AS and NLD are very similar in nature, but there are key differences, too. I have shades of NLD, and my son, 12 3/4, was dx'ed with autism at 2 1/2. My mom thought I had autism when I was very young because my sensory integration dysfunction resulted in some bizarre behaviors, such as shaking objects in front of my face.

One thing I have noticed that is a huge way to tell is direction ability. I have absolutely none. My son, on the other hand, can get anywhere from anywhere and even corrected me when I made a wrong turn going to his dentist when he was about 7 yo and could barely talk! Auditory memory is also apparently quite sharp in AS kids, where it's classically deficient in those of us who have NLD.

Good luck, whatever you find out. There is help and hope!


LIZARD