Is 2 too young to get a diagnosis of autism?

Kelsey - posted on 11/11/2011

Heavns no, How great of you to take the initiative this young, and to have a pediatrician that takes your seriously. I have an almost four year old and am now finally being taken seriously! he is at the level of an eight month old!!

Alison - posted on 11/09/2011

im sorry but that does not suggest that ur daughter is autistic, my daughter was diagnosed as being autistic at 16 the day she left school, she was misdiagnosed at the age of five as being a selective mute and its harder to diagnose a girl as being autistic than it is a boy, yes its nice to get a diagnosis of a disorder at a young age but atleast give them the chance to develop in theur own time before labelling the child with a disorder she may not have.

Steph - posted on 11/02/2011

Please help. My baby will be one next week and appears normal but refuses to look at us or make eye contact. Are there cases where this is normal behaviour or does it usually mean a diagnosis of autism/aspergers?

Lori - posted on 05/31/2011

My oldest was diagnosed at 3 years 7 months, my second son was diagnosed the week he turned two. The earlier they get diagnosed and get into therapies, the better off they will be! Good luck!

Lori

Chicky - posted on 03/22/2011

only if u push the doctors and find one that knows a mother knows and is smarter than any doctor about their child. just keep on and cut the hair around the face 9 worked for my grand daughter

Debbie - posted on 03/22/2011

no it is not zachary got tested at 23 months and has asds but he is getting better

Christy - posted on 09/02/2009

the age two is the best time to get him tested the longer you wait the harder it is on your child and you i had my son tested at two and didn't want to belive it and waited till he was 4 to get any kind of positive help. We have to learn that it is not waiting for the strom to pass but learn how to dance in the rain.

Marie - posted on 09/02/2009

Definitely push for a diagnosis!! My son was diagnosed with mild autism at the age of 1 1/2. My son has made great gains and has come a long way because of early intervention!! This is crucial for receiving therapies and treatments necessary to help your child recover. Please keep me informed. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. I will be thinking of you and your family.

Brandy - posted on 09/02/2009

My son is 2 and a half and was just dignosed today with High Functioning Autism! Ive known for a while that something was wrong but the ped kept saying no were not worried about it! I should have insisted but at least he is still young!! Im devestated but i know with support we can do this!! Good luck and please seek help it wont hurt to make sure!!

Candy - posted on 09/01/2009

I think the earlier the better... My son was diagnosed a week ago he is 28 months old we already have a lot of help in place everyone I have talked to says early intervention is key!

Maria - posted on 08/30/2009

My daughter got diagnosed at 20 months and had many of the same symptoms you're describing. In my opinion an early diagnosis can't hurt because the earlier treatment starts the better. I figure if later they say she just had general delays after all who cares, the program she started is great and she's already showing signs of improvement. Good luck!

Stacy - posted on 08/30/2009

ITS NEVER TOO SOON>

Wanda - posted on 08/30/2009

no my son was 2 and a half he can be tested and later tested again to see if it's something else

Jennifer - posted on 08/30/2009

No! The earlier diagnosed the better chances at therapy intervention. My son was diagnosed at two. I was told he would never talk or be toilet trained. He is now 9. With intense early intervention my son now talks and is very independent in many things. He is not cured. He is learning to adapt to his strengths.

Jennifer - posted on 08/30/2009

My son Philip was 26 months old and didn't make eye contact, didn't talk, he didn't play make believe, and walked on his tip toes. I got him into an Early Steps Program through Broward County, Florida and began the evaluation process. I took him to a neurologist who diagnosed him with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. He has been placed at the high end of the spectrum. He immediately started Behavior Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy. I also enrolled him into a developmental pre-school. Early intervention is the KEY. He is almost 3 years old and the changes in him are extreme. He touches things he wouldn't before, he makes more eye contact, he even tries different foods. Philip is still speech delayed but has made progress with speech therapy and the doctor's are hopeful he will speak in time. My suggestion is to seek out an early intervention program in your area and have your daughter evaluated. I thank God every day I had Philip evaluated and got him into his therapies. The progress has been amazing.

Rhonda - posted on 08/30/2009

i also wanted to add that my 9 yr. old wa diagnosed at age 6 but he to would not in the norm as we call it. he tip toed walked he would put his hands out like to hold himself up even though there was nothing there he zoned out alot he is very quite and speaks very low and i noticed whenever he took a school picture and smiled his right lip would go over and up and his left lip was like a straight line and he also did that when he wa afraid or crying . he is a very lovable guy and right now he is regular class and the say some children with autism are very bright.

Rhonda - posted on 08/30/2009

my 14 yr. oldwas diagnosed a 4 but i knew at 2 he was not like my other 2? so it is possible ask your family dr. that woud be the first step i would take

Jeannine - posted on 08/29/2009

mu daughter was showing symptoms at age 26 months, not officially diagnosed till age 4 due to me not being assertive and insisting for my doctor to send her to a specialisist. Please don't waist precious time insist that your pediatrician do a referal ASAP

Elizabeth - posted on 08/29/2009

hi natalie my name is liz i am from ireland.just joined this tonight. no 2 is the great age to get a diagnoses.my son karl was 2+7mths when diagnosed with PDD/NOS =A TYPICAL AUSTIM.what that means is pervasive deelopmental disorder not other specified.if you want to get in touch with me to find out more about karl or pdd. my email address is . lizsalmon85@yahoo.com i would have no problem talking to you or my mobile phone number is 0868407623.i am here if you want to talk anytime dont forget we are in the circle of mothers.best of luck luv liz. and i am here if you need me.x

Lupe - posted on 08/29/2009

If you are concerned you should have your daughter seen by a Peds. Specialist. The sooner you find out if your daughter is Autistic the better. Don't second guess yourself.

Shawn - posted on 08/29/2009

No that is not too young. The earlier the better. My daughter was diagnosed with Autism at 2 1/2. I knew something a lot sooner, but everyone told me not to compare kids. She was progressing, but just not as fast as her sister had. I put it off until she stopped progressing and started regressing. Once she stopped talking I immediately went to the doctor and was sent to a neurologist. She is now 5 and has at least stopped regressing.She has no speech, not potty trained, doesn't play, has no interests in anything except for watching Spongebob, and can't dress, bathe or feed herself. As much as I wish all us could have a situation like Paula Johnson mentioned, it's better to start young. You can always get rid of the diagnosis later, but you can't regain back the time you lost for not getting therapy early. Time is crucial. I kick myself everyday for not going with my motherly instincts and getting her checked out earlier. She may not have regressed as far back as she did.

Nanci - posted on 08/29/2009

Look into Neurofeedback www.northwest-neurofeedback.com

http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepi... Listen to this.

Tracy - posted on 08/29/2009

Quoting Natalie:

Is 2 too young to get a diagnosis of autism?

My 28 month old daughter has already been diagnosed as developmentally delayed. She still does not talk, she has trouble attending to a task, does not make believe play, and rarely makes eye contact ( she uses her hair to avoid eye contact or she looks away). I think she has autism and I was just wondering if anyone else got a diagnosis when their child was that age or maybe younger.
Thanks

My son was 9 months old when I first suspected something was wrong.  Of course, I was also comparing him to his older sister.  However, I kept close watch, and indeed, he did stop progressing and continued to develop many traits of the autistic child.  I didn't know what to do....and I was in denial for many months.  When he was about 19 months old, I had a nurse from Public Health come into my home to observe my son.  She agreed with my suspicions and gave me directions on what to do next, such as  contact our family Dr.  who will refer to pediatrician who will refer to neurologist who will refer.....etc.  Immediate intervention is a necessity and to finally answer your question, no, 2 yrs old is not too young.  The quicker your child can receive speech therapy, play therapy, ABA therapy, and whatever else is available in your area (make your voice heard/don't take no for an answer), the better the outcome will be.  It is possible for many children who have mild autism, such as Asperger's, to be "cured" with intensive treatments as listed above.  I have seen it happen :)

Yaya - posted on 08/28/2009

I dont believe that age 2 is not too young to get diagnosis of Autism. My son was born with no visible problems, he was initially developing in his age range until he hit 1 yrs mark. what started out as words eventually became grunts. then the tantrums would start, he no longer liked to be held or hugged. he no longer held eye contact and if I called his name it's as if he didn't hear me. I heard him say mama once before he was 18 mos. It broke my heart. I took a wait and see attitude thinking, he'll catch up. There is nothing wrong with my baby. It took my eldest daughter who was 19 at the time and working as a teachers aide in a daycare to point it out. She kept saying mom he has a problem, was it ignorance on my part, uninformed, or did I just not want to see that he did have a problem.I had met a social worker who helped me through these hard times and I am grateful to her. She gave me strength. So we talked to his pediatrician. It took 6 more months to get him diagnosed. by the time he was 26 mos he had officially been diagnosed as autistic. My world came crashing down. What did I do wrong? Is it my fault? Could I have prevented this? Would it have gone away if I had accepted it sooner and taken him in to see a doctor? was there a cure? WILL HE EVER SAY MOMMY AGAIN? Now my son is 5 1/2 yrs. old in Kindergarten and he has come a long way from that little boy who had started to shy away from life. He is outgoing, funny, smart (he could spell and write his own name by age 5). And he shows me the joy and beauty in everyday life. HE IS MY WORLD.

Trudy - posted on 08/28/2009

my son was seen at 25 months. he was also diagnosed as developmentally delayed. Tristan showed all the same things as your daughter. i was told that because of his delays and age they could not diagnose him with Autism and to come back when he was older. he is now four and has been diagnosed with Autism. they may not diagnose that early, but you should be able to get her into classes and groups to help her until they do

Arlene - posted on 08/28/2009

its never to early to have your child tested. the earlier the better so she can get the services she needs right away. My son was diagnosed at age 3 but by 2 i knew there was something wrong. he is now 6 and with occupational and speech therapy, he has progressed so much. we can understand his words and sentences and he is in a mainstream classroom with regular kids.



do everything possible for your child and get all the services needed. never let anyone make you feel like you can not control your child. our children will overcome this so i say to you, have faith and patience. take care and i wish you all the best.

Amy - posted on 08/28/2009

My 3 kids are all on the spectrum. My youngest now 6 started receiving therapy at 9 months old I believe you can never start to early!

Shirley - posted on 08/28/2009

No my son was diagnosed at 18 months.

Susy - posted on 08/28/2009

My Child has Autism, even though he was diagnosed when he was 5 years Old, I know of cases when a child has been diagnosed at 18 months, so please do your child a favor and have her tested for any Autism Spectrum Disorder, this will help you a lot, because the yourger they get diagnosed the better will be for them because they will get the help they need and the therapies she may need.

You do not mention which state you live in, here in Florida we have a program called Early Steps, in which any child younger than 3 years old will get tested and diagnosed and will received free of charge any services he or she may require, find out if you state has some kind of program for kids younger than five yeards old.

Be strong and persisten, remember you are your child's advocate.

Always

Susy

Diana - posted on 08/28/2009

My son was diagnosed on the spectrum at 21 months. The Neurologist did not comfortable giving the autism disorder diagnosis until he was 2 years old. Does your child point or do joint attention (show you something by pointing then looks at you back to see if you saw what he/she saw)? If your child can not do this...this is a big red flag for autism. Also, before diagnosing your child...your doctor will need to rule out a neurological or metabolic disorder which can present like autism but is not autism.

Jessica - posted on 08/28/2009

Talk to your Pedi and tell them how you feel. My son was Dx at 2 he is now 4 and with early intervention he has made such progress. Hearing your child has Autism is one of the hardest things to hear I admit but once you have the DX it opens up a wonderful world of help for you and your daughter..The sooner the better.. Good Luck!!

Alicia - posted on 08/27/2009

I look at it this way, the treatment for autism isn't damaging to a child if they are misdiagnosed as having the diagnosis. But if they aren't diagnosed at all and therefore don't get early intervention services that is damaging to their chances to progress as far as they may otherwise have done.

Alicia - posted on 08/27/2009

Quoting Linda:

Hi, my son is 2 he got diagnosed at 1. He also did not respond to his name, walked on his toes. He does have good eye contact though. So my advice to you, get your child evaluated now, the sooner the better. Good Luck!

does he have a PDD diagnosis then? usually you need poor eye contact to be diagnosed autism. Not challenging just curious.

MICKI - posted on 08/27/2009

No, it's actually about right. At 2 1/2 I had my son tested. My son only spoke a few words, avoided eye contact, no imaginative play, repeats things (ie; commercials, songs, questions) but has no understanding of what is being said. Early diagnosis is key. Some parents don't want to know if their child has this disorder but it will only benefit the child once diagnosed. I suggest you have your child tested with a neurologist to confirm your thoughts. It can't hurt, only help. Best wishes.

Amy - posted on 08/27/2009

I had my son diagnosed at 2 1/2 years old

Jen - posted on 08/26/2009

My son was diagnosed PDD before his 2nd birthday. Pervasive Developmental Disorder is a precursor to Autism/ Aspergers. Upon entering special pre-school he was diagnosed with Autism. After entering middle school, he was diagnosed Aspergers. All these diagnosis stem from early detection of a developmental delay. He is now 16, mainstreamed and and honor student in the 11 th grade. We experienced NO delay in schooling, we had intervention and behavior modification at 24 months to 4 yrs and enjoy a well adjusted, social, and loving young man. He has his disabilities, and we have to make allowances for this, but a diagnosis is a relief, not a hinderance. Get her to a specialist, tell your family doctor of your concerns and he/she will lead you in the right direction. Trust your instincts and you all will come out on top. Autism is an all too common tag, but a true and real disability. Find out now and you will have no regrets later. Good luck!!

Carla - posted on 08/26/2009

my son was diagnosed at 27mths of age exhibiting some of the same symptoms as your daughter.

Linda - posted on 08/26/2009

Hi, my son is 2 he got diagnosed at 1. He also did not respond to his name, walked on his toes. He does have good eye contact though. So my advice to you, get your child evaluated now, the sooner the better. Good Luck!

Paula - posted on 08/26/2009

Although it seems that children are being diagnosied younger and younger, I would be carefull of a diagnosis to early. My oldest (now 18) was diagnosed with autism at aboout 3 1/2. My youngest was diagnosed as developmentally delayed at about 18 months old (he is now 13), at about age two the "experts" were labeling him as autistic. Guess what; he doesn't have autism (he has no disabilities what so ever). About 6 months after recieving the diagnosis of autism it was discovered that he had tonsils and adnoids the size of a full grow adult and they needed to be removed. After they removed he rapidly progressed and it was discovered he was misdiagnosed. When I say rapidly, I mean he was developing so fast that he went from being about a year behind to a year ahead in about two month (how is that for a miracle). So, before pushing for an autism diagnosis have everything checked out including adnoids and tonsils because you never know what it is that may be causing the developmental delay.

Melissa - posted on 08/26/2009

In my opinion, the younger the better. My daughter got a PDD-NOS diagnosis at 2, and we were able to get the help we needed early. We also checked her ears and had tubes placed in them. She had "gluey" ears, and was unable to hear for over a year (of course, we didn't know that at the time). That was one of the main reasons she didn't make eye contact or play with others, so I always suggest to check and double check her hearing.

Birgit - posted on 08/23/2009

My identical twin boys were both diagnosed at 19 months. Looking back, I still can't believe I did not see the signs: no desire to "share" (bringing toys to mom or dad), delayed language, no pointing, no response to their names even though hearing was fine, no sense of fear and the list goes on. They are 7 1/2 now, in public school, on or exceeding grade level, and talking! Early intervention for us was really key. A developmental pediatrican, neurologist, or psychiatrist/psychologist should be able to diagnose your daughter at this age.

Brenda - posted on 08/23/2009

I didn't get a dx of my son til he was 4 but I knew something was wrong by the time he was 2 don't wait the earlier the better. :)