Is it true that one can not have Autism AND be Moderatley Cognitively Delayed at the same time?

Question

I am tired of all of the conflicting information. It is awful that there is no official diagnosis and he has been seen at a prominant childrens hospital regularly, the school evaluations, the random evaluatuions at places without his history ( so he can be taken at face value). Everyone contradicts eachother and I am at a loss. ( these are all conflicting Dr's. words not mine each Dr. has stuck by his or her opinion for years) Velo Cardoi Facial disorder, but no facial similiarities and only palipitations, and no genetic back up, Kabuki Syndrome but no features, Mental Retardation I.Q 52-63 with low muscle tone , but tone is okay it is loose joints, and OCD , no it is Autism, no because you can not have Autism and M.R. , delerium seizures no that is not it it is a frontal lobe, syndrome features, no he looks like his father, I could go on .. I need to know what is the problem so that I can find the best solutions. I can not find a support system for family's with this issue

Answer 1

Certanly seems to me that the terms are exclusive of each other. I haven't heard of them being redifined. But I'm more into the masses than individuals.

Answer 2

A human body can have as many debilitating idiosyncracies as is genetically available.

In Autism, the main problem is getting the information from the brain to the world...much like a stroke patient however the problem being in a different area of the brain.

There is a wall that is put up for whatever reason as protection..some stimuli can get in and some cannot...like wise, some responses can be had and for others there is no response( such as we call normal).

You do not clarify what the problem is..this is the first step in securring an explaination. Remember a diagnosis is only an explaination..it is a road map to the next rest area where you can refreash yourself and gain strength. Do not allow a diagnosis to keep you from the problem..if you are on the road and you have to pee sometimes you can't wait till you get to the rest stop you pull over and pee in the woods.

IM me @coolbeansnyc18201 and tell me the problem and I willsee if I can be helpful top you.

Don't panic...all things are for a reason we sometimes don't see yet.

Answer 3

You can have cognitive delays for a variety of reasons and it not be autism. You can also have autism and a cognitive delay. You can have autism with exceptionally high or exceptionally low IQs. You can also have autism and very little cognitive delay. Some of the things you mention, such as
Kabuki Syndrome, are genetic issues. A genetic work up can find some of these, it sounds as if one has already been performed.

Contrary to popular belief, no autism gene has been identified. There are some genetic conditions associated with autism, such as metabolic disorders. However, this is not across the board for every person with autism. There is no blood test for autism, and at the most basic level is a set of behavioral symptoms from the DSM-IV. One of the biggest and often times overlooked aspects of the diagnostics of autism in the DSM-IV is the last sentence, "...behaviors not accounted for by any other disorder." In other words, if you have a genetic disorder and that disorder often has a set of behaviors similar to autism, technically it's not autism, it's the result of the disorder. Others feel autism is too often a lumping of a "we don't know what he/she has so let's call it autism."

I would suggest this family take all their various tests and compile them. If they want to rule out autism, I would suggest seeing someone like Dr. Jeff Bradstreet in Melbourne, FL. I can also offer a listing of other "good" autism doctors in other parts of the country.

To think further about autism, I would consider these questions?

Does he make eye contact?

Is he verbal? If he is verbal, can he carry a conversation and not get stuck only on obsessive type conversations (I'm not sure the age of this child, I'm assuming several years old.)

Does he line up items or do other unusual things with his toys?

Does he have sensory issues? Examples include fears touching stuffed animals, afraid of playdoh (or he loves the fel so much he can't stop), does he always want to be up high or fears things such as being held, walking up/down steps, etc? He may be prefer always being on his back laying down or not be able to sit still.

Seizures are common in those with autism by adulthood at approximately 40% rate. However, having seizures does not equate to having autism, but it is common, as are seizures with a variety of other problems.

Does he have digestive problems? Does he have chronic diarrhea and/or constipation?

Does he appear to have a hearing problem?

If the answer to most of these questions is "yes", then he has some issues very consistent with autism. Typically a hearing test including a brain stem test, speech/language consultation, neurological with EEG & MRI (sounds like some of that may already be done) should all be done before a psychological consultation. The psychologist oftentimes diagnoses autism after all of these tests are done to rule out any other issues. Personally I think a good genetic workup for metabolic disorders should be done to help find any underlying issues.

I hope this helps answer some questions. Again, I would be glad to offer some names of other specialists throughout the US that might be able to help this family. Sounds like this little guy needs some help NOW!

Answer 4

MCD can be found as a symptom of Autism... Autistic children can range from high functioning to no functioning, so there is always a lot of controversial and conflicting diagnoses when it comes to Autism... I am a psychology major, but my sister is a school psychologist at Holmes High School in San Antonio, and we have discussed this type of subject before... Because MCD can be a symptom of Autism you can't be diagnosed as having 2 separate disorders. You can have just MCD or you can have Autism WITH MCD, but not both at the same time... Talk with your child's school psychologist to request a proper evaluation, and to discuss what options are best for your child, by law all public schools are REQUIRED to provide education and proper care to all students regardless of any disorder. Hope that helps! Best Wishes!!!

Answer 5

Hi I am not sure, but I can tell you that My son has been diagnosed with Epilepsy for ten years, now they are saying that he has OCD, most recently they are going to check him for Aspergers, a form of Autism . He has been in a DH class since third grade and before that in first and second they thought he had ADD without the Hypertension. So you tell me. I am like yourself and want to know how all this can be. I am looking into support groups now and will let you know how it goes at a later date. Thank you. and Good Luck I think we are both going to need it.

Answer 6

The answer to the main part of your question is you can have autism with our without mental retardation. The original research showed that a larger percentage of students with autism have cognitive deficits. There are people who will argue and say that children with autism do not have deficits it is just because of the kind of tests that are given, but still in the research and professional community it is widely accepted that you can have autism and cognitive delays.

Answer 7

My daughter has Rett Syndrome, an autistic disorder that is rare in boys but does happen. She is considered MR, low toned, loose joints. The MR cannot be proved or disproved though, because she has poor use of hands and cannot speak.

Answer 8

I am currently learning how to care for children with Autism. The parent i work for is working with her son on a program called son rise. from what i have seen so far its a wonderful program. the website is www.son-rise.org I also have more contact info if you would like that feel free to email me at [e-mail] subject... autism. Good Luck

Answer 9

Hi,
I understand that you can have both - I am mother of a nine year old boy with Kabuki Syndrome. He is cognitively delayed and has autistic features which can be common in KS.
We started a website www.sakks.org, please visit. My contact details are there if you want to talk.

Peta.

Answer 10

Yes this is really a special situation, but this has been reported to exist, the only way out is cope with this situation yourself.
I shall try to get a medical conclusion for your query.