[CaseyM]

So I am going to have Matt screened for autism. Here are the signs that some of us are worrying about....
He won't talk that much unless you tell him to say something and even then he won't always do it.
He flaps his arms/hands when he gets really excited,
He memorizes things really quickly...I read him a book about animals doing things like stretching and eating, etc and he memorized it in about 3 or 4 readings.
When he finds something that he likes to do he continues to do it for a while...he puts golf balls in a little caddy and dumps them out and does this for 20 minutes or so at a time.
He is very OCD about somethings...


I know some of you have experience with this, so what do you think????

[*SamF*]

I have no experience with autism. Just wanted to give you my support!

[GG1995]

Casey,

How old is he exactly?

My DS is 20 months, and I don't think he is "talking" as much as he should be either. He babble ALOT! He knows several different words, and he'll point to different body parts when you ask him too, like "point to your nose." He likes to get in the floor and play with his toy trucks.........he lines them up everyday nose to tail end and tries to push them in a strait line like a train. Sometimes he will line them up side by side like they are all in a parking lot. He understands everything that I tell him....like "pick up the cup", or "go and throw this in the garbage." He LOVES to be outside...........he loves to run and play outside! He also can trow a ball overhand..........VERY ACCURATELY!

I asked my doctor about the whole "talking" thing when we went in for his 18 month check-up. He said that as long as he is "trying" to talk and say new things, and as long as he understands what you tell him to do, them he should be fine. Some children, (especially boys) "learn" some things slower than other children.

My best friend has 2 children....both boys. The first one learned things really quickly, and he was very well spoken and had a HUGE vocabulary by the age of 3. The 2nd one didn't even really start trying to talk until around the age of 3. He just turned 5 now, and he is perfectly normal.....he just learned slower than his older brother. Now, he talks up a storm!

Sorry, this post is so long, but I hope it helps. I hope your DS is fine, and he will test that he is perfectly normal! Good Luck!!

[CaseyM]

He is almost 22 months. He does the same things as far as words go. He will try to say something if I tell him to, but he won't really talk on his own that much. He knows what I am saying too when I ask him to pick something up or throw it away or put it away in the playroom etc...Matt also loves the outside and throwing everything!!! (food included)

I;m more worried because of the talking combined with everything else, like the doing the same thing over and over and over....the OCD...in fact he did something this morning...I put his cup on his tray for breakfast and then he slammed it into the cup holder because I didn't put it there...hen pointed at the cup, the holder then me....

My nephew has Downs and to of my sisters work with kids that have autism, so they noticed it a lot. But I told DH last night that I was going to have him tested and he denied that there was anything wrong and wanted nothing to do with it. Oh well, the appt is tomorrow...

[*SamF*]

I don't think I would worry about the cup thing. CJ is also very insistent that his cup go in the holder- even when it doesn't fit. But getting him screened even if it just alleviates your worry can't hurt.

[kayakr]

I wouldn't worry about it specially cause of his speech. He will talk when he is ready. Once they hit school they all catch up with eachother.

[MomtoKatieB]

I asked someone who works in child development and when I read the stuff to her the first word out of her mouth was Asberger's (a high functioning form of autism).

[pepper73]

I don't know enough to offer any good advice, but I wanted to wish you luck at the appointment. Please keep us posted!!

[GG1995]

Good Luck today Casey!!

I was talking to a co-worker this morning because she said that her granddaughter is about to be tested for autism. She said the symptoms that she is having are:

Constantly banging her head against the back of the chair she sits in
If she is sitting in the middle of the floor, she sways back and forth
She walks on her tippy toes or if she is standing still, she rocks back and forth on her feet (side to side)
She cries constantly
She can say words, but she is not making sentences yet........and she will be 3 in October.

KUP on what the doctors say.

[CaseyM]

So we took him in and they said that he doesn't show any signs of Autism. They look for kids that don't point to things that they want, kids that don't socialize with other kids, and kids that have more movements with their hands than normal. The doctor that talked with us went through the 18 month checklist with us again and then said that he has worked with CDS and helped give the screenings and that after watching Matt in the room and listening to us, he is almost certain that there is nothing there. He and Matt's pediatrician both said that they understand why we came in and that they don't blame us for wanting to check, but they said no. As far as the speech thing...they gave us a suggestion of keeping a notebook of words that he knows and noting any "quirkiness" in it too. Then at his 2yr appt we will look at it and see if he might need some help with speech therapy or something. So I'm glad I took him and feel better now. Basically, he's being a little boy and not wanting to talk yet.....lol

[GG1995]

YAY!! That is AWESOME news!! I am soo happy that Matt is a perfectly normal and healthy little boy!!

[*SamF*]

YAY!! Sounds like a normal boy to me! Glad it all turned out good!!!

[BeckyM]

I'm glad you took him in and the notebook sounds like a great idea.

and with my DH, his Mom said he wouldn't talk for a VERY long time (over the age 2) instead point. Then he started talking, and never shut up since. of course silly DH also refused to speak English to the teachers and would only respond in Greek, but that's another story . . .

[pepper73]

Yay! I'm so glad it went well!! What a relief!!!

Becky, that is too funny about your DH only speaking Greek! I'll bet his teacher were so frustrated! LOL!

[BeckyM]

Oh yeah, the teacher got really frustrated and MIL laughs about being called down for 2 conferences the 1st week of school. Apparently, DH would do what she requested (as in bring me the red ball, or come here) but would only respond in Greek. He was such a brat!

[Jen71]

Glad you got some good answers from the doctor. I work with kids with autism, and when I read your first post there were a few possible red flags that went up. However, when you said that he was pointing to things, then I thought the answer would probably be no. Toddlers learn by doing things over and over and over.

We had my son tested at age 3 because he was showing a lot of signs, and he is 6 now and doing beautifully. He went through getting PE tubes, as we found out he was having chronic fluid in his ears but no infections, and just not able to hear. The fluid and the pressure in his ears was causing him to not talk and have some "odd" behaviors. After tubes and speech therapy, and a few other therapies to give his nervous system a boost, he is now doing great. The same doctor, who at his 3 year check up was certain he was autistic, at his 6 year check up said he was doing great and for some reason his nervous system just seemed to catch up. (It came with some work on our part and some good speech and occupational therapists too.) Anyhow, long story short, the moral of the story is to feel relieved that he did not get a diagnosis. If you still have questions, and you still see some quirks, keep your options open. Get his hearing checked, get a good OT (occupational therapy) evaluation if you have concerns with his skills or sensory processing, and just keep loving him and providing all the good things it sounds like you are. Good for you for getting things checked out!