GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - A Green Bay mom is telling her story about how to recognize if your child may have autism.
Shannon Schultz says her son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome when he was 6, but only after he ran into trouble at school and counselors there didn't take her concerns seriously. It all began after his kindergarten teacher repeatedly disciplined him.
"She would take his snack away every day, he would come home in tears because he was 'naughty', he'd get in trouble for making noises or rolling around on the floor, touching things and lining things up," Schultz recalls. "He was getting sent home from kindergarten at least once or twice a week, and I requested an evaluation. We met with the school psychologist and he told me I needed to discipline him better."
Schultz believed that the smart, funny child that was at home could not have been the same child who was a constant troublemaker in school. This was no Jekyll and Hyde scenario, she thought.
"He just struggled with everyday tasks that you and I can do without even thinking about," said Schultz. "Looking back now that I know all these signs, I can see it. But it wasn't until my son got into 4K that we really saw the problems."
It wasn't just Shannon's son who has Asperger's, her older daughter was diagnosed as well, but not until she was 10.
"We didn't have as many of the huge red flags, she was a rule follower for the most part, she just kept quiet," Schultz said. "But it wasn't my son started receiving services, when the therapist would come in, some of the things they were working on with him, I see it in my daughter."
Schultz says she wanted to tell her story so that other parents, especially new parents, may be able to recognize some developmental issues earlier so they don't have to go through what her family has.
"I spent two years of Thomas is naughty, to find out, no he really can't help these things until we teach him how to handle them," said Schultz, adding that her biggest advice is that you are your child's biggest advocate.
HOW EARLY SHOULD PARENTS GET ANSWERS
It's never too early for parents to ask questions about their child if they believe he or she might have a developmental disability.
"I have parents who have brought things to my attention as young as 6 months of age," said Bellin Health NorthReach Pediatrics Dr. Sandra MacArthur. "There is no time that's too early."
MacArthur explains that parents with concerns should address them with their pediatrician.
"I would also suggest they make a list of the things they are seeing that are creating concern," said MacArthur. "Because many times the parent will come in and they've seen many things and can't remember everything."
In 2016, spotting evidence of a child being on the autism spectrum is much simpler than it was even just a decade ago.
"A program called 'Ages and Stages' questionnaire, and we give that to all of our parents at every single well-check, between birth and 2 years of age," MacArthur said. "When they fill that out, it gives us a lot more information, and that can focus our questions, help us decide if there are developmental issues and whether it's time to refer."
Some of the issues to watch out for, according to MacArthur, are:
"They won't look at things when somebody else points at them, they have trouble relating to each other, don't want to have any eye contact, don't have a really good sense of personal space, they can be very specific about things that they want to have done," said MacArthur. "If any kind of routine is interrupted, it's very, very distressful for them."
Dr. MacArthur talks about one specific example of routine-related problems.
"I have a family where the mom always when she left the house, turned out of the driveway to the left. And one day she turned out to the right and this child had a meltdown," MacArthur said. "So it can be something really and truly as simple as that."
Sometimes, MacArthur explains, symptoms are more difficult to recognize, depending on the individual child.
"People don't think of children with autism with being social at all," said MacArthur. "So Asperger's is at the high end of the spectrum and the symptoms can be quite variable."
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
According to WebMD, "Autism is a brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together. Most people with autism will always have some trouble relating to others. But early diagnosis and treatment have helped more and more people who have autism to reach their full potential."
"Symptoms almost always start before a child is 3-years-old. Usually, parents first notice that their toddler has not started talking yet and is not acting like other children the same age. But it is not unusual for a child with autism to start to talk at the same time as other children the same age, then lose his or her language skills."
You can learn more about autism advocacy by clicking here.
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