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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
Help With 2 Year Old with Language Acquisition Issues
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
Help With 2 Year Old with Language Acquisition Issues
by zalue, Apr 01, 2007 12:00AM
My nephew is 2 yrs. & 9 months and has been diagnosed with some sort of sensory processing and/or integration disorder. He also has mixed receptive and expressive language disorder, sensory defensiveness, and an eating disorder where he won't eat anything wet or sticky. I suppose all of these are inter-related. He has not hit the speech landmarks for his age, shows minimal spontaneous or conversational speech, and seems only to communicate by mimicking what he hears others say.
He's had his hearing tested, and it showed his hearing is appropriate for language acquisition. Part of the test was inconclusive, though, but we don't know if it's from a slight hearing loss or the fact that he's two, difficult, and didn't want to co-operate with that portion of the test!
Obviously, the notion of some disorder inside the autism spectrum has been discussed. He's rather young for a definitive take on that, but he displays things that are not usually associated with autism, like being very social, huggy, responsive, mimicking facial expressions, being very "hammy," and handling changes in routine. He is very frustrated with his inability to effectively communicate with others.
He's been approved for both speech and occupational therapy, but his insurance won't pay for either. He does go to an occupational therapist weekly at a local school, but does not get individual treatment.
Questions:
1. Based upon this limited description, do you have any idea what might be his specific problem?
2. Are there any additional tests that could help refine his diagnosis, or help discern whether or not articulation, hearing, or motor planning are specific culprits?
3. Is there anything that his parents can do that would replicate what a speech therapist or occupational therapist might be doing?
4. Any other suggestions?
Thank you!
He's had his hearing tested, and it showed his hearing is appropriate for language acquisition. Part of the test was inconclusive, though, but we don't know if it's from a slight hearing loss or the fact that he's two, difficult, and didn't want to co-operate with that portion of the test!
Obviously, the notion of some disorder inside the autism spectrum has been discussed. He's rather young for a definitive take on that, but he displays things that are not usually associated with autism, like being very social, huggy, responsive, mimicking facial expressions, being very "hammy," and handling changes in routine. He is very frustrated with his inability to effectively communicate with others.
He's been approved for both speech and occupational therapy, but his insurance won't pay for either. He does go to an occupational therapist weekly at a local school, but does not get individual treatment.
Questions:
1. Based upon this limited description, do you have any idea what might be his specific problem?
2. Are there any additional tests that could help refine his diagnosis, or help discern whether or not articulation, hearing, or motor planning are specific culprits?
3. Is there anything that his parents can do that would replicate what a speech therapist or occupational therapist might be doing?
4. Any other suggestions?
Thank you!
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Apr 03, 2007 12:00AM
, Apr 03, 2007 12:00AM
It sounds like all the necessary diagnostic work has been completed, and I really wouldn't point you in the direction of anything else in that regard. The eating issue is likely a manifestation of the SID, not an eating disorder per se. And the behaviors you described re: social interaction do not lead in the direction of a PDD diagnosis. While he displays some limitations re: use of speech/language, he apparently does have a drive to communicate and relate. It would, of course, be useful to pursue the speech and occupational therapies. He's almost going to 'age out' of Early Intervention, but check with the local school district re: services available to him. A consult with a Speech/Language therapist might be useful in identifying activities his parents could employ at home.
