Do you think its pdd-nos or a delay?

My 19 month old daughter just got diagnosed with pdd-nos as an unofficial diagnosis 3 weeks ago. I am having a hard time believing that she has autism and I am thinking more like a delay. She loves to cuddle and to be held. She doesn't mind to be touched. She doesn't mind being around large crowds of people and loud sounds don't seem to bother her. She loves to leave our home and she does not have a routine that she likes to follow. She does not have any repetitive behaviors, but sometimes if she gets too excited she starts to flap her hands. She does, however, cross her fingers as if she is keeping a promise. But, she does not do that often. Maybe like once or twice a day. She is a very good sleeper. She sleeps about 11 hours during the night and takes about 3 hour naps during the day. She is also a great eater. She eats almost everything except for fruits and vegetables. I have to hide her vegetables in her rice and she eats apple sauce. So, I am thinking she doesn't like the textures of fruits and vegetables. She sometimes does not like to try new things, but once she does she usually eats it all. She does not mind being around other people and during a play group she usually plays alone, but she will play near other toddlers her age. She never sits in the corner looking into space. However, she does like to lay down and suck her fingers a lot, but she is alert while doing so. The problem is she responds when I call her name, but she will not respond to others at first. She makes great eye contact with me, but she has very minimal eye contact with others. She does not point things out to us. She sometimes will look if we point things out to her, but not always. She does not wave hi or bye. She does look when someone enters the room she is in, but she will not look at people if she enters the room they are in. She does not talk yet. She says, mama, dada, baba, uh-oh (she only says uh-oh when asked to). She babbles a lot. Her babbling increased in the last few weeks. I know that she knows how to communicate with us, because when she coughs and we say bless you she will continue to cough for attention. But, sometimes I feel like she does not understand what we say. I feel like I am part to blame because I did not start talking with her until the last couple of months. But, she has an older sister and I thought she will learn from her. One thing she likes to do is lick everything. I mean everything, like toys, people, couches, strollers, wal-mart buggies. She does know how to properly play with toys, but she would rather lick them. She also does not know how to pretend play. If I give her a doll and a spoon she will poke the dolls eyes out and start to lick the spoon instead of pretend feed the doll. I am very confused about if it is ppd-nos or just a language/social delay. She is still going to do the early intervention no matter what, but I am just worried about how her future is going to be. The doctor said if she is autistic then she will most likely have high-functioning autism. Thanks in advance!Do you think its pdd-nos or a delay?
it does actually sound like she may be on the autistic spectrum somewhere rather than a delay but this is just own opinion am not a specialist,she will have met the 'triad of impairments' criteria, which all ASDs have to meet and is what makes them autistic spectrum disorders.

the 'NOS' form,is a doctors way of saying they know she is on the spectrum,but they dont have any clue where yet,so it may change to something more solid when she is older,in people who are 'mildly' affected by autism,they will often be very hard to recognise as being autistic because they are mostly unrelateable to the stereotypes usually attached to autism [theyre all based on more obvious experiences of autism]-eg,sat in a corner in own world rocking,unresponsive and uninteractive,self injuror,attacks others,unable to communicate or do very little of it in terms of speech etc.

everyone with a form of autism will not find someone with exactly the same experience of it,very few people fit the beliefs others have of ASDs perfectly as the spectrum isnt one size fits all,but many people attach stereotypes to autism-with one extreme example representing each severity and form of autism,severities within autism are a spectrum to-will never find anyone the same within the same.

so with that in mind,woud say if she does turn out to have autism,its very normal that do not feel she fits stereotypes perfectly,none of us really do.



am severely classic autistic without intelectual disability and live in residential care,but still have a future similar to mainstream life ahead as will have the support and encouragement of everyone around self and family-hoping to eventually work mucking out horses,one of the boys am living with is profoundly autistic and he is being lined up for work and college in the future.

the other boy am living with is also severely autistic but with intelectual disability and he is being lined up for work in the future to,so people anywhere on the spectrum can be part of mainstream society with the right support,we can also all have good quality of lives and no reason for people to fear the future when plans are in place if needed.



a lot of people with autism spectrum disorders can be more disabled by the lack of understanding, attitudes and treament of those around them,rather than the actual autism itself.

we may be treated as beyond hope and not helped or educated enough or over expected to do well with heavy pressure put on them [one of the main causes of depression for many people with aspergers or HFA].



we are better off seen as people with individual needs,difficulties and differences,and not as labels as this will shape how people see us and treat us.

-just look forward to having a daughter with individuality and to put the future stuff away as autism is no longer about being stuck in asylums waisting away,the right support, the understanding,patience and tolerance in our lives can help us go a long way.

for people who are classed as high functioning with mild autism/aspergers-most but not all are living independantly as adults,have a job,have car and drive etc,many have girlfriends/boyfriends and families to-dad has been recognised as having aspergers by own specialists and he is classed as a pensioner,works full time,can drive,has family and wife,has a house etc.Do you think its pdd-nos or a delay?
Early intervention is always the best. The earlier the better so you are on the right track there (autism or not).



IMO it sounds like there is a good chance she is on the spectrum.



Autism isn't defined by set symptoms. Every child is different.



My son too is very loving. He loves kisses and hugs, he can never get enough. (He has been described as sensory seeking). He is a very good sleeper as well, I've never had trouble on that part. My son used to lick things sometimes, but he's more into smelling things.



He struggles with expressive language, his social skills and he has several odd behaviors.



I was told my son is considered high functioning... but even so it affects his daily life and how he sees/views and deals with the world and those around him.



Be your child's advocate and always look for the best help you can get her to put her on the right track to reaching her full potential.



Good luck.Do you think its pdd-nos or a delay?
Hey. I can't say that I know that much about this stuff, but the early intervention stuff really does help a lot. I have a relative who is does early childhood intervention, and I know she's had clients with similar problems. Since there are types of PDD that are not autism (like Rett's or CDD..well sometimes they are considered autism), then she might not be autistic.

Anyway, I've known people with high-functioning autism and they were successful and happy. One is actually trying to be a rapper and he has a lot of fans locally, and has a lot of friends (and no, this isn't any sort of pity thing, most people don't know he has autism). One of my friends with a PDD disorder is now at the Naval Academy and is doing really well (I believe he has Asperger's, though he never specified what type of autism he had when he told me he was autistic).

Things might change after the sessions with the early childhood educators. In my experience with the health system in general, diagnoses are often needed in order to qualify for services. Your doctor may have given her the PDD NOS dx so that she would be eligible for treatment. I've had to use a NOS dx to get services for myself (psychosis disorder NOS)

It is better safe than sorry, and diagnoses help with schools when she starts.