what kind of therapy is best for autistic child?

[momsof2girls]

i have a 30 months old little girl, shes not talking good, she says some words perfectly but not all the time. she cant understand simple commands like give it to your sister, or put it down. she is very good in singing she can memorize the lyrics of the kiddie songs. no tantrums but some sleeping issue. she had her hearing test, and it came her hearing is okey. she had her speech therapist its been 3 months already but seems not improving. and last week she started her OT from baby cant wait. does anybody has any idea what kind of therapy does she need aside from this 2 therapies? im worried all the time and sometimes feeling hopeless. i cant sleep good at night thinking what im gonna do, keep doing some research about her problem. and i assume that shes autistic but no body told me that shes autistic at least if im wrong i will be the happiest mom on earth, but seems she has some red flags. shes so picky eater she just eat fried okra and fries.  pls anybody has/ had success stories pls tell me what i need to do for my little girl. thanks hope to hear some good ideas.

[venustiana]

Check with your school district    and see if they can evaluate her. They might tell you to wait until she is 3 but be persistent. Here in Dallas Fort Worth we have  Child Study Center and they charge according to your income. Check if there is something like that in your area.

[jvg]

In addition to getting an evaluation from the developmental neurologist suggested by the previous speaker, it may help if you get her also evaluated for learning disability....this kind on evaluation is usually offered by the township you live in (free of charge), and they have a panel of experts who will evaluate your child for various parameters including speech, motor skills, cognitive skills, etc. and they may be able to tell you what skills she is behind in (even with spech there are several different subtypes) and I know that  some township school districts also offer free programs to help children reach a level that is age appropriate based on the evaluation. Good luck and hope things work out well for you.

[momsof2girls]

i live in georgia, and by this week i will see her pedia and ask a referral for developmental pediatrician.i was referred by her previous pediatrician ( right now she has new pediatrician) to  marcus center w/c is so expensive they want $2,000 just to test her if shes autistic. we cant afford so we never take her to that center.

[Me2mommy2b]

Hi.  I agree with the previous poster.  Get a referral to have her tested for autism if you're concerned.  Usually your speech therapist can raise concerns if she has any regarding your child.  If no one suggested to you that she's showing signs of autism, then most likely she doesn't have it HOWEVER, I'd go with your gut feeling and have her tested.  What state do you live in?

[alexaidenmom]

Have you thought about getting a referral from her pediatrician to get her tested for autism?  If she does have autism, the diagnosis open's new doors.  ABA seems to be the route that most parents of children with autism go.  I have heard alot of great things about ABA but haven't tried it yet because of costs.  There is also floor time and some others I can't think of at the moment.
For the first couple of months my son didn't seem to be benefiting from speech therapy either but all of a sudden something seemed to click and he blossemed.  Stick with it and good luck.