my son is 2 almost three i know he has autism but the doctors are saying it may be other things he needs glasses i agree but they say he has moderate hearing loss but i do not agree im not saying he doesnt have some just not as much as they are saying he does not talk he will not eat something hes never ate before he is always twiddling with his hands and fingers he used to say dada and baba but not anymore he does say one or two words iv read all about autism and its like reading about him. he does however smile and laught all the time and makes great eye contact loves to kiss and hug would not understand if i told him to do a simple task such as bring momma the ball please help should i keep pushing this autism thing or just listen to my doctor
Honestly....Usually Parents are right. Not always...but a lot of times it's true. Our gut tells us what's going on a lot of times...even if we are in denial. JMO
Karrie
If you're concerned, make an appointment for an evaluation with a developmental pediatrician.
Also, call your school district to request an evaluation. From what you have indicated, your son would probably qualify for services, such as speech, through the district. The earlier a child receives help, the better.
Best wishes to you.
Vision and hearing loss can cause autism-like symptoms, but getting him glasses and a hearing aid won't in itself make his delays go away, especially if your child has autism in addition.
Therefore it's important to arrange for help through the school district if you haven't already done so. The school district is the place to go for free help for developmental delays after age 3 (public Birth to 3 programs vary in who administers them).
It might also help to complete a diagnostic checklist, so you can show any skeptics why you believe autism should be considered. Here's childbrain's checklist.
http://www.childbrain.com/pddq6.shtml
Good luck with everything, and welcome to the forum.
Welcome to our forum,sounds like you are sure your son has Autism,Does he have any behivour,Tantrums ect..,does he have poor social skills with peers?Just wondering,my son was his Age when DX'd.
Linda
If you want to get an accurate diagnosis, you MUST correct what is KNOWN to be awry with your child first. 1. Get those eyeglasses and get him to wear them. 2. Get a brain stem test (a hearing EEG) to test his hearing. Young children with any form of deafness act autistic. Plus, it's imperative to correct whatever hearing loss your child MAY have (with hearing aids or with tubes to correct fluid issues) BEFORE he begins speech therapy.
The truth is that a medical diagnosis of autism or any autistic disorder is completely unnecessary for your child to begin to receive intense special education services through your school district. The ONLY way kids on the autism spectrum make progress it through education. The medical community has yet to come up with a single treatment that will improve autism. There are medications for aggression and hyperactivity and anxiety and tics and seizures, but these are simply symptoms that occur alongside of autism, not the autism itself. So, really, a diagnosis is just something that can support decision-making when it comes to school services. But getting services that are necessary DOES NOT REQUIRE A MEDICAL DX. So, if you have not already done so, write to your local school district TODAY and ask that your child receive a multidisciplinary evaluation for possible special education. It's important to include that they should consider the letter your written consent to evaluate, because that will make the date of the letter the first of 60 days in which the district MUST complete the evaluation and put necessary services in place for your child.
Please do not neglect the tests for hearing loss. My PDD-NOS son has moderate hearing loss in both ears and it has made it MUCH more difficult for him to acquire language. He does speak functionally, but his language is disordered. He has received 5 days a week of speech therapy since age 2 and he's now 16. Without his hearing aids and his speech therapy, he would have been nonverbal fore sure. And when he's not wearing his aids, he appears to hear. What we KNOW from the audiological testing, though, is that he has only about 50% of his hearing. Kids cn be foolers.
If you are reading about autism a lot, and what you read sounds like it was written about your son then I would keep pushing it. I know that when I first read about autism it was like it had all been written about Sharlet.I too agree to trust your gut...if you feel it's more then odds are it is.
WiMom is right...go to the school district. They probably won't give you a diagnosis, but they will definitely get you started on services.
Oh and welcome to the board!