Mk13 and everyone else. I just dont understand why they just dont get it! Why are they so keen to diagnose autism? Seriously, if my son had autism, and I was confident in the doctors assessment, I would accept the diagnosis and look at interventions. But he absolutely does not have autism. Spend five minutes having a conversation with him and it is obvious. It just frustrates me!!!!
If a teacher notices that something's up, there usually is, even if the teacher is not equipped to accurately identify that something. My feeling is that if something's been noticed as atypical, it's a good idea to get an evaluation with a capable professional. A developmental pediatrician or a neuropsychologist is a good place to start.
My DS10, who is both gifted and on the autism spectrum, flew under the radar until kindergarten. Nobody believed he could possibly be autistic-- he was, after all, so smart-- even though he had many of the classic signs. He really is autistic, and he could have benefited a lot from interventions in those early years.
Autism is neither an insult nor a death sentence; it's a neurological difference. Nobody is trying to hurt your feelings by suggesting your DS might be on the spectrum-- they are likely trying to help.
DeeDee
