Autism Diagnosis
traveled for three hours to my office because he had heard that I was a psychologist who hit it off with quirky kids .
When we first met , Sammy was fascinated by anything that had to do with missiles and rockets . His technical knowledge of missiles was incredible . He gladly explained to me the intricacies of how a rocket engine operates and shared some ideas that he believed could improve the accuracy and efficiency of rockets .
When we discussed rockets , Sammy was vibrant and lively . On the other hand , if I tried to discuss any other topic , a glazed look came over his eyes and he seemed to space out . He was clearly not interested in talking about his family , school , or friends .
After about half an hour , Sammy said to me : “ How can you tolerate the sound from that light ?” I didn ’ t know what he was talking about , but after he mentioned it , I noticed that what was , to my ears , an almost imperceptible hissing sound from a fluorescent fixture was causing Sammy distress . I turned off the light and Sammy and I continued discussing missiles .
Throughout this time , I noted that Sammy made sporadic eye contact with me . When he spoke , it was as if he were addressing a large crowd , rather than having a one-on-one conversation .
Although I did not conduct a formal assessment , I was convinced that Sammy was a high-functioning child on the autism spectrum . I was quite certain that Sammy was not suffering from prolonged childhood depression , but was an ASD child who had never been diagnosed .
When we first met , Sammy was fascinated by anything that had to do with missiles and rockets . His technical knowledge of missiles was incredible .
He had always been a loner , sensitive to fabrics , sounds , and temperatures . He had always preferred the safety and comforts of his room over the relatively noisy and unstructured external world .
Sammy ’ s father took him to a psychologist who specialized in assessment , and my hunch was confirmed . In fact , Sammy had presented with many symptoms of high-functioning autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) before his mother ’ s death .
He had always been a loner , sensitive to fabrics , sounds , and temperatures . He had always preferred the safety and comforts of his room over the relatively noisy and unstructured external world .
Sammy registered in a small high school that was willing to be compassionate and catered to his individual needs . His family moved so that Sammy could be close to the school , and I met him twice weekly for therapy sessions . Our early sessions focused on understanding ASD . We watched many short films on YouTube in which ASD was depicted . Sammy was able to recognize a great deal of himself in the ASD models .
We worked on developing basic social skills that were essential for joining “ neurotypical ” society . I particularly remember one discussion in which I was trying to teach Sammy the benefits of wishing people “ Good morning .” Sammy questioned the sense of this and stated that whether a person was going to have a good or a bad day was not going to be influenced by him saying “ Good morning .” He pointed out that there were so many unpredictable variables , that his greeting could not really influence the outcome of one ’ s day .
I countered by saying that people like to wish each other well and this forms a bond . As Sammy and I developed trust , he would actually practice mak-