Aa
my son
I am worried that my son has some sort of autism. He is not totally gone, infact sometimes we communicate well. He is 23 months and has never said a word, all he does is watch one movie over and over on the weekdays , and it seems like the second the week end hits, he watchs a certain cartoon over and over! He constantly jumps, I don't mean alot I mean ALL THE TIME jumping jumping jumping and shaking his arms! He rarley looks me in the eyes, but I can tell he hears me, I can give him a deed to do and he does it! Then sometimes h just stares into space. He also is VERY VERY VERY easily startled! I mean I can be sitting there talking to him, and pause and the next word I say makes him jump out of his shoes! OH and the last time we went outside to play he stood at a tree and hit it with a stick for about 45 mins, in the same spot, when I tried to pull him away, he acted like I was trying to kill him! Like I said there are times when he is al there and on pont, but other times I just dont know. Maybe hes obsessive compulsive! I know I am, I am on medication for it! I dont know, any ideas?!
Make a journal of "issues" and present this to your child's pediatrician and ask for a refferal to check this out. A developmental pediatrican should know where to start. Also have your child evaluated for speech. He should be saying some words by now. Speech therapy is amazing. The kids I've seen learn really fast, even the ones with a developmental delay.
Good luck
Good luck
wow! That was incredably informative!!! Thank you soo soo much! Yeah its funny cause i'll be sitting there wondering if hes slow, then he ties his shoe, or figures out how to unscrew the battery plate from his toy! It's insane! He also already colors inside the lines of his coloring book, some times I then have to wonder if hes tooo smart!!! If that is such a thing! He is my first child and maybe I am just over reacting, but I'd rather see now instead of to late! Thanks again for your post! I thought this was a place I would just come ask one question, and never go again, but I see now that it's a place where people listen, and actually help, for no other reason than to be nice!!! There is kindness left in the world huh?!! :)
yeah your right! I guess I am one of those people that prepare for the worst and hope for the best! His dr appt is april 2nd it feels like a world away! Also once he is in Goddard they will be able to give me some insight as well! Besides for all I know this could be just the way he is!!! I'm a little weird too!! :)
Your son sounds a little like my daughter, though I think my daughter is probably a little more calm.
Anyways, regardless of why your son has these behaviors and is delayed in talking, you can ask your doctor about your state's 0 to 3 therapy programs to get therapy. You don't need a diagnosis of what he has to get therapy, you just need them to assess what he's doing or not doing and if he has sensory issues and so forth. They offer speech therapy if there are problems with delayed speaking. They do a free assessment. I think you can even refer yourself if your pediatrician won't do it. It's better to have a pediatrician's referral though. The assessment at least in my state took over 2 hours and was done by a trained speech pathologist and an occupational therapist. In addition to speech therapy there are occupational therapists who deal with sensory issues or poor motor skills and developmental therapists who kind of deal with all developmental delays and tie everything together. Also in my state, if you have your child in daycare or preschool, they will go out to the site where the kid is, it does not have to be in your home. I am not sure if your state has that or if you have to go to the therapist's office to get help.
At some point, you might want to see a developmental pediatrician or a specialist who deals with developmental delays and behavioral issues. The people who originally did the 0 to 3 program assessment and our current therapists (we have 3, an OT, ST and DT), recommended a developmental pediatrician and suggested we take her for an assessment, at least so the specialist doctor could give them recommendations of what to do for additional therapy if needed. They may not give you a diagnosis at an early age (sometimes they can), but at least they can recommend stuff and tell you what they suspect.
Anyways, check out what 0 to 3 or birth to 3 program your state has. Every state is required by federal law to provide a 0 to 3 program for developmental delays. The therapies are subsidized and payment is based off income. Most people have it for free. If you make a lot of money you might end up with a $3 or $6 or $12 copay per session, but you'd have to make a lot of money. The services are definitely worth it. With sensory integration therapy my daughter has been going through, and the occupational therapist has been showing me different things to do like joint compressions and brushing, my daughter responds to her name all the time now, doesn't zone out as often, and responds better to touching. She also is not flapping her arms that much anymore (she still does when she's excited) and not toe walking so much either. Plus we also do sensory stuff like bouncing on balls, jumping, swinging her around, and that sort of stuff. It fulfills her sensory needs and makes her able to focus on other things after she's done that stuff. So, physcial play is very important for her. Helps her sit down and color in a coloring book, read a book with mommy/daddy, and other things afterwards.
So, check with your pediatrician. Different states have different names for this birth to 3 program and I am not sure what it is called in your state or how to find out the contact information.
Anyways, regardless of why your son has these behaviors and is delayed in talking, you can ask your doctor about your state's 0 to 3 therapy programs to get therapy. You don't need a diagnosis of what he has to get therapy, you just need them to assess what he's doing or not doing and if he has sensory issues and so forth. They offer speech therapy if there are problems with delayed speaking. They do a free assessment. I think you can even refer yourself if your pediatrician won't do it. It's better to have a pediatrician's referral though. The assessment at least in my state took over 2 hours and was done by a trained speech pathologist and an occupational therapist. In addition to speech therapy there are occupational therapists who deal with sensory issues or poor motor skills and developmental therapists who kind of deal with all developmental delays and tie everything together. Also in my state, if you have your child in daycare or preschool, they will go out to the site where the kid is, it does not have to be in your home. I am not sure if your state has that or if you have to go to the therapist's office to get help.
At some point, you might want to see a developmental pediatrician or a specialist who deals with developmental delays and behavioral issues. The people who originally did the 0 to 3 program assessment and our current therapists (we have 3, an OT, ST and DT), recommended a developmental pediatrician and suggested we take her for an assessment, at least so the specialist doctor could give them recommendations of what to do for additional therapy if needed. They may not give you a diagnosis at an early age (sometimes they can), but at least they can recommend stuff and tell you what they suspect.
Anyways, check out what 0 to 3 or birth to 3 program your state has. Every state is required by federal law to provide a 0 to 3 program for developmental delays. The therapies are subsidized and payment is based off income. Most people have it for free. If you make a lot of money you might end up with a $3 or $6 or $12 copay per session, but you'd have to make a lot of money. The services are definitely worth it. With sensory integration therapy my daughter has been going through, and the occupational therapist has been showing me different things to do like joint compressions and brushing, my daughter responds to her name all the time now, doesn't zone out as often, and responds better to touching. She also is not flapping her arms that much anymore (she still does when she's excited) and not toe walking so much either. Plus we also do sensory stuff like bouncing on balls, jumping, swinging her around, and that sort of stuff. It fulfills her sensory needs and makes her able to focus on other things after she's done that stuff. So, physcial play is very important for her. Helps her sit down and color in a coloring book, read a book with mommy/daddy, and other things afterwards.
So, check with your pediatrician. Different states have different names for this birth to 3 program and I am not sure what it is called in your state or how to find out the contact information.
autism runs a spectrum of functional levels. Many famous persons are on the autistic spectrum (Daryl Hannah, Dan Aykroyd, Heather Kuzmich on America's Next Top Model, Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Laureate in economics, Satoshi Tajiri, creator of Pokémon) and there are also lower functioning forms as well. So to anser your question, yes.
But, we're putting the cart before the horse, right now. First let's get a diagnosis and go from there.
But, we're putting the cart before the horse, right now. First let's get a diagnosis and go from there.
thank you for your insight! He is now at a home daycare, however I am currently enrolling him in a Goddard school by my home. I also am gonna ask the dr to look him over at his 2 year check up. There are alot of things that make me think he is autistic , but there are some things that I see that I did when I was young and grew out of or the medication helped! I just want to get it asap if it is a problem! Are there different degrees of autisum? It sounds silly but could he be " a little bit autistic?"
Could be autism or OCD. At this point you should continue watching and taking notes. Your descriptions look a lot like children with autism I have seen and know personally. Eye contact is difficult for children with autism. You describe stereotypical behaviors, no expresive speech, sensitive to sudden sounds, that thousand-mile stare.
Is he in the school system? I have a journal entry on how to ask for an EEN evaluation for special ed. See if you can get an m-team evaluation and go from there. At 23 months, dont expect a very specific evaluation. You'll get just enough to determine if he needs help or not.
Is he in the school system? I have a journal entry on how to ask for an EEN evaluation for special ed. See if you can get an m-team evaluation and go from there. At 23 months, dont expect a very specific evaluation. You'll get just enough to determine if he needs help or not.
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