously high-functioning.

Any psychiatrist or psychologist can interview and do testing for autistic-spectrum disorders although a neuropsychologist can best test for the degree of impairment of the autistic-spectrum disorders. An educational psychologist can test for specific learning disorders.

Answer 5

Autism has no longer been proper to vaccines. the reason it grew to become into even a scare interior the 1st place is by using the fact autistic indications would start to happen around the time of the MMR vaccine that's given between 12 and 18 months. yet what human beings fail to comprehend is that those are whilst the indications of autism start to look regardless. Autism is genetic and if a infant is predispositioned to have autism, they're going to have it. . additionally, for all you mom and father who "p.c." to no longer vaccinate, the only reason you are able to harm out with it incredibly is by using the fact the regularly occurring public of the inhabitants nonetheless p.c. to do the in charge difficulty and vaccinate. you p.c. to ascertain what occurs to a inhabitants of little ones that are no longer vaccinated, flow to a third international united states of america the place the regularly occurring public of them die in the previous the age of two from illnesses that have been irradicated interior the U. S. via vaccines. Now that's actual info.

Answer 6

Schools can test for specific learning disabilities. If you're concerned about autism, start with the child's doctor.

Answer 7

The Person should notice the way they act or If it someone thats a small child get a specailist to find out whats happing. When I found out I was Autistic someone told me and I noticed the way I acted.

Answer 8

a lot times they go together but not alaways

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_disability
http://www.learningupgrade.com/html/ruspecialneeds.htm?OVRAW=learning%20disability&OVKEY=learning%20disability&OVMTC=standard
http://www.enablemart.com/default.aspx?store=10&dept=22
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs7txt.htm
http://www.ldinfo.com/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.htm
http://www.autismwebsite.com/ari/vaccine/vaccine.htm
http://www.firstsigns.org/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
http://www.neurologychannel.com/autism/symptoms.shtml
http://www.symptoms-4u.com/autism.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0001/ai_2603000186
http://www.childrensdisabilities.info/autism/autism.html
http://www.muschealth.com/cds/HealthEncy.aspx?id=001526
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/autism#type...

you can ask schools what the differences is and your doctor can tell you. you can also check out with the library.