My son has just been diagnosed with PDD-NOS. He has higher…

Hi,

I am Susan McPhail, M.Ed. I've been teaching special education for 23 years and am the parent of an adult daughter who has autism. I have had training and conducted training in a variety of interventions designed to alleviate issues that are faced by people with autism/Asperger's syndrome, and I regularly present to university students and teachers on the subject. I have served as an expert witness and advocated for people who are on the spectrum of autism for over 20 years. I am currently a doctoral candidate and the focus of my dissertation is autism training for teachers.

This is such an interesting question. the exact situation happened to us here in Mississippi, USA. My daughter (who is now 23) was also diagnosed w/ PDD-NOS at the age of 4. At that time, no services were provided in school for that diagnosis, but were provided for autism. She was given the diagnosis of autism at the age of 6. At the time, we thought that diag. of PDD-NOS was not valid. Now, in the US, PDD-NOS is considered on the spectrum and kids are served with that diagnosis. If I were you, I'd seek a second diagnosis and stress that the symptoms are the same as autism/Asperger's. PDD-NOS is on the autism spectrum, so the diagnosis should lead to services--not prevent them. PDD-NOS should not be given as a diagnosis, but often is for younger children. Find a reputable diagnostician who will properly diagnose your son.

Thank you for the question and I hope that this has helped. Please consider accepting as if helps in supporting my further endeavors to assist families and individuals with autism spectrum disorder. If you need additional information or assistance, please let me know through Just Answer.

Susan