Revisited post: ADHD vs Autism Spectrum

This morning I received in my email, a post I wrote 13 years ago in 2005 on a suspect case of ADHD

It’s been years since I wrote that post. I don’t even remember I wrote it as it was more than 13 years ago. 

Having reread that post, I do concur and make the case that the child is actually a suspect case on the Autism spectrum rather than ADHD. 

I have met adults who take Ritalin to help calm themselves down, and they seem pretty normal when on the medication. 

Since 2005, I’ve had the opportunity to work much closer with children on the autism spectrum since then. 

As I reread the post, I get the feel and sense that the child in the post is more closer to having symptoms of Autism than of ADHD. 

However the characteristics that were displayed is much closer to a high functioning child on the Autism spectrum.

Having a child that is crying and screaming for not apparent reasons, pulling things from the shelves, running out into the yard on their own, and preferring quiet places, as well as difficulty socialising with other children are all similar characteristics of children on the spectrum I have observed. They can’t be left on their own and need constant adult supervision in order not to hurt themselves. 

Children on the Autism spectrum either be high functioning, or low functioning. The highly functioning ones have high literacy and numeracy skills where they are able to recite the numbers up to 100, read simple three to four letter words by the age of 5. Socially, they are able to feed themselves and put themselves a drink of water, but have difficulty when toileting. 

As I can only say, that was the best prognosis at least from an observer’s point of view at the time I first wrote that post in 2005