my son is "on the spectrum"

PiscesMom

Active Member
hi all. thank you ALL for being here for me on this very emotional week. Monday I got home after visiting my son at his Residential Treatment Center (RTC). His diagnosis over the years - Conduct Disorder, Cannabis Addiction, Schizophreniform, Major Depressive Disorder with Possible Psychosis. His behavior got out of control when he was 13 and a half. Before that he was a very sweet boy. He is still a sweet boy. He was just being defiant. Very defiant.
Now they are saying they are looking at him being on the spectrum. Yesterday - Saturday morning when I talked to his therapist, she said that. I sort of did not hear, did not think she was right. Towards evening, it settled in my brain, and things began to make sense.
I am happy that he is not antisocial, etc. I feel terrible I didn't know. (in my defense he has been examined by all kinds of mental health professionals over the years, AND was in Special Education for a "language based processing disorder" since first grade.
He is really being treated well at his Residential Treatment Center (RTC). He will have a family visit this summer. OMG. My baby!!!!!!

I am almost too ashamed to write this. I feel like I should have known. But I want other parents/family/caretakers here to consider - maybe problem child has autism? It can be really hard to spot - i think he has what they used to call Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified. Atypical autism. The kind you don't really see until the teen years
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
My son has Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) not otherwise specified and it was obvious as soon as we met him, but nobody would listen to us. He was adopted at two. He was alert but did not speak until five, pottied late, and back then had whopper tantrums,but he was never mean. He was picky about clothing, food, and covered his ears for loud noises. They diagnosed him first with adhd, but stims made him mean and aggressive. He was then GREATLY misdiagnosed with chiodhood biplar and put on worse drugs. After a while hubby and I just figured out that our mild tempered boy was grossly misdiagnosed. We took him to a neutopsycologist and after ten hours of testing he was diagnosed.
In his case it made so much sense on every level. He went uphill from there with NO medications and just Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) interventions and is a total success story and lovebug at age 22. He is very content and happy in his own skin and I would really like to find his ex-psychiatrist and tell him off. Bipolar, my backside.
I suggest you read up on autism to make sure they got it right. Unfortunately, they often make mistakes. We are the gatekeepers.
Wish you luck!!! Big hug...you deserve some relief now. Oh yeah...my son is not anti-social, but has very young interests and likes to be alone after work. He has one close friend with special needsv(great person), he sees him once a week and that is enough socializing for him.
 
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PiscesMom

Active Member
i keep googling "autism and conduct disorder" or "Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified and conduct disorder." I think it really fits. Do you have any other search suggestions? I went with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified because my younger daughter has it; she is also defiant but not like him, also she was in Sped since first grade or so as well and it was not caught until she suddenly developed extreme anxiety and was unable to go to school. But she was always loving, not angry and hateful like my son was. And so my parenting of her was never interrupted. High functioning autism, so you don't see it until adolescence sometimes.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
My son was always quirky. We thought it was autism but nobody listened. He was never afraid to go to school but is uncomfortable in crowds especially strangers. Sonic was mainstreamed from Special Education,vwith an aid, in middle school and mainstreamed on his own in high school.
He has always been very sweet. And he is definitely his own person...not the same interests as other 22 year olds. Still likes cartoons but is definitely maturing slowly. The mall will never be his hang out. He loves videogames and it doesnt bother us one bit. Most ASDers have intense, limited, sometimes strange obsessions. It is part of the neurological difference.
As long as he is happy, and he is, so are we.
Sonic is able to live in his own apartment. We are glowing with foolish parental pride. He lives a pretty normal life and is such a loving son.
Maybe search autism vs. Conduct disorder. They are very different really.
 
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PiscesMom

Active Member
My son was always quirky. We thought it was autism but nobody listened. He was never afraid to go to school but is uncomfortable in crowds especially strangers. Sonic was mainstreamed from Special Education,vwith an aid, in middle school and mainstreamed on his own in high school.
He has always been very sweet. And he is definitely his own person...not the same interests as other 22 year olds. Still likes cartoons but is definitely maturing slowly. The mall will never be his hang out. He loves videogames and it doesnt bother us one bit. Most ASDers have intense, limited, sometimes strange obsessions. It is part of the neurological difference.
As long as he is happy, and he is, so are we.
Sonic is able to live in his own apartment. We are glowing with foolish parental pride. He lives a pretty normal life and is such a loving son.
wow - and that is Sonic? My son seemed typical - but i guess he was displeased when i said he could not grow marijuana in the house, or smoke it.That was at 13 and a half. He was very angry, began to act out. Things were very scary, he was aggressive and I could not find help anywhere. I finally had to call the police. And the county psychiatric evaluation gave him the conduct disorder diagnosis. And my son hated me so we have been estranged. OMG. If only I had known. But he was examined many times.
I am so glad things are working out for your son. People w autism tend to be really awesome people, actually.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Atypical autism. The kind you don't really see until the teen years
It can show up at any point. Some don't get a diagnosis until they have kids of their own, just struggle along somehow with no supports. It doesn't need to be this way.

That was at 13 and a half. He was very angry, began to act out. Things were very scary, he was aggressive and I could not find help anywhere.
Puberty + male = trouble. Add in either developmental challenges or mental health issues, and it's explosive. Age 14 is when things "blew up" here, and finally we started getting slivers of appropriate resources.

I knew before he went to school that he had challenges. I saw some of those in the early grades, the teachers didn't agree. It's been a fight every inch of the way, and even now (he is an adult), I'm always looking for ways to bridge gaps, find resources...

Yes, they are now seeing him as being on the spectrum. Probably correct - but keep in mind that it may still not be the only diagnosis. It's not unusual to be on the spectrum and also have a mental health challenge.
 

PiscesMom

Active Member
No pisces. Anyone who wants to can read this forum. So be cautious what you share.
It can show up at any point. Some don't get a diagnosis until they have kids of their own, just struggle along somehow with no supports. It doesn't need to be this way.


Puberty + male = trouble. Add in either developmental challenges or mental health issues, and it's explosive. Age 14 is when things "blew up" here, and finally we started getting slivers of appropriate resources.

I knew before he went to school that he had challenges. I saw some of those in the early grades, the teachers didn't agree. It's been a fight every inch of the way, and even now (he is an adult), I'm always looking for ways to bridge gaps, find resources...

Yes, they are now seeing him as being on the spectrum. Probably correct - but keep in mind that it may still not be the only diagnosis. It's not unusual to be on the spectrum and also have a mental health challenge.
ok...yes - i will keep that in mind. wow. still, a starting place. and autism isn't a fixed place. he is at a high quality Residential Treatment Center (RTC), and likely he has grown up a lot as well. I can't wait until I talk to her again. And my son!!!
 

pigless in VA

Well-Known Member
Pisces, I'm glad you think you found a diagnosis which fits. Are you aware of the marijuana induced psychosis? I didn't know anything about it until I spoke with a psychiatrist after my husband died. I was asking questions in an attempt to understand what happened to him. The doctor explained to me that the street marijuana available today is much stronger than that available in the 70s. He told me that he sees a lot of cases of marijuana induced psychosis.

I had been around many, many people who smoked weed in my younger days. They were always calm and non-threatening. Once my husband started smoking it, he totally and completely lost all rational thought.
 

PiscesMom

Active Member
Pisces, I'm glad you think you found a diagnosis which fits. Are you aware of the marijuana induced psychosis? I didn't know anything about it until I spoke with a psychiatrist after my husband died. I was asking questions in an attempt to understand what happened to him. The doctor explained to me that the street marijuana available today is much stronger than that available in the 70s. He told me that he sees a lot of cases of marijuana induced psychosis.

I had been around many, many people who smoked weed in my younger days. They were always calm and non-threatening. Once my husband started smoking it, he totally and completely lost all rational thought.
wow. i have seen panic attacks after using. But he is at a very secure place right now so I know he is clean, but yes, he could have had that. He was just laying in bed at his dad's house, isolating and using medical grade weed, provided by dad. Depressed and having strange fixations.
 

pigless in VA

Well-Known Member
It's definitely something for him to think about. I think with any drug that you have to be aware that it can do strange things to you. I have a bipolar friend who hallucinates any time she has to take a simple antibiotic. Obviously, she sometimes needs to be on them, but she has to be careful and not drive. She sees people in the street who are not really there and whatnot.
 

PiscesMom

Active Member
It's definitely something for him to think about. I think with any drug that you have to be aware that it can do strange things to you. I have a bipolar friend who hallucinates any time she has to take a simple antibiotic. Obviously, she sometimes needs to be on them, but she has to be careful and not drive. She sees people in the street who are not really there and whatnot.
wow! thanks. maybe that is something we can bring up in therapy, or i can w the therapist privately and she can see how to proceed. he definitely was strange.
 
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