Autism Spectrum Disorder Homepage

Question: Are these signs of an autism spectrum disorder?

(Posted by: Dashing Geek is Bada$$ on 2009-08-08 12:34:02)

PS Please do not give a thumbs down to anyone, as my contacts are going to (successfully) make me laugh. My older brother (now 45) had superacute hearing as a kid, which I have heard is associated with some forms of autism. He had high intelligence, was very verbal in that he was good with words, but he was delayed in learning to speak. The thing that I am most curious about is that he could sometimes get so upset with little things that he would "spaz out " to an unreasonable degree. We got a pony and the reins go from the bridle to the back of the neck. Jerry heard somewhere that you had to take the reins individually, move them back, and can then tie them in a knot. My dad left them tied from the first time we used the reins and just took them above her neck and rested them on her back. The reins ended up exactly the same place and the pony didn't care one way or another. He absolutely freaked out because it wasn't done the way he had heard it should be done. (BTW, he was about 5 orr 6 when this happened.) He is now bipolar and not doing well at all physically and emotionally because he won't take meds. His behavior as a kid may be the result of his mental illness, but the super- acute hearing makes me wonder. So, autism or no? Thanks.

Posted by: Pocket Protecktor on 2009-08-08, 14:25:13

Could be a combo of autism and asburgers...

Posted by: Autumn on 2009-08-08, 16:49:30

They could be, but answer should come from a qualified Psychiatrist. This is what I do know: Neither Classic autism OR Asperger's disorder (considered to be a high-functioning form of autism) turn into Bipolar Disorder. However, he may be Bipolar and 1. Have an additional diagnosis of Aspergers disorder.that was not diagnosed earlier. 2. Share some of the same symptoms (acute hearing/ strong startle response/ obsessive-compulsive tendencies among them) that many persons with learning disorders share. More info (not directly related): A very small percentage (less than 1%) of persons who live with Autistic/ Aspergers develop schizophrenia.

Posted by: Nerdyâ„¢ on 2009-08-08, 20:37:44

I'd say its a possibility. I watched a documentary on aspergers austism in psychology and the twins it showcased would get unreasonably upset (even as adults in their 40's) if something was changed or not done a certain way. Because little was known about autism when your brother was a child, its possible he had it and it wasn't particularly noticed. Speech delay is a sign, as well as high intelligence. Question: Did he appear to be self centered? By that I mean, was he primarily concerned with himself and paid little attention to the things around him? Thats a sign as well.