I Am Concerned About My Youngest

Hi,

I agree with what one of the mom's said. It sounds like a sensory issue. There is a free program in all counties and states called Early Intervention. They will screen her in every area of her development. If her results show anything then she will receive the help she needs. It is FREE. I have 4 children and they all have gone through this program and it has taught them a lot. I have also learned a lot on how to assist them in learning. Here is their website is http://www.early-intervention.org/tampa_hillsborough_chil.... Their phone number is ###-###-####.

Good Luck!

Hi M.-

I'd say you need to get her evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorders immediately. My autistic nephew is now 13 - and we started noticing the signs by 18 months. He was slow to speak, clumsy, and covered his ears. He also developed several stimming actions to soothe himself (flapping his arms, rocking). The diagnosis hit my sister (his mother) like a ton of bricks but the earlier you can get diagnosed, the earlier that they can start therapies. There are a lot of new therapies out there and autism and the ASDs are becoming much more commonly seen.
Get her evaluated immediately - if she's not ASD, then you can breathe a sigh of relief. If she is -you can get the help she needs started now.
You're not alone in this either - there are plenty of support groups for parents of ASD kids - check into them.
H.

Hi M.,
I think it's possible it could be autism. My advice would be to get your pediatrician to check her out asap. I am the mother of an autistic child who's almost 5. There are checklists that can determine if a child has the characteristics of autism or if it's a generalized delay of some kind. If you don't get the answers you need from your pediatrician then consult a developmental pediatrician or another specialist. If it is autism then the sooner you know and start treating it the better.

Dear M.~

My eldest said two words before she was two. Then, one day, when I put her down for her nap, she said an entire sentence, "Mommy, may I have a cookie, please."

"Yes, darling, Mommy will bring you a whole box of cookies!!"

Today she is 43 and extremely bright and professional.

Einstein didn't talk until late, I think three or something. Don't worry about your daughter.

G., 66-year-old grandmother

Hi M....I am a speech language pathologist and a mom to an 8 and 6 year old. Talk with your pediatrician about the late walking and talking issues and ask for a script for a speech/language eval if your insurance will cover it and/or there are programs for free screenings for birth-three. A screening would help determine if there is any reason to be concerned. Some pediatricians tell you not to worry, so if you are still worried, you can get a screening without a doctors script. I would be happy to talk with you more...also check out www.helpforkidspeech.org .

Hi M.,

I am a mom 3 also. Our oldest who is now 13 was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. He was slow to walk and never imitated anything (patty cake, so high, etc.). There were other symptoms, but bottom line is--get her checked. It took me to contact the early intervention services in my area in order to get my son checked because the pediatricians said to just wait and see. The earlier you get them into therapy the better for them. It isn't a true disability. They are different, but mainly they just learn differently than other kids. So don't let the diagnosis scare you. It is just the key to get the help you and she need. I'm now homeschooling all 3 of mine and my 13 year old is a chemistry whiz way beyond many adult minds. If you have any questions or just want to talk, I'm available. : ) ____@____.com .

Sounds like a possible sensory issue. Talk to your pedi and do your own research. Follow your gut. Not all pedestrians are familiar with it. Mine didn't think I should waste my time, I had my son tested any way and I was right that something was wrong. Check out a book called Sensational Kids...it is a great book that can help look for any other signs that you might not be aware of. There are so many forms of autism out there. It's amazing. Sensory issues are a very low form of autism, which means your child is fully functional just sensitive to certain things like sounds, smells, touch, etc. Better to know what your dealing with than being aggravated about some of their behavior when you think they are just being difficult on purpose. Good luck to you!

i would definitely talk to your pediatrician, but keep in mind that all kids are different, we had friends whose son didnt talk. at all. when he was in pre-k they had him in speech therapy. when he went to Kindergarten, he exploded with words, now he wont shut up, LOL. Anyway, my point its, dont jump to conclusions, talk to your ped and before the next appt, make notes about everything you are concerned with, as you are sure to forget it all when you get there, lol. Good luck! :)

Hi M.. I have three kids too. They are all five years apart. And I noticed in my youngest (who just turned 5) that she was slow to talk too. I figured this was because her older brother and sister communicated for her. Mayber your 7 and 4 year old are doing that for her too.
Now that my daughter is 5, she is chatter box. Talking and singing up a storm. But back when she was just a little toddler, I would have to tell her brother and sister, "let her tell me." Maybe you can try that. Good Luck.

Have her checked. But my first son did everything early except walk. He didnt walk until 14 months, but he spoke in complete sentances at 1 year. We compared video tapes to my younger son to make sure. My second son could care less about eating, certainly not anything green, is in constant motion all the time and at 2 years had 10 words and that was stretching it. He would not point to anything and just cry to get his way. We would have to guess what he needed to stop his cry because he wouldnt tell us. We tryed sign language and that really helped and my older son had fun learning it too. He is now 2 1/2 and just had a language spurt and talks in complete sentances. Just in case we had him evaluated for hearing and cognitive deficits and the test came back that he was right on target.
I had also thought he had autism/attention deficit. But get her checked to be sure. The cognitive/speech/ hearing test really eased our minds

My daughter was slow to talk, then went right into complete sentences after just a couple months of single words. We taught her sign language. It was great!! She was frustrated with not being able to communicate well, and that gave her a way. She became much happier and talked soon after learning to sign. I would certainly speak to your daughter's doctor about your concerns, but think about getting some baby signing DVDs!

My 28 year old daughter did everything early. So, when my grandson stopped talking, would fall over alot, & put his hands over his ears when he heard alot of people talking, I became concerned. We questioned his ped & he told us not to worry until he turned 2. By two, he had made up his own language (which I totally understood). His parents had split up & his dad insisted that it was Autism. So, I did alot of reading & some of my own investigating. He had heard so much fighting between his parents that he knew that words hurt. So, he stopped using words. The words hurt his ears, so he covered his ears. He still was falling over alot. We discovered that his eyesight was bad. He was very farsighted. He now wears glasses. He is almost 2 1/2 & loves words. He is still behind in his talking. But, I figure he stopped talking for 6 months, so every day is progress. He is a happy, friendly little guy with a great sense of humor. little ones are smart, but can't always tell you what is going on in their heads. Be sure to check with her doctor, and do some research on the internet. This might put your mind at ease. It did for my daughter & me. Good luck.

I have 3 girls, my second turns 3 next week and is also a late talker. She has her own language and had tubes put in before Xmas and it has really made a difference, still kind of hard to understand everything she says but she is getting better. Good luck :)

It sounds like a sensory issue. Talk to your ped about it.

Don't stress yourself until you have a diagnosis from the doctor. My son did not walk until 15 months. Now the there are signs of autism but can you really be sure? Prayer changes things.

Your Doctor will be able to make that diagnosis. Ahe may also or in place of have ear/hearing problems. The noise when it gets chaotic may be hurting her ears.
Glad you are taking her to be checked.

S.

I would definately look into it and have her evaluated. My son was diagnosed with Autism at 26 months of age and now he is 4 years old. His pediatrician just kept telling me to love my baby and that all kids develope at a different rate even though he didn't start walking until 15 mos.. I also noticed that at 18 mos. he stopped talking, making eye contact, and would bang his head, spin in cirlces and did not play with toys correctly. Get in touch with Early Steps of Sarasota, they will do a free evaluation. Also through them if needed speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy are all free up until your child turns three. Early intervention is the key into turning your child on the right path. Right now my son speaks in sentences and goes to Pinnacle Academy out in Lakewood Ranch which is an Autism school. There he has learned to spell and write his name as well as identify all his numbers and letters and so much more. Do not delay even if your pediatrician tells you otherwise, trust your instincts and gut feeling and get you child the help they need and deserve, this is their future your talking about. I hope this helps. Any questions feel free to write me back.

I had 3 children also with 2 girls being the oldest with 2 years and 1 year older than their brother. He did not really talk until 3. The girls would speak for him, they would say Mike want's water, Mike wants this, that, etc. If your children are talking for your youngest then there is no reason for that child to speak. Now I can't shut my Mike up.

Good luck with your appointment