Question:
I wonder about the kids that were magically cured were notautistic but had MSDD instead? Anyone have any thoughts on this. I amwondering about having more test done. They always told me that since therewas a language deficit for the first four years that it could not beaspergers or MSDD. How many children with autism or PDD are violent orinjure themselves?

Many children adopted from institutions show features consistent withboth attachment and regulatory disorders, as described above. Thesechildren may show 'autistic behaviors' although they appear to becapable of relating to others. This is a different classification fromeither Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), in which theinability to relate to others is the primary, fixed deficit. InMultisystem Developmental Disorder (MSDD) the difficulties in relatingto others are secondary to regulatory disorders. When thesensory-reactive and processing difficulties improve, the children tendto seek out their caregivers more, first to get help and later forcloseness and intimacy. In order for a clinician to differentiatebetween Autism, PDD, and MSDD, they must observe the child's responseto intervention over a substantial period of time, with the caregivers,in a safe and supportive environment. Children with MSDD may be able toprogress to warm relationships, logical thinking and problem solving,and interactive communication with appropriate therapy.

Answer: Statistics here could get very confusing and should be approached with caution. It would surely depend on age, type, frequency, situation, and resistance tovarious interventions *now* common. Historically, you couldn't or wouldn't getan "Autism" label except for serious problems and *definitely not before age 3.

We were awash in vicious circles and self fulfilling prophecies. But runningon.....

I hope my historical perspective does not seem simply pedantic ! Changing andoverlapping terminologies anddx inconsistency is unnerving, alright. But, at least, it is beneficialcompared to the limiting and confining aspects of the "dx of eld."

I will lie awake at night sometimes wishing I had somehow "held out" for a dxof "aphasia" for Tim. Then we might have gotten to "apraxia" and then tointensive speech therapy when he was young--or even before *now*.