Not talking in public

Hi,
Our 2 year old was just diagnosed with PDD-NOS.  We're working with her to increase her words at home (while waiting to hear about our acceptance to an ABA program), but nothing translates to when we go out in public.  She just won't speak even if she's comfortable around my husband or me.  Why does this happen with kids on the ASD and what can we do to work on it while waiting for therapy?
Thanks!

[KarenDiane]

My daughter would become overwhelmed when out in public. There was just too much noise, movement, lights, strange people. She would just shut down, zone out. It does get better, but it might just be too much for her right now.

[marisa229]

Thanks, Karen.  That's what our daughter does too--shuts down & zones out.  Did you do anything to help this or does it just come naturally?  Should we take her out for like 20 minutes at a time to get her comfortable?  How long did it take for your daughter to start to talk or interact in public?
Thanks!

[KarenDiane]

I really didn't do anything differently for her. I tried to keep her focused on me by holding her hand, making eye contact as much as possible and talking to her. If anything, I avoided taking her to crowded places when I could. Eventually, as she got older, she was able to process the stimuli enough to control her reactions. She was probably 7 or 8 before she behaved "normally" but even now, at 13 she has bad days and she will zone out. She can be very oblivious to her surroundings and personal space. Sometimes she seems to not hear me. My daughter has Aspergers so there's no telling if your daughter will follow the same path. Of course preschool helped also.