Autism Being Misdiagnosed in Children with 22q Syndrome

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Children diagnosed with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, often called 22q, are being misdiagnosed as autistic.
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, studied 29 children diagnosed with 22q, and found only five met strict criteria for autism spectrum disorder. It is believed these children are being misdiagnosed because the social impairments the children experience are similar to those associated with autism. Parents of the children in study believed their children acted differently from those with autism, but they hadn’t found a better diagnosis.
"It's quite clear that children with the disorder do have social impairments," study lead Tony J. Simon was quoted as saying. "But it did seem to us that they did not have a classic case of autism spectrum disorder. They often have very high levels of social motivation. They get a lot of pleasure from social interaction, and they're quite socially skilled."
For more information, go to: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/mindinstitute/8157
SOURCE: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, September 2013