Can a child develop a tongue tie later than infancy?

[redhedd73]

Can a child develop a tongue tie later than infancy? My son does have severe autism, and he is non-verbal. However, he used to make more sounds and he did have limited speech. The last word he was able to say was "mama" and that stopped over a year ago. He also used to stick out his tongue and that stopped. He has been under the care of a doctor and a speech therapist and they never noticed any abnormalities with his mouth.

This morning, he had his mouth open and I noticed (NEVER saw it before today) a webbing that went from the tip of his tongue to the floor of his mouth. Is it possible to develop a tongue tie later in childhood or was it always there and has just gotten worse? Thanks!

[magnoliababy]

It is very common for autistic children to regress.  (He used to talk and now he doesn't.)  Sorry, but it doesn't sound like a physical issue.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
Tongue tie or ankyloglossia as it is medically called is actually a congenital anomaly which is present since birth.  It may become noticeable in later years if the child is facing difficulties in speech, feeding etc. So if it is true ankyloglossia, then it would have been present since birth. Other than this, any injury to the undersurface of the tongue could have caused scarring. I suggest you take a second opinion from a doctor or speech therapist who can examine him. Take care!