Autism? is 10 years old to late to see signs of autism?

I have a 10 year old daughter, who is really hyper and hard to deal with she is always doing really nasty things to people and constantly hanging all over people, she was diagnosed as a genious when she was 2 but now it just seems like nothing do will get through to her she is just so hyper and out of control, she can read very well and do pretty much everything other kids do at her age, somebody said she could be autistic, but i dont think so i mean, isn't 10 a little late to be diagnosed with autism, and i thought that autistic children didn't talk well or enteract with other people and she has always done that very well she just irritates people allot. does this sound like a form of autism? somebody said there is so many different forms and they have heard of kids having signs from all the different aspects of it so maybe she is like that so she isn't quite the same as some of the other autistic children, i dont know i thought that sounded kinda odd

10 is only unexpectedly old if people around aren't able to recognize it and figure it out. You didn't state if she was talking at a typical age or not: that'd rule out the classically-referenced form of autism AKA "Kanner's Autism" but wouldn't rule out Asperger's Syndrome, which has no meaningful delay of speech or typical self-help skills.

What you describe doesn't give nearly enough information at all to rule in or out anything, and being on the autistic spectrum doesn't at all exclude other things like ADHD or other things like personality disorders. For all I know, your statement that she irritates people a lot could be just her being an obnoxious (in the minds of others) little girl, or it could be an outgoing autistic who can't engage people in a way they think it should be. There's an very wide range of verbal and language abilities amongst those on the autistic spectrum, from being completely non-verbal (and yet they can still write very well, if you let them: there are reasons why they may be non-verbal, but intelligence or lack thereof isn't the reason) to those (like me, with Asperger's Syndrome) that are hyperlexic and very capable of language that's both written and spoken (though my speech isn't always easily understood due to coordination/sensory issues). There are almost completely introverted autistics (just as there are neurotypical people that are hermits by nature) and then there are those that are very much outgoing and trying to be social, but it's hard to make the connection. There are also those that have ADHD (I have a 6-year-old nephew that's autistic and ADHD, and he's a real riot!) and they're nearly impossible to keep up with, and there are those that seek sensory input that ends up annoying most people with how physical it is, and others avoid various sensory input (I'm more the latter) because it's prone to causing me something called "sensory overload" (use autistic sensory overload for search terms and look that up) and once I've reached too much sensory overload, I tend to work more on instinct and in robot mode, and I may very well be a bit "hyper and out of control" and I may not have a full conscious memory of what I did during that time: my brain is working on autopilot as best it can, and doesn't have the ability to shut down the input and ignore stuff I wish I could, and doesn't work nearly as well. People who haven't come to terms and an understanding of this are at a big disadvantage if they can't detect that this is happening, and the effects tend to be cumulative over time until it is dispersed in some way most appropriate to that individual. Also, perhaps what you interpret as "hyper and out of control" or what others interpret as that, may very well be one or more manifestations of something referred to as "stimming" which is something we need to do and tend to do instinctively, which may be flapping of hands, bouncing of feet, etc. and it varies from person to person as to what works. If this is the case, it's important that you don't try to get them to stop, but rather learn how best to deal with it: this doesn't go away, and it shouldn't, for proper functioning, because it sort of acts as a regulator for the brain, to help it process things in a more controlled manner. Keep them from stimming, and you'll reduce greatly their ability to concentrate and think clearly.

Oh, I was unexpectedly diagnosed at the age of 31.... it's important to remember: Asperger's Syndrome wasn't in the DSM until 1994, several years after I was done with college. Yes, I was in special education for most of my K-12 years, and yes, I assure you, my IQ was measured as being very high. In other words, no IQ rules out being one form or another of autism, whatsoever: you can be autistic with a very low IQ, you can be autistic with a normal IQ, you can be autistic with a very high IQ, and you can be neurotypical with a very low IQ, normal IQ, high IQ, etc.

Below I've listed a site that can help you get a better understanding of life of many autistic people from their words, many of whom would be typically described as "low-functioning" due to being non-verbal, who are quite adept at writing.

You would KNOW if she were autistic. One possibility is Asperger's, but yes, 10 is a little late. It could be ADD or ADHD. There's a small possibility it could be Asperger's or Autism. Talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Based on what you have said, she doesn't sound autistic. You can ask for her to be evaluated for a full range of disorders. Just speak with her school pshycologist or her teacher about who to contact. She may have ADD or have some other type of disorder that is causing her behaviors or she may just be immature or different in some ways. There are many services available, many free until she is 21yrs old. I 100% you suggest she get evaluated by a pshchologist and such, she may benifit from play therapy which is where a social worker or pshychologist helps her become more socially aware of appropriate behaviors.

You're right. Sounds odd. Kids don't become autistic at 10, and nothing you describes sounds particularly like autism. Your daughter sounds hyperactive, but hey, it's the Internet. If she is having problems in school or socializing with kids her age, you might want to consider setting up an appt with a child psychologist.

Impaired reciprocal social interaction - Examples include the following:

Poor use of body language and nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures

Lack of awareness of feelings of others and the expression of emotions, such as pleasure (laughing) or distress (crying), for reasons not apparent to others

Remaining aloof, preferring to be alone
Difficulty interacting with other people and failure to make peer friendships

May not want to cuddle or be cuddled
Lack of or abnormal social play
Not responding to verbal cues (acting as if deaf)

Impaired communication - Examples include the following:
Delay in, or the total lack of, the development of spoken language or speech
If speech is developed, it is abnormal in content and quality.
Difficulty expressing needs and wants, verbally and/or nonverbally
Repeating words or phrases back when spoken to (known as echolalia)
Inability to initiate or sustain conversation
Absent or poorly developed imaginary play
Restricted repertoire of interests, behaviors, and activities - Examples include the following:
Insisting on following routines and sameness, resisting change

Ritualistic or compulsive behaviors
Sustained odd play
Repetitive body movements (hand flapping, rocking) and/or abnormal posture (toe walking)
Preoccupation with parts of objects or a fascination with repetitive movement (spinning wheels, turning on and off lights)
Narrow, restricted interests (dates/calendars, numbers, weather, movie credits)

If she was autistic the signs should have been there from at least 3 years old, i've never heard of a case that developed normally until 10 and then turned autistic. Anyway she doesn't sound autistic from the little info you give, but i'm sure a quick visit to a doctor would solve your doubts.