Is this Autism?

Hello,

My son just turned 3 and I am concerned about him. He understands what we tell him and can articulate his needs but other than that he rarely speaks. He is delighted to be around other children but hardly ever says anything unless someone asks him a direct question to which he gives the shortest possible answer with difficulty despite his enormous vocabulary. Sometimes he still echoes and confuses pronouns. Also, he doesn't have much interest in toys. He generally shows interest in how objects or whole systems work e.g. understanding the system of traffic lights or how water changes states depending on its temperature. He comments often about such things that interest him.

Cognitively I know he does well. He's known letters, numbers, many colors and shapes since before 18 months in two languages. He shows interest in spelling and can actually count.He's known left from right since before the age of 2. He understands all kinds of opposites like hot/cold, new/old, etc. He knows and understands the meaning of the days, months, seasons and weather descriptions. He has trouble understanding subtle emotions but can recognize extreme ones.

I guess my concern is that although he seems to understand so much, he does not show initiative in any way. He does not occupy himself with the kind of play other children do. He does not seem to want to attract attention in either a verbal or non-verbal way unless it is to address a specific need. I look at all the other 3-year-olds I know and regardless of their verbal abilities they always seem to want to communicate and attract attention. My son on the other hand is happy to be in his own world or participate in the social world silently from the sidelines.

Can you please help me understand what might be going on? My husband keeps saying that he is just the son of two professional engineers but I am not convinced. I am very concerned my son may be autistic.

Thank you for reading my message.

[Jessica L Thomason Sassi, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

Diagnostic criteria for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (including Autism, Aspergers, and others) include delays in social interaction skills, communication skills, and the presence of stereotyped or restricted behavior and interests.  It doesn’t necessarily sound as though your son meets these characteristics.  Typically, the language/communication delays exhibited are more extreme than the type of grammatical issues you noted.  Also, delays in social interaction skills usually manifest more dramatically than what you seem to have described, which sounds more like a shy or reserved child.  However, it’s really not possible to determine whether a diagnosis is appropriate just based on a conversation or description - direct evaluation by a qualified professional is necessary for any diagnosis.  If you haven’t already brought this to the attention of your pediatrician, I’d recommend doing so now. Be sure to discuss your specific concerns as well as developmental milestones that he is (or is not) meeting.  Your pediatrician should be able to help you decide whether your son would benefit from further assessment and evaluation.