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Without that knowledge, it is very common for teachers and professionals to assume that an otherwise smart ASD child is being stubborn, lazy or a discipline problem, when the truth is the child really, truly, fundamentally does not understand. That gap is heart breaking to the child, and can lead them to check out at school, or simply give up even trying to behave. The frustration can come out in many negative ways.
Amen! And parents too! While I do agree that 3 years old is maybe too young to seek a diagnosis, to wait too long can be detrimental. Looking back, I can see how my son would have been diagnosed years ago. Unfortunately, in our ignorance, we took his behavior as part of his "giftedness" and quirky personality. Our years of ignorance (and one uncooperative ex-husband) have resulted in severe emotional issues for our 15 year old. Had we understood ASD, we would have been able to modify our parenting style, exercised more patience, and been more academically proactive for our son.
20 May 2012, 10:45 pm
