I JUST NEED SOME HELP.......

Juliann - posted on 01/07/2009

Does your county have an early interbvention program? My son did not talk at all until after 3 with lots of therapy. He would not make eye contact, had low muscle tome, and gross motor delays. He was finally diagnosed with NeuroFibroMatosis Type 1. He is now going to be 4 on the 20th and is doing great. He is in a preschool getting all his therapy there and some additional speech at home.

Have you taken him to see a neurologist?

Hope you get it all figured out!

Cherie - posted on 01/07/2009

I work in an early intervention program for children with autism and I can tell you it is not in your son's best interest for you to wait and see. The earlier he gets diagnosed and starts treatment the better off he will be in the long run.Do a search online and find a list of symptoms of autism. Be as honest and objective as you can be, and ask a close friend to look at it too. If your son exhibits the signs on the list then do something now. I agree with the other mom's: you know your child best. Don't let the doctor tell you he doesn' need testing. Push until you get him tested. If your son does have autism, or any developmental delay, you have to be his advocate and make sure he gets the best possible treatment as early as possible. If I could stress one thing to all the parents of children with autism it would be to learn to be your child's therapist at home; what I mean is, learn how your child's therapists do what they do and follow through at home. If you have any more questions you can conact me at cherie.laflamme@gmail.com

Good luck

Mandy - posted on 01/07/2009

you CAN definitly have your son tested by your school district, they will probably refer you to your county's intermediate unit, that's where I used to work with autistic children. you may qualify for more services at home if your child is autistic and then when he is 3 he can attend early intervention classes at your local IU site.  The most important thing is to follow through with your own instincts, You are his mother and know him better than anyone else in this world and he is too young to help himself , so you are going to be his biggest advocate!  the sooner  your son is diagnosed (if that is the case)  the sooner he can start therapy and overall that is the best thing for him! Good Luck!

Mandy 

Mandy - posted on 01/07/2009

you CAN definitly have your son tested by your school district, they will probably refer you to your county's intermediate unit, that's where I used to work with autistic children. you may qualify for more services at home if your child is autistic and then when he is 3 he can attend early intervention classes at your local IU site.  The most important thing is to follow through with your own instincts, You are his mother and know him better than anyone else in this world and he is too young to help himself , so you are going to be his biggest advocate!  the sooner  your son is diagnosed (if that is the case)  the sooner he can start therapy and overall that is the best thing for him! Good Luck!

Mandy 

Julie - posted on 01/06/2009

You can have your son tested by our local school district. There are districts that place children in an early childhoold program starting as early as 3 yrs old, but must qualify. All you can do is document and keep calling.

Gina - posted on 01/06/2009

I have no advice, only my story.   At 2 1/2, our son wouldn't respond to us.  At first, my doctor thought he had trouble hearing, but I knew that wasn't the case.  He was very much a loner, would put his hands over his ears a lot and bang his head against anything if he got upset, as well as throw a doozy of a tempertantrum.  He also would avoid eye contact at any cost.  Though he spoke some, not very much of it was intelligible.

I finally got my pediatrician to recommend evaluation due to developmental delays and there we found the problem.  My 3 1/2 year old son has Asperger's syndrome, which is along the Autism spectrum.  Some of the difficulties included in his diagnosis include: receptive language disorder, which means that he has a very difficult time processing what other people say to him.  "Put on your shoes" = shoes...and nothing else.  We have to use visual commands with him.   Hypersensitive hearing...he is overloaded by everything going on around him because it's all at the same level, whether a pin dropping, a whisper, a siren down the road, the tv, or just us talking with him.  Sensory integration...because his hearing is so keen, he wants all his other senses to have the same depth.  We have to do a lot of "heavy work" with him and sensory, tactile, things.  He likes to drag suitcases, jump and wade in a ball pit, jump on a trampoline, etc. 

He does go to occupational therapy once a week and that helps tremendously, and I have seen improvement in his communication with the outside world. 

You know your son better than anyone and if you think there may be a problem, push until you can get him evaluated.  That way, if he's just taking his time, the concerns can be pushed aside; if there is a diagnosis, the earlier he and you learn how to cope, the farther and higher functioning he can become.  I'll definitely keep you in my prayers!

God bless,

Gina