3-year-old throwing tantrums for no reason -- could this be autism??

Question

My 3-year-old nephew just screams at the top of his lungs at times for no reason -- no one's calling him or touching his shoulder whatsoever. He screams and then lies down on the floor and cries whenever he hears high-pitched tunes from the tv or the sound of opera singing. My sister and her husband are extremely worried and the child specialist has been scaring them by saying that it is indeed autism and that my nephew will have to attend a special school for autistic children and can't go to a regular school. '

Is the info regarding autism on the wikipedia website accurate? His current behavior is causing my whole family and his parents tremedous distress as my elderly parents can't keep up with his sudden outbursts. Are the so-called child specialists reliable? I've heard from people that some of these medical professionals haven't heard about autism till quite recently as it wasn't part of their medical syllabus. How reliable are they, or could this condition be something else?

Also, he is obsessed with arranging things in straight row; even the clothe pegs.

Answer 1

GET A SECOND OPINION!!!!!!!!!!! THAT DOCTOR DOESNT KNOW ANYTHING he may very well have autism but that doesnt mean he will have to go to a special school. First of all the way you say tantroms for no reason is false. you say it is when he hears a high pitched noice. has it occured to you that thoise noises may be painful for him turn TURN OFF THE TV. GET HIM EAR MUFFS those type of noises are EXTREMELY painful for those on the autistic spectrum. just get him tested he may not have autism but it is very likely he is on the autistic spectrum. he may have aspergers or PDDNOS

Answer 2

let the parents and the professionals handle it if the parents are not sure then they need to get a second or third opinion but that is up to them no good doctor objects to another opinion but extreme sensitivity to sound which is a form of overstimulation to an autistic child is a classic sympton and the faster this child can get into treatment the better off he will be and his parents need all the support they can get at this time and his parents need to be more concerned about getting him into the right treatment program instead of worrying about regular school, as this is not a refelection on them that there child has a special need can u imagine how much pain that poor little boy is feeling when he reacts that way to high pitched noises there come on and his withdrawal from touch epecially when he is throwing a quote unquote trantrum is another form of overstimulation when u try to touch him THESE ARE NOT TRANTRUMS HE IS SCREAMING IN PAIN AND FEAR, so go along with what is decided to be the best form of treatment for this little guy, support the parents, and try to give them a break any way u can cooking a meal, taking other kids or just give mom and dad time away. good luck

Answer 3

Tantrums are totally normal for 3 year olds. But someone is giving him those lofty ideas about vacations, fireworks, etc. At this age, kids are only starting to be able to control their emotions. They can get confused, mixed up, and upset quite easily. The only person who can control him right now is you. The next time he throws a fit, kneel down, explain to him that he is going in his room until he can calm down - don't say anything else. Leave him in there (with the door shut) for 5 minutes. Do that every time he throws a tantrum only increase the time by a minute. The key is to be consistent with the punishments. Don't do timeout one time and the next spank him. That way he will learn that when he throws a tantrum, he will be stuck in his room. Good luck!!

Answer 4

That sounds a lot like Autism. Especially being obsessed with arranging things.

Check out www.Autismspeaks.org.

Wikipedia may or may not be accurate since it relies on every day people to post the info.

Tell your sister to take the child to a developmental specialist. A regular pediatrician may know some things about autism....but they aren't trained past diagnosis. And check out where you live...I know where I live they have some great programs for Autisitic children etc.

Answer 5

It could possibly be autism. The child psecialist doesnt mean to SCARE your sister and her husband, he is trying to prepare them. I have a son with severe special needs and he attends a special school. It is not a bad thing believe me. In fact I wish my 7 yr old NORMAL daughter could go there aswell, they are so much nicer than mainstream schools, because the children are treated as individuals and are seen as their own person and not their diagnosis. Child specialists are pretty reliable and most people (and medical) have heard of autism. It is a scary jourmey your sister and ehr husband are embarking on, but they have to look at in a different way, they are going the find out why their child is behaving the way he is and once he has been diagnosed then they will be able to get the best for him!!! Which is what every parent wants for their child. Of course, its not in the way that most parents expect.

I would also like to say that just beause theiur son MAY have autism, it doesnt mean to say that he HAS to go to a special school, there are many children with autism that go to main stream and have support. Autism is not a life sentence, if your family work with all the proffessionals (who are there to help) and realise their son's true potential then there is no stopping him. If their son deos get diagnosed with autism, the school will work with them to put strategies into place that will help deal with his behaviour. If he needs to go to a special school then so be it, they are brilliant places that help the children develop at their own pace and they celebrate even the little achievements. Just by typing autism into the search engine massess of info will pop up.

If your sister wants to email someone who understands about having a child with special needs she is very welcome to email me anytime.

Good Luck.

Answer 6

Autism is a very complex disorder that can only be diagnosed by a specialist, such as a neurologist. All too often, I've heard parents say things like "My child is autistic" simply because the child has speech delays. Yes, many kids with autism have speech delay, but delayed speech doesn't equal autism. The same goes for tantrums, "quirks" like arranging things constantly, etc. But many kids who exhibit these behaviors are not autistic. The symptoms your nephew is exhibit may very well point to autism, but nobody can diagnose him without seeing him.
Whoever told your nephew's parents that he will never go to a "regular" (mainstream) school and he will need to go to a "special" school should lose their job for that comment alone. We have something called the Americans With Disabilities Act which prevents segregation of people with disabilities. Your nephew can not only go to a regular school, but he can be in a regular class if that's what his parents want. He may benefit from the help of an aid, and he will qualify for free therapy through the school system, but he will NOT be hidden off in the "special" class.
Furthermore, with the many advances in therapies, many people with autism go on to lead normal or semi - normal lives - they can go to college, have successful careers, get married and have children of their own. Only time will tell what will become of your nephew, but only one person has a right to decide what he is and isn't capable of, and that's him. Just keep being supportive of him and his parents, and helping them in any way you can with therapy. I wish you all the best.

Answer 7

First of all Autism is nothing to be scared about, my twin son Thomas was diagnosed with autism at aged 3 and a half and from what your saying I'm am unconvinced that this is autism to be honest, from what i went through with my son at that age he was unable to talk (he is nine and still unable to talk)he never made eye contact would never play with his twin sister or us, would sit lining bricked up or playing with car wheels, its terrible that some one is stating autism without doing the right assessment for it, lying on the floor screaming doesn't indicate autism (but could be a sign of frustration) please do not look up symptoms via the Internet they would just worry you more they need to see someone to get answers, My son Thomas went for a 6 week assessment at a child development centre and within 3 weeks he was diagnosed , Thomas does attend a special school and is still in nappies also, Thomas was sent to a see a child psychologist before all the assessments began, your nephew needs to be seen by specialists before a diagnoses of autism is made

Answer 8

well if the doctor says he's autistic then he's autistic he's not trying to scare them he's giving them facts
also he shows obvious signs of autism

doctors have known about autism for decades but until recently there wasnt alot known about it but in the last 5 yrs autism research has discovered pretty much everything there is to know about autism
he can go to a normal private school but no he wont be able to go to regular public school

here check this out

http://www.autismspeaks.org

http://search.oprah.com:7782/search/search_results.jsp?querystring=autism&fromSearchPage=yes

also the person above me is an idiot
there are several forms of autism and several levels not just the one that particular person has
yes he should be seen by a specialist but not for diagnosis of autism but so he can tell how bad it is and what kind

Answer 9

I am not convinced that this is autism. Some signs can be indicitive of more than on disease/disorder/ etc. Heck, my son, could start screming for no reason, and he is fine. I wonder if you might tell us more...Does he answer to his own name? Does he seek hugs and embraces like other children? There is also a disorder that can exhibit the same signs in a child, but it has to do with a sudden disrution in how the childs senses confer to his brain whatr he may be feeling or touching. I cannot remember the name; let me look it up, get back to you......Okay, found it:
Sensory Integration Processing Disorder:
Most children will display some of the symptoms listed below, but a child with a sensory integration disorder will show the signs often and more dramatically than others their same age. They will display behaviors that are apparently immature and have difficulty adapting to everyday situations.
Over or undersensitive to senses (i.e. touch, sight, sound, taste, smell or movement)
Has trouble reading
Poor handwriting or drawing skills
Avoids or craves touch more than other children
Inattentive, difficulty maintaining focus
Dislikes getting hands or face dirty
Intense reactions to everyday experiences
Has difficulty transisting from activity to activity or to changes in routines
Unusually high or low activity level
Poor balance, less coordinated, runs awkwardly
Impulsive, has little or no self-control
Skin overly sensitive to clothing fabrics or tags
Avoids brushing their teeth or washing their hair
Fearful of movement or craves slides, swings, bouncing, rocking
Touches walls or furniture when walking
Avoids or craves particular food textures
Frequently chews on

Mind you, not all of the children do all of these things, that suffer from this, but they do have VERY dramatic responses, to stimuli, and you may only notice high pitched sounds, but it could be things you are not aware of; get a second opinion. blessings.......

Answer 10

Unfortunately,autism is a growing thing these days. Oregon has the highest rate of autism (1 in 3 children). what you are describing does sound like clasic signs of autism,but could also be a lot of other things... Sensory issues are huge in children with autism. How are his eating habbits? does he have aversions to certain foods/textures? these are also clasic signs. Just know that if it is infact autism,early intervention is the key,and some autism children,with the right training (ABA ,STARS,..ect..)..can be very functional members of society.