My precious son, Louw was diagnosed with Autism with ADHA and sensory processing issues by a Neurologist at the age of 20 months. Louw didn’t respond to us when we called him, he didn’t point at objects like the other kids. He had terrible temper tantrums and a speech delay. Diagnosing this developmental disorder is not straightforward. There is no established biological marker for autism; it is based on clinical judgement of behavioural symptoms that vary greatly from one person to another.
The causes of the disorder vary from child to child, and therefore the prognosis will vary as well. Another consideration is the presence of any other conditions that the child may have. For example, if the child has epilepsy or some other medical problem that can be identified and treated effectively, that might improve the prognosis.
In some cases, children do seem to recover – so much so that the diagnosis of ASD is withdrawn. Sometimes this happens after intensive treatment but not always. This was the case with Louw. At the age of four, Louw did acquire speech and his symptoms started becoming milder. In my opinion, this was due to the intensive occupational therapy and SoListen therapy (Auditory Stimulation with the Tomatis Method). When I compare Louw to the children around him, he tends to be more distracted. Another definite challenge Louw faces is appropriate social interaction and behaviour.
Fifteen months ago we took Louw to a different Neurologist to get a different view on things and to confirm the diagnosis. She recognised the developmental delays and ADHD factors, but she ruled out the ASD diagnosis. She recommended an MRI scan to determine whether Louw’s brain tissue is healthy, normal and to rule out possible developmental anomalies or prenatal/perinatal brain injuries.
The MRI scan detected a well-circumscribed soft tissue mass in the left cerebellar hemisphere +/- 10 x 14 mm. Our world fell apart as we braced for the worst. After a 2-month follow-up MRI scan and a visit to Professor Graham Fieggen, a paediatric neurosurgeon at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, it was concluded that the mass is harmless and was caused by abnormal development. It has been 15 months since the initial discovery of this mass and the cells did not grow or change at all. We are keeping a close eye on Louw and will monitor the abnormality through annual MRI scans.
Could this be the cause of the initial autistic symptoms? According to Professor Graham Fieggen, it is very unlikely. Will we ever know for sure?
This was such a humbling experience for us! Now we embrace all future challenges, knowing that our son is cancer free, healthy and quirky. Louw is our reason to be great full and content.
