Signs of Atism/Pdd

My 2.5 year old son recently began going trhough a period of what I thought was regression.  At age 2 he bagan developing a good vocabulary.  He was saying 50+ words and a handful of phrases and scentences.  Could say and recognize all letters and numbers up to 20+.  He enjoyes books, stories and TV. A few weeks ago he slowed down his speaking to very little, if any.  I have also noticed recntly that he has begun waving arm and legs when he gets truly excited.  He has never interacted much with other children, but plays nearby them and enjoys adult attention and interaction.  He is a pretty self occupied child, initiating his own play and playing happily but embraces adult interaction and affection. He will bring books or toys to adults to read or play with and he loves hugs and cuddles.  He is a smart happy and well behaved child (aside from the occasional temper tantrum). He uses mostly non-verbal comm. to express him wants (ie. pulling at refridgerator door or taking adult hand and showing what he wants).

Although he no longer does these, looking back I can remember intences of him covering his ears and spinning wheels of toys which I have read to be red flags.

These recent new behaviors have got me concerned about his developomnt and the possibility of a disorder such as pdd/autism, since he fits some of the signs. Should I be worried about this?

[Rebecca MacDonald, Ph.D., BCBA]

I believe you have reason to be concerned. I would suggest that you find identify a hospital in an urban area where they specialize in diagnosis of children who present developmental delays. A comprehensive evaluation by a team of specialists will result in diagnostic information as well as treatment recommendations. You can then take these recommendations to your local early intervention program.

The most effective treatment for children with autism is early intensive behavioral intervention. This means that your son should receive 20 hours of direct teaching in language, social skills and self-help skills. Services can be provided by early intervention or the public schools in your area. You may want to look for behaviorally trained professionals to supervise a treatment program by checking www.bacb.com for a person in your area.