Published on 12, July, 2020
Our son has just (today) been diagnosed with ASD. He has many behavioral characteristics associated with PDA and I was wondering if anyone has any advice as to what we should do next regarding his diagnosis. If he was to have PDA, this would seem to suggest a different management approach would be necessary within school. He has previously been excluded from school (pre-diagnosis - for persistent defiance!). However has not been back in school full-time since May due to restricted eating/obsessive exercising and a lengthy hospital admission which occured as a result of this (a bit like annorexia but because of rigid thinking/obsession and adherence to routines in the first place). He is scheduled for a phased return to school in September as he is physically much improved but I am concerned about how we ensure he is adequately supported if he is seen to have ASD rather than PDA (if the latter really is the issue). I was told today that we would have one more F/up by the Community Peadiarician, he has been discharged from hospital Eating Disorders Services athough he is still under the care of Community Eating Disorders Services. I'm just not sure who we need to work this out for us so we can put the right support in place for him at school and so that school are aware (school are now much more supportive and aware that he isn't just 'deviant' as his hospitalisation was such a crisis point). Any advice or guidance would be very much appreciated.
I hope you get my thanks Recombinantsocks - my responses don't seem to be appearing to any of the posts I thought I had submitted to. Anyway, our psychologist e-mailed today to say that no specific recognition is given under their team to PDA (not in the diagnostic manuals either) but interventions in our locality are instead targeted toward the unique presentation of the individual who sits on the spectrum - we are happy with this as our child is complex and it is indeed his 'uniqueness' that should be supported rather than our clumsy parental efforts to understand him within a category. We have been offered NVR training which I think will be very helpful to change our approach to 'meltdowns'. We have spent the best part of 12 years immersed in positive reinforcement but to no avail (he really isn't motivated by personal reward or by pleasing others - not on his radar of needs at all, in the nicest way possible - he doesn't actually care nor does he 'want' for much - nice at Xmas time - very brief lists usually comprising of not much more than 'Pink Smarties'!)
I hadn't actually thought about food intolerances or allergies intolerances but no, I don't think this is him - he is currently obsessed with pinapple - it is just the way he is and a bit like a previous penchant for eating nothing but beans on toast, I suspect he will move on when he is bored of the taste! Provided he doesn't slip into extreme eating restriction again, which we are now better educated on and more vigilant about, we love him just like this (which is perhaps why we didn't seek a diagnosis earlier). He is interesting and quirky, challenging but heart-meltingly lovely - I am so very proud to be the mum of my newly diagnosed child with ASD. I read a number of posts on here about how difficult it can be to inform your child of their diagnosis - partially due to his 'factual' nature, he accepted this during his hospital admission when there was lots of discussion as to how we had ended up in the 'disordered eating' pickle in the first place. For him it is just a 'fact', he has ASD, so I guess we are very lucky and blessed in that respect.
Thank you again Recombinantsocks.