How do you know if your child is autistic?

Lindsey - posted on 09/24/2012

I am trying to find out if my daughter may be autstic? she has very bad temper tantrums and she repeats herself over and over agian like she gets stuck, she has speach problems to se is four and goes to prek and all the other kids can make full sentences but she doesnt she also has been screaming st the teacher not want to do her work the teacher seems to think that there is problem at home but i not sure if its a problems there or if my daughter may be autstic? i really need some help or advice about this. or is there any classes i can put her in someone help me.

Sherry - posted on 10/18/2011

I was informed by my older sons speech pathologist that there are so many kids mis diagnoised so i would get two or more opinions if you go that route. She also said that you cant really tell till at least 18 months of age or older. they will start to withdrawl from you not show affection and stuff and one other way is how they play with toys. they will stack them by size or color and stuff. They will start to loose basic stuff like talking and stuff and instead of progressing the do the opposite..

Samantha - posted on 10/17/2011

when my five year old was about 2/3 she often got frustrated and had tantrums and we discovered she was hearing impaired? Maybe get her assessed to put your mind at rest and check her diet hasn't too much sugar? Good Luck x

Denise - posted on 10/11/2011

Hi Joana, so glad you are getting the evaluation...my daughter was diagnosed with Autism, she is 5 yrs old...I took her to the Regional Center...they have tons of recources and help for parents. They can even come into your home for behavior therapy which can help you tremendously in learning how to deal with tantrums better. They should have one in your city just go online... I also just wanted to say my daughter is high functioning and while there is a check list to help you determine if your child is showing signs of Autism, no two children with Autism are exactly the same..so no one can say if your child doesn't do A,B,or C then she is fine...what about D,E,and F...my child is loving sometimes she has moments where she will cuddle but wont look us in the eye, she plays with kids for 10 min then she wants to be alone in the corner. She hits herself when she is happy or upset and she didn't talk till after 3 and that took therapy...therapy is the key and its vital you start it as soon possible...good luck

Joana - posted on 10/11/2011

You guys are awesome thanks so much for all the advice. My daughter has an appointment next week to start getting her evaluated, I will let everyone know how it goes. God Bless all of you and your families have a great day =)

Sarah - posted on 10/10/2011

my son just turned 5 and he is being diagnosed with autism, but a very mild case of it, He doesn't say much and not very social. His speech started decreasing about 3 years old when baby brother was born and grandma graduated college and working as a doctor, so left less time with him then i started working 4 months later, and like at his 5th bday party, he took his cake inside and sat at the table eating rather than with everyone else. Other than that he is very normal and intelligent

Rachael - posted on 10/10/2011

kids with autism have poor social and communication skills. they often don't like to be touched and hate loud noises and have specific routines that they do that they get very upset when they are broken. that being said, it depends on the kid and how high or low functioning they are. take her to her doctor and mention what you have noticed and they will evaluate her

Tanya - posted on 10/10/2011

Hi Joana!
I had issues with my son brushing his teeth from about the age of 1. We use to get advised from the dentist to add a toothbrush in the bath with him, for him to play with during bath time to encourage him getting use to the feel of the tooth brush in his hands and where he could put it in his mouth when he was ready. They also use to suggest, to get them use to brushing their teeth, do it in a room where they are comfortable eg lounge room while the tv is on as you use the tv as the distraction. Another idea was for us to brush each others teeth so it would also show them we are not afraid to- eg if I do yours you can do mine! One brush each or something.. Also encourage by saying it's only a small brush. I did find using these techniques helpful as my son is now happy enough to brush his teeth in the bathroom with little or no trouble. But it does come down to sensory issues with the brushing the teeth.
There are also a many spectrums of autisim. Heres a link for you to check out: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/autism/ar... Do speak to your doctor and peadiatrician with your concerns. Wishing you and your daughter all the best!

Katherine - posted on 10/09/2011

Wow, guess I don't need to post on this lol. Excellent advice.

Heidi - posted on 10/09/2011

Keep track of when she has her tantrums and what could be causing it. Share these with pediatrician. If you still have concern find a Developmental Pediatrician.

Crikey MUm - posted on 10/09/2011

Some of these sound like normal toddler behaviours, but others, not so much. Before you do anything, go to the Centre Disease Control website as they have an interactive criteria checklist for ADHD/Autism etc. You have to monitor your child for 3-6 months (if not already) and check off the behaviours. We have just completed the time period checklist, took it to the Doc, and she is now being tested.

www.crikeymum.com

Elizabeth - posted on 10/06/2011

Talk to your pediatrician. Also, we looked into different food allergies. My son wasn't real bad, but he had trouble paying attention here and there. There are different foods/food coloring that can cause physical issues. Including often being misdiagnosed with ADD. Talking to her doc will probably make you feel more at ease. It did me.

Julie - posted on 10/06/2011

I suspected my son may have asperger's so we had him evaluated through his pediatrician and early intervention and we actually found out he is not autistic but has a cognitive delay and been told as he gets older we may find he has dyslexia. Although this situation doesn't not apply to your daughter just no there are resources out there if she does need help. Talk to her doctor about any concerns and they should be able to point you in the right direction. Everything you said seems pretty normal. If you want to work on her concentration you can sit down and do projects together and give her a reward like a couple cool stickers etc for doing the whole project with you for 10 min or so.

Kate - posted on 10/05/2011

My son was not talking at 18 months which prompted us and his pediatrician to contact early intervention. Even though he smiled and laughed all of the time, and seemed very interested in other children, the communication part just was not there. He was able to do puzzles, knew his numbers and letters, and had good fine motor skills. There were times when he would not look at us when we would talk to us, but we thought it was just because he was really into doing what he was doing. He was and still is a very cuddly little boys, who aims to please, but has some tantrums over little things. His communication is blossoming, but we can see that he gets a little overly sensitive about things.
What you are describing seems like a normally developing child. All kids have inconsolable tantrums, especially if they are overtired right before bed. It is all about growing up. But talk with your pedi if you are that concerned.

Nikki - posted on 10/05/2011

She sounds like a normal 3 year old from what you have said. Maybe look into some consistent behaviour management techniques.

There is some good info and support in this community
http://www.circleofmoms.com/positive-beh...

Rebecca - posted on 10/05/2011

She might have sensory issues. You might talk to your pediatrician about that.

Joana - posted on 10/05/2011

Well she never had issues with talking or smiling in fact she reached all her milestones on time or sometimes even faster. Thanks for the info =)

Rebecca - posted on 10/05/2011

•No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
•No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
•No babbling by 12 months
•No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
•No words by 16 months
•No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
•Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age