Should ADHD divorce Autism? Part 2
Welcome Back to the Audacious Aspie, where this week we will finish looking at the Harvard source on why it is important to tell the difference between ADHD and Autism. Sorry for the long wait (Telling you guys that it would happen, then getting side tracked, than go on hiatus until the end of the month) but we are finally back. And let's have a short refresher on the last post to make sure that everyone is up to speed.
Of course, what would better represent the action of quickly remembering point A so that we can than all discuss point B than a small, slow-as-molasses snail. No, “Turbo” is a Pixar movie, not a National Geographic documentary.
Last time we met, I first introduced you to the Harvard article “Is It ADHD-or Autism?”, were it discussed: the earlier the child is diagnosed with either one, the better. General pediatricians are not experienced enough to be able to tell the difference between ADHD and Autism. Finally, Children do not usually show problems socializing until school starts, were the parent may not see or get notice of it, therefore not have testing done.
Any ways, onto the present. What's worse, Autism is not the only diagnosis that can look like ADHD, the article says. Reading like a weird game of “guess what” for doctors, were the stakes are more than the doctor guessing wrong, the list goes: learning disabilities, sleep disorders, hearing loss and more (not suggested your child go catch them all like they are pokemon. True, they all give the child super powers that someone without can only dream of, a learning disabled child with sleep problems and no, or lack of, hearing can make a child, how shall we say, overpowered?) can, and often are, be mistaken for ADHD.
The difference between having some power (ADHD and LD, for example) and having all the power, is the difference between your child working to save humanity, or enslaving all life in the solar system.
So, what should a parent do before making the final decision on what their kid does or does not have? The article suggests that parents should discuss with their doctor on whether more testing should be done for the child. The article warns that it can be a tough, but important, topic to discuss, it could be the difference between the child having a not-so-easy time of it early on (no one said testing would be easy, especially for the child); or the child having a hard rest-of-life without the support they might need.
Will, that does it for this weeks post. Next week will be an opinion piece on the same topic (new formula I’m working on. With any luck, it won't explode and set fire to everything like the volcano project back in preschool). Here's to another successful...part 2 of this year? Semester? Call it what you will, it will be successful. Until than, this continues to be, the Audacious Aspie.
Sources used:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-it-adhd-or-autism-201510278462