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MARSPY
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17 Jun 2011, 9:48 am

Hello everybody. My son is in the spectrum. We don't know if he ha AS or autism. He is 4,5 years old . I would like to ask sth. When we say stereotyped motor mannerisms
we mean body movements like twisting hands, ricking etc ? My son does nothing of these. But he will be absorbed in routines for instant playing with water, he haw sensory issious because he obsrves things from different corners etc. Additionally he is non- verbal although he uses some words. Any time he had used these words was in a propper way.
The fact that he doesn't do repetitive stereotyped movements mean sth for his diagnosis ??
Thank for your answers!!



wavefreak58
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17 Jun 2011, 10:45 am

MARSPY wrote:
The fact that he doesn't do repetitive stereotyped movements mean sth for his diagnosis ??
Thank for your answers!!


It means very little. Repetitive, stereotyped movement is only one diagnostic criteria and not required if other ones are met. He may also one day develop a movement and that may eventually go away or be replaced with another. It can also be very subtle, not necessarily things like rocking back and forth in a dramatic fashion.


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Avengilante
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17 Jun 2011, 1:27 pm

MARSPY wrote:
Hello everybody. My son is in the spectrum. We don't know if he ha AS or autism. He is 4,5 years old . I would like to ask sth. When we say stereotyped motor mannerismswe mean body movements like twisting hands, ricking etc ?


Please do not be misled, Asperger Syndrome IS autism. Its simply more high functioning than what most people think of as classic autism, meaning those on the higher functioning end of the spectrum are able to develop more sophisticated coping mechanisms to hide the fact that they are suffering from a set of handicaps.

As for repetitive motions (stims), these are SELF-STIMULATING BODY MOTIONS - not nervous habits. IMO hand-wringing would not qualify, nor would hair twisting or nail biting, etc. Stims are motions engaged in in order to alleviate the stress of sensory overload and they are more or less constant. You may notice that they stop when the individual is focused and engaged in a specific activity, but any time they are not absorbed in one specific thing, they will tend to revert to the stimming motion, rocking, swaying, hand-flapping, etc.

I'm a bit skeptical when professionals start trying to diagnose as early as four years old. Lower functioning cases, where there are other impairments that complicate the autism may be obvious that early, but I'm not sure one could make a reliable diagnosis of AS before say six years at least. Not that it matters, since there's no medication, the only thing anyone can offer is Behavioral Therapy, or in other words forcing a child to behave against their nature, or forcing them to behave like everybody else by ignoring the natural impulses of their own neurological makeup (personality). This smacks of psychological torture to me and in my experience, no amount of changing to please the world ever 'takes' permanently. Not what most parents want to hear, but true, nonetheless. I just believe that its wrong to teach a child that they are somehow 'damaged' because they think differently than the people around them.


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17 Jun 2011, 3:47 pm

Quote:
As for repetitive motions (stims), these are SELF-STIMULATING BODY MOTIONS - not nervous habits. IMO hand-wringing would not qualify, nor would hair twisting or nail biting, etc. Stims are motions engaged in in order to alleviate the stress of sensory overload and they are more or less constant. You may notice that they stop when the individual is focused and engaged in a specific activity, but any time they are not absorbed in one specific thing, they will tend to revert to the stimming motion, rocking, swaying, hand-flapping, etc.


Oh, I don't know. I managed to give myself bald patches from repetetive hair twisting as a pre-schooler. Then my mother had my hair cut short.

To the OP: No, as another poster said, not all the criteria need to be met.



MARSPY
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18 Jun 2011, 12:51 am

I'm a bit skeptical when professionals start trying to diagnose as early as four years old. Lower functioning cases, where there are other impairments that complicate the autism may be obvious that early, but I'm not sure one could make a reliable diagnosis of AS before say six years at least. Not that it matters, since there's no medication, the only thing anyone can offer is Behavioral Therapy, or in other words forcing a child to behave against their nature, or forcing them to behave like everybody else by ignoring the natural impulses of their own neurological makeup (personality). This smacks of psychological torture to me and in my experience, no amount of changing to please the world ever 'takes' permanently. Not what most parents want to hear, but true, nonetheless. I just believe that its wrong to teach a child that they are somehow 'damaged' because they think differently than the people around them.
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This is very interesting!! What ca I do so as to communicate with him in his way but without forcing him to change his mind. I don't want to change him , I don't care If he is thinging in a different way but I would like to know what to do to enter his world and make him ,in a non-violent way, to be socialized. If you can give me some advice I would be very greatful to you.



lauraflight757
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18 Jun 2011, 3:09 pm

Stereotyped motor mannerisms are only one of many diagnostic criteria that would come together as autism or AS and are therefore not required for diagnosis.