I have a 3 year old son who shows some signs of autism, but Im not sure if thats what he might have. I cant seem to get any help on diagnosing him. Its been over a year and all I get is the run around! He doesnt speak at all. He doesnt play games or play "pretend" like other 3 year olds. He always seperates himself from other children. He gives VERY little eye contact. He jumps and runs around my apartment all day!! The only thing he likes to do is line up his cars or my cans from the cabinet. There are days where he'll get intrested in other toys or chase my 4 year old daughter and play " monster" but, that would last a few minutes. sometimes I think hes deaf because he doesnt respond to me when I say something to him, yesturday was the 1st time he looked at me when I called his name. He wont point or use gestures to communicate with me. usually it takes 5 or 6 times before he even tries to look at me. Im completely frustrated because, no one wants to babysit him because they think he's too difficult to care for. so, Its hard for me to work. My situation with him is becoming completely overwhelming. I can go on and on about the things he does that make him different but, I dont have all night! I know there is a way that I can teach him but, I just dont know how. Im just tired of people talking about him and pointing out how "different" he is. Can someone PLEASE help me. Should I continue trying to get him diagnosed or should I just wait to see if he out grows this.
You came to the right place..get him evaluated through the school and a developmental pediatrician..autism is a very treatable disorder and early intervention can make a huge difference in their lives. Read what you can..ABA therapy is the best therapy for autistic kids along with speech, OT, RDI...knowlege is power and you are your childs best advocate to help him. He has many signs of autism so dont let anyone tell you to wait and see...best of luck and please keep us posted:)
I remember that scared feeling you are having now...yes get him evaluated, but ...(and I know this is so hard right now) remember how much you love him the way he is right now. Therapy is so important and he will progress unbelievably once you get him in it, but will still be the child you know now. I put my daughter in ABA immediately as Shelly did, and I believe it is the best type of therapy at this point in time. I still love my daughter's innate personality and quirkiness. I have to remind myself daily that her activity level will slow at some point and life will get easier, but she is still so incredible. I am enjoying watching her learn to speak and the idiosyncracies of it...don't let this stop you from enjoying him.
Ann
(daughter - 3 years old)
I know the A word can be scary - but getting a diagnosis is actually a relief for many of us as at least we get a road map I'd say don't wait and see, get him evaluated.yes, if he acts as you describe, he sounds quite autistic. As everyone else has mentioned, contact the local school district to have him assessed for inclusion into special education/early intervention. They will have him assessed for defecits within 60 days and will provide therapy, free of charge. After calling your school district and getting that ball rolling, I would contact your state or local autism society and inquite about who is the 'go to' doctor in your area for diagnosising autism and make an appointment. The waiting list might be quite long, but the medical diagnosis is not as important as the educational assessment, as all established therapies for autism are educational in nature and the school district will provide them free of charge (though man people supplement what the school district provides with private therapies, paid through insurance or out of pocket).
He definitely has some worrisome characteristics. Call your local school district to have him evaluated. They will do a variety of testing for speech, special ed, psychological, and Occupational therapies. If they are concerned, and he definitely shows delays, they will suggest a neurologist or developmental pediatrician. They will not give you a diagnosis, however. They will only recommend a doctor's visit, and of course, suggest the therapies that they test for.
You're not the first parent to get the run around. It's especially common from pediatricians, who are supposed to be your ally but who too-often lack knowledge about what autism looks like (especially in its high-functioning).
Call your school district, if you haven't already. They'll probably put your child in a free special ed preschool, where he can get the help he needs for his delays. Get his hearing and vision checked -- there are ways of doing this even if he can't cooperate for the usual tests. Hearing and vision loss can cause autistic-like symptoms.
You can also get a diagnosis through a specialist. The Autism Society of America has a searchable database of local resources at http://www.autismsource.org/. You just type in where you are (and even how far you are willing to drive!) and check "medical and diagnostic" or whatever other service you're looking for. If you come up dry, let us know where you are, and maybe someone here lives in your area and can make a suggestion.
One thing that will help you in the evaluation process is to be prepared for the types of questions they will ask. One way of preparing is to do a diagnostic checklist such as this one:
http://www.childbrain.com/pddq6.shtml
When my son was first diagnosed, finally understanding his sensory issues was the one thing that made life easier -- I didn't think he had any, but turns out he did. For that reason, I recommend doing this sensory checklist:
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processin g-disorder-checklist.html
Good luck with everything.
I really didnt think anyone would respond. I made an appointment with a neurologist that accepted his insurance! so I am looking forward to Aug. 1- at least Im getting somewhere...Thanx!!!
You're welcome. Please make an appointment with the school, too. The neurologist will be able to provide you with useful information, but the school is going to be most helpful for administering actualy therapies, so you'll want to get in that queue as soon as you can, so, hopefully, he can start in special ed preschool this fall.Every school district should have a SEEC program - Special Education Early Childhood Program...most offices will be on break soon for summer... Regional Centers will help with the diagnosis too!! Please call the school districts and get him evaluated asap. At the very least,