Finally a diagnosis!

[tlrway]

Some of you may recall me posting a few months back about the possibility there was something wrong with my 3 year old son. We just had our appointment over at Riley Psychiatry Autism Center and he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. He will start speech therapy for one hour per week as well as behavioral therapy with a psychologist.
If anyone is dealing with a PDD-NOS toddler and has any advice on how to deal with the meltdowns, tantrums, crying...any info. is much appreciated. It just seems so much easier at times to just let him have his way to avoid an embarrassing scene in a store, or just to not have to deal with the crying. I know it does not benefit him and that he has to be taught to behave in a socially acceptable way. The behavioral therapy is supposed to help us deal with some of that too.
I'm just so frustrated, drained emotionally at times.
Any info or tips much appreciated!

[tlrway]

My son has a lot of social skills issues...prefers playing alone, doesn't like being approached by other kids...can sometimes get mean and hateful when they do approach. He also will get very nasty with a complete total stranger in a store that we dont even know. He likes affection and has no problem giving it...but on his terms..if he's in that mode of not wanting you to touch him...you will know it because he will scream. He has trouble with speech...trouble wording things properly, trouble comprehending even the smallest of things...trouble carrying a conversation. He is very clumsy and uncoordinated. He misuses pronouns a lot in his speech and has a lot of echolalia (repeating verbatim something you just said to him)...for example I will ask him a question and instead of anwering it..he'll just repeat the same question right back to me. He has a lot of crying spells, meltdowns, and tantrums. Something as small as putting his milk in the wrong sippy cup can set him off and I'm not just talking crying for a few minutes...he would cry over it for an hour! He has no fear of traffic..have to have firm grip on him at all times when near streets or in store parking lots and not let him go for even a second. He is easily distracted. His attention is great..if it's something HE likes. He has a fascination with things that spin...fans, pinwheels, etc. He does line up his hot wheels and care bears frequently. He obsesses about things...once his mind is on something....hard for him to let the subject go and he'll just repeat about that subject over and over. He does walk on his tiptoes frequently too. He doesn't seem to know how to play with other children. He has some sensory issues...doesn't like anything at all on his hands messy...no cheesy cheetos, sticky taffy..nothing can be on his hands! He doesn't like loud noises like the vacuum cleaner, sometimes the radio barely up and he'll cover his ears and tell me to turn it down. He has a little bit of an issue here lately with tags in his clothing...been cutting them out of his shirts and pants. He is VERY VERY VERY hyperactive...as if driven by a motor at times.....he totally wears me out emotionally and physically on most given days. It's just draining trying to keep up with him. His speech is somewhat monotone..not a lot of inflection in his voice when he speaks. He has a HUGE vocabulary, knows his colors, shapes, numbers, letters, and can spell and write his name, plus about six other words as well...and keep in mind he's only 3 1/2 years old! So as you can see...he definitely does exhibit of what some would call the classic signs of autism, but not enough to be labeled that and therefore instead got the dx of PDD-NOS. Hope this helps!
Best of luck to you

[MJIthewriter]

I've had psychologists want to label me as ADHD or ADHD with my diagnosis of PDD nos.  Answer you're looking for is probably yes.  Like someone with ADHD I have a hard time focusing. I tend to get distracted, focus too much on distraction and then get distracted and focus on that distraction.  As a child some considered me hyper active.

[mich97]

if you don't mind me asking what behaviors did your son have for the diagnoses of PDD-NOS?? How did the specialist determine that?  Don't know if u read my post I recently went to the Ped neurologist w/ concerns of my 4 y.o. sons behavior. After much research I thought I would leave w/ that diagnoses too but she said "NO to Pdd" and i left her office w/ a big packet on ADHD!!! ( i hear their symptoms can be similiar/ overlap???)

[louloumum]

Thank you for your response to my post regarding my son Reilly who is now three and has echolalic speech and behavioural problems also.  I receive a diagnosis for Reilly on the 15th February.  It was something I was prepared for and relieved that we can now move on down the path of early intervention, however I must admit it is a blow to a mothers system of emotions because no one wants their child to struggle.  Reilly was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder.  I feel as though Australians are a little more hesitant in applying the PDD-NOS diagnosis here for what ever reasons I dont know but Reilly certainly fits that category from all the intense research I have conducted.  Now to answer your question about melt downs.  If Reilly is having a good day, I take him shopping with me and use the experience as education.  I persist in addressing his issues in the same manner dispite his behaviour and I have to admit - he has improved and this has allowed him to understand certain boundaries whilst coping with his sensory isues at the same time.  He likes routine and he now knows that he can ride the money opperating car at the end and not at the beginning of shopping.  Some days can amount to a write off and all rules change but I use shopping as a training session to assist Reilly to cope and keep the routine as familiar as possible.  I am also going to a wonderfull doctor who advised Reilly to take glueten and casine free products that will help both his behaviours and his speech development.  I have heard great success stories with this and I cant wait to get him started.  I am sure you have heard of the special diets also so I guess it comes down to giving things a try for your self.

Sounds like we are both at the same stage with our little ones - All the best.
Kind Regards
louloumum

[mjthewriterdad]

Shopping is always very stimnulating and prone to sensory overload. mjthewriter has a good article about shopping at Wal Mart.  

Small places like the kwickie-mart are better.    Sometimes these shooters headphone hearing protectors are good to cut down the noise level.  

If you let him know where you are going and prepare him for what he might encounter, that helps.  I like to stay away from check-ouit lines until the line has diminished,  The beeps from the cash registers combined is a lot to handle.

beep-beep-boop-electronics line 3- attention shoppers- cleanup in isle 2 singing videos, boom boxes all playng different tunes, computer displays,   all overwelming.

Try to stick to a scheduled routine as much as possible.

[MJIthewriter]

I don't recommend giving in to his tantrums, rather if he's having a fit, it may be time to either find a quiet corner in the store or head back home. If you can figure out what triggers the tantrum, you may be able to prevent a situation. Let's say if it is a noisy grocery store (in our area it is called Cub's), I know even as an adult I have to make my trips there short, sweet, and very rare... If I do go, try to avoid the busiest times in the day.

That may help for you if you have to take the child along with, otherwise keeping him at home with someone supervising him may be a good idea, especially if you're out on long shopping trips.

If that isn't an option, try making shorter trips. I hated being drug along with my mom on shopping trips as a child because we'd go someplace and be there for hours...  If it was a clothing store, I'd hide in the clothing racks perhaps as a way to shut out excess stimuous. I didn't enjoy trying on clothes as a child either.. Not to mention if the trip was excessivly long I was bored out of my mind too. Of course I'd get cranky and whine I want to go home.