anyone familiar with autism and why i can't get a definite diagnosis on my son?

Answer 1

My son is autistic. He is now 6 and was diagnosed just after he turned 2.

Some drs are reluctant to diagnose a very young child unless it is really obvious. My son's preliminary diagnosis was actually PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified) that left it open so that I could still get the therapies he needed, but we could watch to see how he progressed before we were sure. After six months of speech and occupational therapies we returned to the dr and they narrowed his diagnosis to Autism based on the reports given by the therapists.

My personal opinion is that you are the parent. You see the child in the day to day humdrum of life. You know something is going on. Your dr only sees the child once or twice a year, depending on how often the child gets sick. You know your child better than anyone else. If the dr you currently see isn't helping, find a new one. You are the only advocate your child has. You may be the only advocate your child will EVER have.

Answer 2

Many peditricians are reluctant to give a child a formal diagnosis of autism because they worry the child will be "labelled", singled out or in some other ways forced apart from the group. This was a common fear back in the 50's-60' when far less was known and understood about autism, so a dignosis immediately narrowed options (the two most common were inpatient care even for young children and special ed classes that were little more than daycares). Many parents fought AGAINST an official diagnosis as a way to keep their kids out of these places. Now of course, special ed and what we know about autism had changed dramatically. Often times, to get the best services or qualify for things like respite care, your child must have an official diagnosis. If your pediatrician is hesistant to give a diagnosis, and you have no complaints other than this with the care your child has recieved, ask him why. It could be he still feels that the diagnosis of autism will do more harm than good. If that is the case, explain to him that without the diagnosis your child can not get the services he needs. If he is hesitating because he is unsure about the diagnosis being accurate (not uncommon as there are so many variables in autism and spectrum disorders that if a child does not have the best known symptoms, it can be tough to diagnose), ask for a referral to a developmental pediatrician who will have the skills and experience to determine a correct diagnosis (actually, I recommend this for all children on the spectrum who have been diagnosed by regular pediatricians or through the school system, simply because these specialists can often give you the most comprehensive diagnosis of developmental ability,etc.). Finally if you don't really like this doctor, find another. Getting a second opnion is usually covered by your insurance companies, but call to find out what the procedure is. Also, ask your insurance company if any of the peditricians they cover specialize in working with special needs children..this can help steer you to someone with more experience.

Everyone is right...we parents are the best advocates our children will even have. if you feel there is something your doctor is dragging on or simply isn't doing right, talk to him about. Get the help you need or find the person who can give it to you. Good luck!

Answer 3

How old is your son? I just read that doctors will be incorporating a new part of the well child visit to screen for autism and it is simple as calling the child by name. At one year of age, the child should answer if their name is being called to them. As a parent of three children WITHOUT autism, I have become very aware of the statistics for the occurrence of autism. I think every parent needs to familiarize themselves with autism, we are all affected by it.

Answer 4

Without more info it would be hard to say. After ten years in the autism world, i've seen probably more causes for nondiagnosis across the spectrum of autism.
As mentioned before, sometimes it is due to age, severity of symptom as well as the doctor you see. If you really think something is wrong, contact your local autism group and ask them for the names of doctors in your area who specialize in autism. The average doctor (whether pediatrician, psychologist or neurologist) is not trained to evaluate or diagnose autism.
So how how is he, and what symptoms does he have that concerns you? Where are you located? Is he in public school yet? etc etc.

Answer 5

There are many different levels of ability with autism. It's a disorder still not completely understood and only recently designated a disorder separate from mental retardation. You have to keep plugging away until you get the answers you need to help your son.
No doubt you have already looked, but if you will type "autism" into your search engine, you will find dozens of resources.

Answer 6

not sure u can go to google whuy dont u go to a MD and a mental health docter.