6 year old does not speak

My friend has a 6 year old that does not speak.  He has been diagnosed autistic but she feels he has not been given the proper work-up prior to that diagnosis.  He hearing is fine, his understanding is fine, he does things that a normal child his age would do, loves books, love to play video games but he just does not speak.

Any suggestions on the type of testing that should be performed or other steps the parents can take.  My friend thinks that it may be necessary to take him to a neurologist because she was made aware of another case similar to hers where it was determined that the child has a growth on his brain and once it was removed that child was able to speak.

[Eileen Roscoe, PhD]

Given the speech delay you describe and the fact that your friend does not feel her son has had an appropriate work up, I recommend that she talk to her pediatrician about her concerns and request an appropriate referral so that her son can receive a comprehensive evaluation. Specialists that would be appropriate for determining whether or not an autism spectrum disorder is present or other diagnosis could be made by a pediatric neurologist as well as a developmental psychologist. Therefore, I suggest you identify qualified individuals in these fields for a comprehensive evaluation. I also suggest that you contact a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who can develop an acquisition program for teaching your friend’s son appropriate forms of communication. It may also be helpful to get a hearing test performed to ensure that all parts of his hearing are within normal range to ensure this is not contributing to his speech delay.