Not Diagnosed yet

[mdeez88]

Hi all.. I have a 2 1/2 year old boy..He was a late walker and now is a late talker...he only howls..he has said ball and bubble..but thats about it..I have a speech therapist come to the house twice a week to help us..another thing..he does not respond to his name unless you call him repeatedly..then maybe he will acknowledge me..very frustrating..We had his hearing checked and they say its fine..he has not been officially diagnosed with autism, but, I am sure he has some degree..Im just worried bout him..he is my world and he seems happy enough..I just want to hear that sweet little voice!..He also has some type of rash that flares up from time to time..some docs say eczema but they dont know..Its crazy that they cant tell me..He also has to have surgery next month for his penis skin being attatched (which the docs said would detatch..never did)..It just seems like he has one thing after the other..Just a vent..lol..thx for reading..;)

[mdeez88]

Thanks to all for your replies..He does play with his trains on the tracks..he puts the tracks to 2gether too..I just feel like he is trapped inside himself..(if that makes sense)..I find myself feeling so bad for him because he cant speak..its more than that tho..I can call him to me once and he will slowly make his way to me..other times its like he is ignoring me..I will never give up on him..it def wears me down tho..I see other 3 year olds and they are doing things i wish he was doing..I just think this world is hard enough to have anything holding him back...We have our neuroligist appt in July..it took 2 years to get it..I was shocked it takes that long but it is what it is..They will officially diagnose him then..I just want him to be happy and not frustrated..He has waved a couple times,but nothing is consistent..I have a 10 year old step son too..he has been diagnosed with ADHD, so when they interact it is always frustrating for both of them...I have heard that it is good to imitate any noise that a baby makes,but when my 3 year old humms and howls..10 year old imitates it..I dont think he should and it frustrates me..JUST a vent..Im staying strong but I have some nights when i just look at my baby b0y and get so upset..I want him to break out of this shell..but I know thats not how it works..Im just gonna keep on doing what Im doing and make sure he gets whatever help he needs

[Majikat]

him taking a garbage to the garbage on a command is a milestone and i would be jumping for joy too :)

since he is not pointing is he making and gestures? waving/ clapping on command
does he do any pretend play?

I know the thought of something wrong with your baby is sickening.... belive me i know!!! I have a one year old baby boy who i am constantly obsessing about... i really figured i would know by now cause i know all the symptoms i am very educated about autism and learning disorders

if there is something wrong with him you do want a diagnoses sooner than later because like i said before early intervention is so important and untill you get a diagnoses the quality of his care just wont be there... well if its any thing like whre i live


i wish you luck

[Majikat]

Hi my sons official diagnoses on paper is Autism Spectrum disorder
his occupational therapist thought it could be something different just because he loves praise and is ver affectionate.... He has AMAZING gross motor skills like absolutely amazing probably better than mine... he did have a lot of problems with his fine motor skills which i only started to realize when he started his occupational therapy.
He is very sensory that is for sure!!! but I love him so much and i am extremely close to him and would do anything for him

We actually took him to Panama in july of 2010 for stem cell treatments and we saw so much improvement with his stimming and his behaviour issues

[specialmom]

Hi there.  Oh, this is fantastic what you are reporting.  He IS communicating with you.  That he also tries to do the movements and sing along with the Wiggles is also a good sign.  Does he do any pretend play?  Like take a train and run it along the track or a car and run it along the floor like it is going?  That is a thing to look for.  

Honestly, the word label is overused in my opinion.  To me, it simply means that you have a direction to go in order to help a child.  The name of my child's diagnosis helps me understand him because I can look it up, research it, explain it to others and really give him the help he needs.  It has never been scary to me to do that except right in the begining.  If you worry about schools, this information is kept in confidentialy.  and it is truly meant to help a child.  that's how I look at it anyway.  
Oh, they tried really hard to prove that mercury and vaccines were involved with these disorders.  They've removed mercury from them years ago and not a single study has ever proven that it is involved.  I looked for causes to my sons issues as well and in reality, there is no way of knowing.  We had a traumatic birth is the best I can come  up with.  Various things during development in utero can be involved as well.  And some things start right at conception.  

Have you ever heard of a developmental pediatrician?  They are terrific for helping a family figure out the best path.  They are often associated with  children's hospitals.  

I think your child will have a good chance of overcoming much with you as a parent.  Being proactive is the best way to overcome challenges.  My son is living proof of this.

Peace to you

[mdeez88]

Thanks for all the replies and kind words...He doesnt point to anything that he wants ..he will grab your hand and bring you to what he wants..He seems to understand things very well..but at times, he just seems to ignore us..I too was a victim of the wait and see approach..We did wait for a while but it got to the point that we had to do something for his own well being..
I love him soo much and just want the best for him..I will def. chk out the speecherize.. We have done the baby can read dvds..but he responds more to the wiggles theme song!.. He trys to sing along with it..too funny.. He is not good with taking direction, having said that I fwe tell himn to throw out his fruit snack wrapper, he will go over to the garbage and throw it out..This was cause for celebration!..lol..we celebrate and make a big deal out of anything he does that is a "milestone" to us. He has not been officially diagnosed with anything..Docs have evaluations but have not ruled out anything..We dont really want to label him..Thankyou all for sharing and appreciate the advice...
Another note..Has anybody ever heard of Mercury being an issue in regards to autism? Ive read some things but ..I really dont know what to believe, as every child is different..

[specialmom]

I think you are very smart to advocate for early intervention for your child.  It can make ALL the difference in the world.  good for you!  You are a great mom.  

[specialmom]

Oh, I SO agree.  Early intervention is so important and can often be the key to overcoming a challenge that a child has.  Good for you for insisting that your child receive help as we are our children's advocates.

What is  your child's diagnosis?  Apraxia?  My son's sensory issues involve dyspraxia.  

We've found occupational therapy to be so very valuable in many ways.  Does your child have any motor skills issues ---  fine or gross?  

[Majikat]

I totally know how you feel!! all i wanted to do was hear my little boys voice and honestley it came to the point where i thought i never would :( but when he was around 2 1/2 he said his first word cold it was amazing although it was the only time he said it lol... he only started to consistently talk when he was almost 5... he cant have a conversation but he says single words he is now almost 6..

i got him diagnosed just after his second birthday... no thanks to the doctors i had to fire 2 of them cause they kept wanting to take the wait and see approch which i was not accepting!! early intervention is very important!!! you are lucky to have him in therapy before a diagnoses!!!

I have a one year old and I figured since he is high risk that he would be in therapy as a caution but no doctors in canada are too cool to care


how is he with following direction and playing?

[specialmom]

Hi there.  Ya know, when my son was in the process of being diagnosed (with sensory integration disorder, it was a very difficult time.  I had a LOT of heartache I must tell you.  You worry so much about what the future holds and what it all will mean for your child and their future.  I had great anxiety and would lay awake at night.  Then one night it hit me full on----  no matter WHAT, this was my beautiful boy and I loved him to pieces just as he was.  I, from that moment on, decided that we (his dad and I) would do everything possible to help him.  We'd help him overcome challenges as best we could, we'd give him coping skills and tools to manage real life, we'd be there no  matter what cheering him on and loving him.  He's now 8 and that hasn't changed!

Your boy, no matter if he ends up falling on the spectrum or not, is your boy.  You will love him the same regardless.  It is terrific you have a speech therapist coming two times per week.  My boy had some speech difficulty as well.  With his sensory integration/processing disorder, he had some motor planning issues and it takes a lot of motor coordination to speak!  I got this really great cd called "Speechercize" that we used at your son's age.  It is fun things to do that work out those mouth muscles needed to speak.  It goes all the way through making sounds needed to start letter sounds to basic tongue exercises to get it moving. I got it on the internet and you can google it and see what you think.  We also did a lot of things with straws----  sucking thick liquid through a straw (such as smoothies, milkshakes and even applesauce) as well as blowing things with a straw (such as a cotton ball across the table, cut the straw in half, make one for yourself and have a race).  Sucking on a lollipop is really good too.  Have him watch you speak and talk slowly.  

Does he point and gesture?  That would be good if he did.  My son did but articulation was hard.  Motor planning can also make speech diffcult because it involves the 'organizational' part of the brain.  To speak you must take in what someone says and organize it to understand it, then organize your answer and THEN the message of the words goes to the mouth.  A small disruption in this processing can cause issues.

My son also has some 'auditory processing' issues which is part of the sensory system.  He can hear all sound at the same volume, so when I call his name, it blends into other sounds.  

But don't feel bad for venting. That is what this forum is for.  Parents that are working through issues with their kids.  Many of us understand first hand and can truly empathize.  You can contact me any time.

Peace and keep on loving your boy!