Autism Spectrum Disorder

On Tuesday Peter was diagnosed as having Austism Spectrum Disorder, meaning he has autism. Currently, the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) category includes:

1. Autistic disorder (“classic” autism);
2. Asperger’s Syndrome;
3. Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) or atypical autism;

Because of his age (20 months) and relatively absent language skills, Peter has been given the umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. By the time he is 2 ½ or 3 years old, they will be able to accurately identify which of three disorders listed above he has. (For sake of clarity, the medical community calls all three ASDs autism, but the term autistic is reserved for those who have Autistic disorder—confusing isn’t it!)

At Peter’s six-month well-child exam I had some concerns that I discussed with his pediatrician. In fact, I flat out told him I thought Peter might have autism. He deftly assuaged my worry informing me that it really is not possible to diagnosis autism before 18 months of age. Also the fact that Peter was 5 weeks premature could just as easily account for his delays and behavior. However, he told me that my concerns were legitimate and we would need to keep an eye on Peter. Well, almost fourteen months later we finally have a diagnosis.

No parent wants to hear her child has a disorder, however, a diagnosis can provide direction, validation, and a modicum of relief. While I didn’t want Peter to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, I did want to know what was going on and what Ryan and I could do to help him. We now have answers (and many new questions). Peter may still have Auditory Neuropathy or an Auditory Processing Disorder in addition to autism, but no matter what he has autism. (He is scheduled to undergo a brain-stem test in December to determine if he has Auditory Neuropathy.)

We are still trying to process what all this means and figure out where to go from here (we’re Amazon.com’s new favorite friend). We are trying to sift through the inordinate amount of information available. Unfortunately, opinion and anecdotal evidence, instead of science, seems to be in the majority. We’re confused, but we’re confused with a purpose. Thankfully all this means nothing to Peter right now. He only thinks we have been taking him to offices so he can play with nice people and different toys.

I want to thank everyone who has expressed their love and concern for Peter, Ryan and me in the past few months. It is reassuring to know how many people care about our little family and our adorable little guy. I know that it is sometimes hard to know what to say and that there is always the worry of saying the wrong thing, but I want to assure you that just saying something and acknowledging our situation has given us comfort. Those who have given support in simple ways have made a huge impact. Thank you.