autisim

can depression be mistaken for autisim?   I had a foster child from the age of 3 months to 1 year
she only knew my family and myself. She was taken away to her biological uncle and famiy last july
but I have run into her biological mother who has just recently signed her rights away and she told me that her daughter dosen't speek,and they think she might be autistic, she showed me a picture. To me she looks very depressed. When she was with our family she showed no signs, she was very outgoing always a busy little bee pointing at things she wanted and wanting to talk I know she has been away from me for a while and I know she is not biologically mine but a mother knows their child and she was mine for a while could I be right? we haven't had contact with her. I feel that it's just that she still thinks of us and is only depressed.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

In the hands of a clinician who is expert, depression and autism will not be confused. From your observation during her first few months it does not sound like she was likely to display autism, but the autism spectrum is very wide and it is not out of the question.