dancer67 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 A post below about a 2 yo got me thinking to my nephew. He will be 2 yo on Sunday and does not speak a all. He only says ""uhhhhhh". Maybe babbles dada. That's it. He was testing for hearing about 6 months ago, and his hearing was fine. I also didn't know what the signs of autism was. He always seems to have this faraway look in his eye. Like he isn't "there". KWIM?(Long story, I know) I should probably mention that the mother is 38 and the father is 54. They are also related. He is her 3rd cousin. Not sure if that makes any difference. I know some kids talk late. My son did, but he was saying words by two years old. Simple words like "up" "give me" "NO" "mine" "mommy" "Daddy". But nephew does not speak at all. Should the mom get him evaluated? Is this normal? How and when do they dignose autism if this is what he might have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Should the mom get him evaluated? I would. If there is a problem, the earlier it's found the better the outcome. If there isn't a problem, they will be reassured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 i would. my nephew is 3 diagnosted as autistic, and still has no words. but screams alot :) i love him. its a struggle, especially for the parents. God bless their patience, it helps me remain calm through my days. He does ABA, through early intervention.... has been since 22 months... id get him evaluated for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 It is definitely time for an evaluation, but that doesn't mean he is autistic. My first son also did not say a word until after his second birthday, had a few hand signs, but soon after quickly caught up with no intervention and today has advanced verbal skills for his age. We started the wheels in motion for an evaluation at two but he started talking before any of it happened. I just don't want you to start telling his parents you think he is autistic or give any other diagnosis - there are lots of other reasons for a speech delay and now is the time for an opinion from professionals. I do wish I had my second son evaluated earlier - he was speaking earlier than his brother but did not catch up so quickly and now he has some delay but not enough to qualify for services through our school district. I think helping him earlier could have helped him a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 It can take forever to get an evaluation done so the sooner they get the ball rolling the better. If there is an issue better that it is addressed while he is still very young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 Okay. I think I will mention it to his mother tomorrow, to take him and at least have hom tested. They have free testing for 2-4 yo for any developmental delays, speech problems, etc. And better to be safe then sorry. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 My son had speech issues when he was two. He did "try" to talk but just couldn't make the sounds. We had him evaluated and he needed his tonsils and adnoids removed. His speech took off after the surgery although he has needed speech therapy off and on for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 This is hard because some kids are just late talkers. But if there are other red flags there, then yes, I would recommend a screening. I do have a son with autism. We initially thought he may have hearing issues because he would not respond to his name. Not only did he not speak but he had some strange behaviors as well. My younger daughter did not speak until she was 2 1/2 but her behavior was very different from that of my son . . . she was connected to me and clearly understood me. Don't get me wrong, I was very nervous, especially knowing I had a child on the spectrum. But my younger daughter was one of those kids who did not talk and then suddenly began to speak in complete sentences. She just needed to be ready. Here is a simple tool that will point out any "red flags". I found this tool after my son had been diagnosed, but I wish I had seen it earlier. My son never pointed (I had to teach him how to). Questions 5 and 7 are the really critical questions. The questions for the doctor to ask are pretty new. When this test came out only the questions for the parents where used. http://depts.washington.edu/dataproj/chat.html Adrianne in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooley Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Our second dd had only a handful of one syllable works at 2 - "they" say, kids should be able to say about 200 words. I sat down and began writing everything she said, whether it made sense or not, it was her words. She had about 50 really, but that was not good - she had speech help for years, she still kinda speaks a bit strange....intervention - definitely!! Now my brother is autistic - he is now in his early 40's - lived way beyond what my folks were told. He does not speak, he makes noises, like "uh uh", and has learned some sign language. Autisim has both ends of the spectrum - high functioning and low. No matter how you slice it, you being the mom, who knows your child the best, if you think you should look into it, do it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Yes, he should be evaluated. My son has a mild form of autism (but tested as moderate as a little kid), but you couldn't tell now for anything. Also, he had some brain damage as a baby. What we did with ds (said momma at 22 mo, was obviously bright, but...) was to do sign language and Teach Your Baby to Read (Doman). He was eval'd and had therapy but their goals were REALLY low for him (like in 12 weeks, sign 5 words and say 1). We talked with him non-stop. The sign language helped A LOT with behavior. The "reading" helped him talk (we got this as we were trying to adopt a little boy with CP and one way older CP kids learn to talk is when reading). I really think that this stuff as well as us helping him with discipline and appropriate regulation made all the difference for my son. I really only wish I had done MORE. There are lots of programs (both formal and anecdotal) to consider. I think we need to accept what is and make our child know we accept him and how he is. But I don't see ANYTHING wrong with proper evaluation and treatment in help him do the best he can with his circumstances either. The autism community is very split on this, but this is my stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Well, I was there on Saturday for his second birthday, and watched him closely. He does not say ANY words at ALL. We had pizza. He was looking at mine, so I broke off a piece and gave it to him. His mom said "You can't give him a piece that big because he does not know how to take a bite from it. You have to give him small pieces so he can just chew it in his mouth"...HUH??? IOW, if I were to give him a french fry or cheeseburger, he does not how to bite it off. I don't get it. I brought out a picture book. He was pointing to the clouds, dots, pictures, but he cannot say anything. He will walk around the room and point to things. If I call his name, he does not look at me. he does not know how to do stairs, but again, his mother has baby gates all over the house. He does not know how to do any self-care. He didn't walk until he was 20 months. He will satnd there and spin around in a circle. He cannot throw a big ball back at you. He just seems very, very delayed. And maybe it is due to his mom coddling him so much as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Well, I was there on Saturday for his second birthday, and watched him closely. He does not say ANY words at ALL. We had pizza. He was looking at mine, so I broke off a piece and gave it to him. His mom said "You can't give him a piece that big because he does not know how to take a bite from it. You have to give him small pieces so he can just chew it in his mouth"...HUH??? IOW, if I were to give him a french fry or cheeseburger, he does not how to bite it off. I don't get it. I brought out a picture book. He was pointing to the clouds, dots, pictures, but he cannot say anything. He will walk around the room and point to things. If I call his name, he does not look at me. he does not know how to do stairs, but again, his mother has baby gates all over the house. He does not know how to do any self-care. He didn't walk until he was 20 months. He will satnd there and spin around in a circle. He cannot throw a big ball back at you. He just seems very, very delayed. And maybe it is due to his mom coddling him so much as well. I wouldn't think coddling would cause those kinds of problems. It might somewhat delay things like going up stairs, but it wouldn't prevent him from talking, or cause him to spin or not respond to his name. I think he needs a good thorough evaluation. Soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 He just seems very, very delayed. And maybe it is due to his mom coddling him so much as well. In your shoes, if they are open to advice, I'd suggest a thorough developmental evaluation, first by his pediatrician, and then by a developmental pediatrician or a similar professional. The child's pediatrician should know who in the area would be the best to refer them to. Please don't blame his mother for "coddling." Understand I am saying this kindly and gently, and I am saying it as a parent of a child with a disability and a (former) educator for children with disabilities. Coddling doesn't cause the kinds of delays you're describing. It is more likely that he is parented according to his needs and abilities. Baby gates can help keep a child safe when the child doesn't have the motor skills or danger awareness to navigate safely without supervision; inability to take bites from food can signal oral-motor and/or sensory problems. Thank you for caring about this child and his family enough to be concerned. :grouphug: Cat Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancer67 Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Thank you for all of your advice. After reading some of your posts, you are right in a sense that "coddling" would not cause many of his issues he is having right now. I am not to sure she is open to suggestions to get him evaluated, but I am going to mention it, and since she is the mom, it is totally up to her what steps she feels she needs to take. Thanks again all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dooley Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 I wanted to respond to you post above about your observations. I once daycared a 2yob, who obviously had some issue, but his parents were clueless. He would not speak, he would lick his hands, he would not touch himself or interact with anyone - his mom still fed him babyfood and a bottle. OK (after growing up with an autistic brother), I said things need to change - I taped a spoon into his hand (he refused to hold it) and taught him to feed himself. I taught him to drink from a sippy cup, then a regular cup. I did not pick him up, I made him do all the other things the other 2 year olds were doing (like WALKING! They carried him everywhere!) I told his folks to get him evaluated and sure enough, he was immediately accepted into a occupational therapy/speech program. He was an only child and honestly, they just did not know better! About 3 years later, my dd was seeing the same ladies at this speech program and I was talking about this boy. One of the therepists said he was one of her students. I asked if they ever determined if he was autistic and she said "we dont give out labels anymore". Which, IMO, is a dis-service to his parents - how could they best know how to help him if they didnt have a "label" to investigate, KWIM?? Anyway, saw him a few years ago, hes doing well, still not talking much, but happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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