Question from a lurker

laragabrielle

I have only posted a few responses on this board, but I lurk here regularly and have found people to be very helpful and supportive.  I thought I'd reach out and maybe get some insight into my little one.

My daughter was born at 33 weeks and is now almost 15 months adjusted.  She has mild PLV in the corpus callosum (diagnosed via MRI after some early asymmetry was noted) and thus "qualifies" for the technical label of CP though it is is not noticeable to anyone untrained in the diagnosis.  We have been told "the worst case scenario" for her is a learning disability, but obviously we will not know whether she has one--or its degree--for quite a while.  She was discharged from PT a few months ago and is taking probably about 12 steps unassisted at a time right now.  She sat at six months adjusted and crawled at 9.5 months adjusted.  She started pulling up and cruising at 9 months adjusted.

My question concerns her language/communication/social skills and what they may mean.  At 12 months adjusted, she was evaluated as being at an 18-month level for receptive speech but beind expressively.  She has been getting speech therapy for about a month.  She says "mama" and "dada" but does not babble too terribly much, though she was on time in terms of saying consonants and things like "baba" etc. She started clapping at 8 months adjusted and pointing at 10.5 months adjusted.  While she first waved at 9 months adjusted, she only waves sporadically and selectively.  She used to point at everything and anything under the sun, and do it with her index finger.  The last week I have noticed that she is pointing with her whole hand (except when she points to pictures in books, when she uses her index finger), the way she used to gesture before she started doing what I considered pointing.  She definitely looks where I am pointing when I point and does not just look at my finger.  She has only initiated peek-a-boo a handful of times, but does enjoy it when I play it and when I hide from her.  She has a hard time mimicking sounds and does not imitate our facial expressions.  She does pretend to use a phone and try to comb her hair with the comb etc.  She can also show you several body parts when asked in English or Spanish.

I guess I am wondering whether the speech delay, combined with the lack of imitation and change in pointing could indicate autistic tendencies or warrant seeing a developmental specialist.  She is evaluated periodically by EI and in July was not determined to need anything beyond ST.  Is the change in pointing considered a "regression?"

I'm sorry this is so long.  I just want to make sure I am getting her any intervention she may need, so insight would be very helpful! 

 

realisticdreams

I would think she would qualify for EI regardless of delay since she has a diagnosis & is at risk for delay.  

Speech problems go hand in hand with cerebral palsy, I would personally see a developmental pedi (some have a CP sub-specialty) as well. 

GL.