For those concerned about their LO's (re:delays/autism)

JLSmith124

Connor was diagnosed with PDD (Pervasive developmental disorder) just before his 2nd birthday. This is in the autism spectrum, but too early to be classified as true autism. He can either outgrow it or develop further into autism.

I started to notice little things throughout the day starting around 15 months. He had not started to point. He was saying mama, dada, bubba, etc. but not appropriately. He would take his ride on trucks and flip them over and spin the wheels instead of ride on them. He seemed to also be behind cognitively. Our Pedi recommended EI for speech therapy. I went further and had him evaluated for autism by a child developmental center. This is where he got his diagnosis, and they recommended 25 hours a week of one on one ABA style therapy. 

The studies show that there is a significant improvement in response to therapy the earlier it is detected which is proving true with Connor. He is responding so well and his therapists think that he will be mainstreamed into a 'normal' kindergarten and possibly even preschool. 

 I know it is scary to even think there is something 'wrong' with your child. I had a very hard time coming to terms with the fact that he had a 'label' but I am so glad I had him evaluated and he is getting his treatment so early. If you are concerned about something your child is doing/not doing, it doesn't hurt to have them evaluated and it will be for the best in the long run if the evaluation does find something and they can start therapy early. 

I am open to answering any questions about Connor and the process we went through. Please feel free to PM me.  

MrsDe2008

I agree with you 100%!

It seems like sometimes they offer EI too soon sometimes, but it never hurts the child. If you suspect something can be wrong, then definitely have them evaluated.

My sis has an autistic son, so I am definitely pro-EI.

jillybean800

Admittedly, a lot of those sound like A. What do you mean by other cognitive disorders? Would you prefer me to pm you about that?

JLSmith124

jillybean800:

Admittedly, a lot of those sound like A. What do you mean by other cognitive disorders? Would you prefer me to pm you about that?

I don't mind posting it here, I'd rather have everyone be more aware of it.

Cognitively he seemed behind. He didn't understand as much as I thought a two year old should. I think it is still early for us to be worried about our LO's (as I didn't become really concerned until just before his second birthday, but I did notice things starting at 15 months.)

He still didn't get the "mama, dada" concept. It took him a little extra effort to understand things that most children his age understood pretty quickly. He also would learn something, then a few days later 'forget' it and I would have to reteach it to him. Animal noises were a great example. He would learn what noises animals made then if I went a few days and didn't ask him, I would have to reteach it to him. Body parts were another example. If it wasn't routine, as in I went over it with him at least a dozen times a day, he didn't understand it. Most children his age would learn animal noises/body parts and got it after the first time and it stuck with them. They wouldn't have to 're-learn' it. 

 

JLSmith124

mands629:

Thanks for sharing this.  While I'm not concerned, that doesn't mean that I will never be concerned, and it's good to know what to look for.

And I guess the main take home message is to listen to your gut.  If something seems off, it probably is... and it's a lot easier to get help sooner rather than later.  I'm glad that C is doing well and is getting the treatment he needs.  That's awesome that he'll be mainstreamed into a "normal" pre-school/kindergarten soon. 

 

This. Our Pedi told us there is nothing wrong with Connor except for some speech delays. According to her, he was making eye contact so that meant he wasn't autistic. I told her she was wrong and had him evaluated against her advice. I was right. 

smithpaint

Thanks for sharing.  Great advice for parents that are concerned about autism and/or delays.

One of my kids liked to spin the tires on his ride on tractor - he would do it quite often.  It's hard to tell when something is just a "normal" thing for kids to do or something to be concerned about.  My 3yo daughter flaps her arms when she's excited which is a sign of autism.  Her speech is still somewhat hard to understand but has improved and continues to improve.  I think as parents it's hard to know when to get your child evaluated.  But I guess it's better to be on the safe side - because early intervention is definitely important. 

Cheekers2010

Thank you for sharing C's story with us. While I definitely think we are all hyper aware of milestones and looking for problems, that doesn't mean that some of our LO's won't have issues. It's hard to find the balance. Thank you for the reminder that we need to listen to our gut! And, I just want to add that I think EI is wonderful.

rainydayluck

Thanks for sharing. I am a BCBA and work with kids with autism, so I am always over thinking everything. You live in a state with wonderful ABA resources and where the ABA folks will be licensed and well qualified (which is so important for EI therapy). I am so glad he made so much progress, stories like your are why I keep doing what I do.

I have a friend who has a 2 year old who is still not speaking. She kept letting people tell her that he would just be a late talker. I finally convinced her that early intervention cannot hurt, so now he gets free SLP services.