sometime ago someone posted these to me that they got from a DS-Autism site, so just thought they would be useful

The Traits and Characteristics Commonly Seen in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Characteristics
Speech Issues:
* no speech
* non-speech sounds
* delayed speech
* echolalia (mimicking words without any understanding of meaning)
* pronoun confusion
* frustration with lack of speech
Interaction Issues:
* lack of peer interaction
* lack of eye contact
* seemingly unaware of other people
* treating people as objects
* parallel play rather than interactive
* lack of imaginative play
Behavioral Issues:
* not interested in being picked up/cuddled
* preoccupied by hand movement
* flapping hands (especially when excited or stimulated)
* spinning; balancing; tiptoe walking
* aggressiveness towards others
* lack of interest in "normal" toys (often preferring kitchen tools)
* obsessive toward patterns
* repetition in behavior (such as rewinding one section of a movie on
the VCR to watch many times)
* lining things up
* self injury
* needing to live with a routine that does not vary
Sensory Issues:
* dislike of certain sounds, textures and/or tastes
* dislike of being touched
* very passive or very active behavior
* nervousness; unaware of various physical stimuli such as pain
* covering ears at loud noises
* "blanking out" in active environments
* often seem to be uncomfortable in extreme temperatures
Splinter Skills:
* drawing
* musical
* math
* calendars
* memory
* computers
* mechanical ability such as complex video/audio equipment operation
Biological Markers:
* MRI scans sometimes abnormal
* serotonin levels may be raised
* bowel problems
* some children afflicted with seizures
* sleep disturbances (not requiring as much as other children of the
same age)

Now... the only part I would maybe dissagree with.. is the splinter skills for Russell. He is pretty much globally delayed... now.. he CAN do puzzles and matching like you wouldn't believe.. like SCARY believe... it trips the schools out how fast and well he can figure out a puzzle or matching task.. we call it his "Rain Man" quality... so maybe that would be his "splinter" skill. But other then that... that isn't the part I don't agree with. This is also why we have a medical DX and it's OBVIOUS to the whole world that Russell is Autistic... but to his school district.. he is globally delayed and dind't "score well" for Autism LMAO!

A.

I was told by our Developmental ped that Autism in kids with DS doesn't always look the same as it does in other kids. That often times kids with DS/Autism are more social, have an easier time with eye contact, and a couple other things that I don't remember.

My 17 year old who has Tourettes and Parnoid Schizophrenia, and some "autistic-like behaviors" fits about 3/4 of the things on the list you posted, and some of them were evident within weeks of his birth. Particularly not wanting to be held, or only being held facing outwards, he never made eye contact until recently, and then only when he's really mad at you. He's in the process of yet another assessment now, and everyone (again) is questioning Asperger Syndrome. But, because of all of his issues that overlap from one thing to another, we probably will never get an accurate diagnosis. We've been trying since he was 4.

Doctor Capone's research has shown that, in general, kids with dual diagnosis are more social than kids with just autism. This can cause kids with Ds and ASD to be misdiagnosed as having ADHD or OCD.

http://www.kennedykrieger.org/kki_misc.jsp?pid=2141