Worried My Daughter Might Have Autism.

Hi Mum
I work with people with Autism.
Autism is a disorder and there has to be problems in three areas
1.Social interaction
2.Communication
3. Imagination.
Also 16mths is very young to expect a child to talk. Some start older. My son had very few words at 2yrs,started talking at 2.5 yrs and now at 3yrs has fantastic speech.
There has to be more signs then just speech to suspect autism.
Best of luck
B.

My first born did not talk until about 18 months or so and boy once he started....LOL :D If she is very responsive when you tell her things and interactive, it doesn't sound like autism to me. If she responds when you say her name etc, I think she is fine. Maybe look up key indicators for autism online, she sounds right on target in my opinion, good luck!

Just because she isn't talking does not mean autism. She could just be a little behind with her speech. At 16 months, a speech therapist might be a good idea. What did the Dr say about that?

It sounds like your daughter has some good things going for her. Even though she is not talking, the babbling is very good. Instead of trying to have her repeat what you are saying, focus instead of having her repeat the sounds that you are making (e.g., "vrooom, vrooom" or animal sounds like "baa, baa"). Once you start doing this, you'll probably that you can evenutally expand upon it to include simple words.

The fact that she understand what you are doing and can carry out 1-step directions is very good. Most children who have autism have a hard time with this at the very start, when they are very young and before treatment begins.

If your daughter is looking you in your eye, is pointing to objects to show them to you, or turns her head when you call her name from across the room most of the time (if she is distracted with something like a toy or t.v., she probably won't respond), then those are all very good signs as well that she is probably not on the autism spectrum.

Of course, if you have any concerns at all about her development, then I would urge you to error on the side of caution and have her evaluated by a speech therapist or place a call to your State's early intervention department (you can get the telephone # from your pediatrician) to request that they come out to your home and do a free in-home assessment of your daughter. If it turns out that your daughter is not on the spectrum, then you will have that peace of mind knowing that's the case. If it turns out that she does have a language delay, then you will of the blessing of time - being able to get started on service early which will increase your daughter's chances of overcoming her delays.

Wishing you and your daughter all the best.

I believe most speech delays have nothing to do with autism. If speech is the only reason you are thinking autism, you are most likely safe not worrying about it. Call early intervention to have a screening. It is free and you will either find out if there is a delay (and therapy will be provided) or you will be reassured that she is fine. Nothing negative can come of it. Good luck.

Contact Early Intervention for a free evaluation at your own house (or at your daughter's day care provider if that's where she is during the day.)

Everyone is correct -- expressive langauge delay is only one of the key issues for Austism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, if your gut is telling you something is wrong, then have the evaluation done. Trust your instincts.

-- 16 months is definitely NOT too early for a Developmental Pediatric Specialist to be able to diagnose ASD. In addition, a speech therapist would, absolutely, see and treat your daughter for a developmental delay at 16 months (if the treatment is necessary.) There are hundreds of issues that can be addressed by a SLP even before the first word is spoken. Finally, therapists will have an "accurate picture" of whether or not your child is meeting the developmental milestones at ANY age.

-- "Had it and Lost it" (ability to speak) is NOT the hallmark of ASD! It occurs in some cases -- but not all.

-- The "Give her time to grow" or "Let's wait and see what happens" is old-school thinking. The earlier you intervene with the approrpriate services and support for a child with developmental delays, the better. Unfortunately, too many "regular" Pediatricians are still waiting too long and taking valuable time away from a child who needed intervention.

From my experience, if you are not seeing social or interaction issues (does she point at things to show you? Does she look to your face to see if you are looking at her? etc.) you probably don't have to worry about ASD. But...why not have the evaluation? Best Wishes.

(Do I really have 2 posts on this topic? How did that happen?)

Autism involves alot more besides just speech. I would not automatically jump to that idea. There are alot of other things in between normal and ASD. 16 months is not really that late to not be talking yet, but it would not hurt surely to have her evaluated. If her ped is po po-ing your concern, you can contact Early Intervention directly for an evaluation. Can't hurt anything just to have her evaluated and might help ease your fears. I started being concerned a little about my son when he was about your daughters age and the next few months really will be very telling as far as if she has a delay or not. My son has a disorder called childhood apraxia of speech which makes it very hard for him to speak. His comprehension is completely fine, his social skills are normal for his age, and he understands everything just can't say much, but we are making progress with time.

I just looked up IL dept of human services online because it was in between dr appts and I wanted to get the ball rolling. That site led me to the office that does early intervention in my county. Good luck!

I wouldn't be too quick to have a language eval at this point b/c most therapists won't get an accurate picture until your child turns 2.

Please keep in mind that Autism is a syndrome meaning that there are many symptoms that all add-up. Also keep in mind that the language "hallmark" of Autism involves the idea of "had it and lost it"...

Your daughter may have an expressive language delay (too early to tell), but that doesn't automatically equate with Autism.

Not talking at 16 months does not = autism. None of my kids talked until they were closer to 2 and they are fine. How is her eye contact? Can she identify pictures? I understand you are probably paranoid, since your nephew has autism, but odds are your daughter is fine.

There is no harm in contacting Early Intervention. Our nephew has autism too so of course, I was freaked out to when my son didn't have enough words at 2 years. It can take up to two months to have someone come out to your house, so I would call now. Most likely, your daughter is totally fine. And if there is anything wrong, its unlikely that its autism. My son has a speech delay, some sensory processing difficulties, and anxiety. But NOT autism. Since starting therapy, he is almost where he should be developmentally. If you get some help now (which she many or may not even need) your daughter will probably be just fine!

My son is 24 months old and still doesnt talk. He babbles all day long, hums and says like 5 words but thats it. Besides the speech, he does everything else a 24 month old should be able to do. Two questions.. does she make eye contact? Does she respond to her name? Does she communicate with you in other ways? If she does, then she probably doesnt have autism. Dont know bout the state you live in, but in NJ, every child is screened for autism during their 24 month visit via a check off sheet performed by the parents. If the pedi sees a high score of the sheet, he will refer your daughter to be further evaluated. I wouldnt worry, sounds like your daughter is just fine.

At 16 months I think are too worried about it. My daughter didn't start talking until 18 months and now at 2 year 3 months she won't stop talking! Every kid is different, but it is NOT uncommon for a 16 month old to not be talking yet. Try and relax and take your doctors advice. More than likely, a speech therapist won't even see your daughter yet.

Call you local Early Childhood Intervention office (ECI), not sure what it is called Illinois, but it is nationwide. Your doctors' office should have a number too. They will come to your house and assess your daughter and if she needs any services, they will provide it free of charge until she is 3 years old. Please call them, it could be a minor speech delay she has and you will receive free help until she's 3 years old.
My youngest son didn't talk much either until he was 3 1/2 more when he turned 4. My doctor said not to worry either. If he should know between 50-100 words, he could say 40. Then when he turned around 3 1/2 he just really started talking... and been doing as much as he can. There are times when we cannot understand him and he gets so frustrated. You will worry, I know, I've been in your shoes, so I'm not going to say not too.
God Bless!

Kids develop at different paces there really is no "normal". I would start with tongue exercises, blowing rasberries, having her stick out her tongue and touching her upper lip, these teach her how to control her tongue so she can learn how to speak. She will mirror you on these things, make it a game with lots of giggles.
Check out autisimspeaks.com and other websites for information on symtoms of autisim. Be careful though if we read medical websites we could all self diagnose ourselves with some terrible disease, when maybe all we need is a good vitamin supplement. As you are reading up on symtoms watch and document your daughter's behavior. Don't drop the subject with her doctor but don't push it either, just keep the doctor aware of your concerns. I may be another 12-18 months before a dignosis is possible in the meantime check out programs in your school district and maybe neighboring school districts. If you have to move to get her into a good program or smaller schools the earlier you do it the better it will be for all of you.

My son was diagnosed on the Autism spectrum at 19 months. First of all, someone incorrectly claimed speech issues related to Autism are "had it and lost it." On the spectrum, there are those who had achieved certain skills, including language, and seemed to withdraw.... there's also plenty of room on the spectrum for those who didn't develop the skill on a typical timeline or at all.

I recommend looking up the M-CHAT. There are plenty of warnings that is is not for use by laypersons to diagnose Autism, but it may give you a better idea about the body of skills they look at when contemplating a diagnosis. (Pointing, immitation, appropriate play, etc.....)

I also recommend the DVDs Baby Babble and Baby Babble 2. My son loves them and they were made by pediatric speech pathologists.

Good luck to you.

My son didn't speak his first word until 19 mos, but we had him evaluated by Early Intervention at that time b/c we were recommended to by preemie follow-up specialists who saw him every 6 mos at Lutheran General Hospital. Day One Network is one of the EI offices in IL (the one we worked through) - I think based in Naperville or around there (never went there - everyone comes to your home). Their phone # is ###-###-#### and if they don't cover Joliet, they can tell you who does. EI will send a developmental therapist and a speech therapist to your home for an assessment. Don't delay. If they find anything that isn't on track, you will be thankful for knowing ASAP and starting therapy. After ~10 mos of speech therapy for my son, he is all caught up and we are so very thankful.

My son didn't start talking till after 2 yrs! I wouldn't worry yet. Its hard not to, but with so many statistics out there and milestones at certain ages, it is easy to put kids under a certain umbrella. Give her time - after she is 2, you can have her evaluated by the early childhood center in your school district.

Good luck and enjoy her babbles :)

Some kids talk early, some talk late. I had a friend whose son didn't talk till he was almost 3, but started talking in full sentences. It's good to be aware of because of your family history, but it's too early to worry. She is responsive, answers to her name, etc, so that's a good sign. Relax and enjoy her, let her develop at her own pace, and keep in touch with your pediatrician if you have worries.

My son has autism. He is 6 now. When he was your daughters age he did not understand ANY directions that we gave him. He would stare off into space if I asked him to throw something in the garbage. It was just to confusing for him to sort out the words. So that looks like a good sign in your daughter. Personally if it were me I would have her screened just to be safe (it can never hurt and its free). I have a 2 year old daughter and I have been watching her like a hawk for signs of autism. I was so scared she might have it, I analized every little thing she did to see if it was anything like her brother. She has been screened 2 times now. Both times results come back within the normal range. She is a slow speacker also, so that is why I was worried. But like your daughter, she understands everything we tell her. And she just had a little "Speech explosion" right at 24 months. So far she is a pretty typical 2 year old. Good luck!

Contact Early Intervention for a free evaluation at your own house (or at your daughter's day care provider if that's where she is during the day.)

Everyone is correct -- expressive langauge delay is only one of the key issues for Austism Spectrum Disorders. If your gut is telling you something is wrong GET THE EVALUATION.

I don't think I would be concerned if she only has the speech delay and no other symptoms, but to alleviate any concerns, call Early Intervention and set up an evaluation. They can't diagnose autism, but they can provide therapy for her. If they suspect autism, they will refer her to a developmental pediatrician.

Services of Will, Grundy, & Kankakee Counties, Inc. (CFC 15)
Early Intervention

2300 Glenwood Ave
Joliet, IL 60435

Phone: ###-###-####
TTY: None
Fax: ###-###-####
Toll Free: (888) 329-0633

I feel like you have been reading my mind. My daughter is 17 months old tomorrow and for the last 4 months I have been freaking out about her lack of talking. My older son started talking at 10 months and was speaking in sentences by 18 months. I read every website, researched like crazy and talked to every parent I knew and they all said the same thing...every child is different and all of a sudden one day she'll just start talking. At her 15 month check up I was able to count like 5 words she "says" my doctor said that was above average, so I stopped worrying a little bit. Guess what? This week alone she has doubled her vocabulary!!!! However, if you are really worried, I would say wait until 18-20 months and then ask your doctor what he/she recommends. Although after speaking to some of my son's preschool moms I found that most of their children only said 10-12 words by their second birthday, so I really finally feel like it is just a matter of every child going at his/her own pace. Try not to worry too much about(easier said then done, I know).

At 16 months, I don't remember my daughter saying anything. I think she started around 18 months with more recognizable words and phrases after 24 months. She doesn't sound like she is behind, especially if she understands and responds. I have a nephew, as well, who is on the specturm (granted highly functional) but he wouldn't respond to you, for a while we actually thought he couldn't hear. He is 8 months older than my daughter, and they were on the same speach levels until she was about 18-19 months when she flew passed him.
But at your daughters age, she is right on track for her development, I wouldn't worry.

I was convinced my son had autism around the same age because he not only didn't speak he didn't have comprehension (his daycare provider would say 'Your mom is here' and everyone would turn in my direction except my son).

I had him tested and they said his speech was at acceptable limits - i was embarrassed to raise the red flag then and didn't have him tested again until he was 2 when he had both speech delays and sensory issues.

I had him tested for autism at 3 years and got a "Disorder of Childhood' diagnosis which basically means probably not autism, but we don't know what it is.

So, chances are it isn't autism, but the earlier start you give her on speech if there is an issue the better. There should be a free evaluation service in your area (ask your pediatrician) at the very least it will put your mind to rest.

My daughter didn;t say anything for 2.5 years. She would point and screech, but not make any coherent babblings or anything. She also didn't walk for 18 months. She is just fine at 13 years old and I'm sure yours will be too.
You can have her evaluated to put your mind at ease, we did many times, I was told she'll be ok, and she was.

My son, now 16, has autism, so I speak from personal experience. I suggest you look at her behavior in total, not just talking. Especially the way she plays. Does she fixate on objects, line them up, etc.? Does she seem hypersensitive to touch, or on the other extreme, seem to crave it? As to her language, could she have other factors, such as chronic ear infections, that could affect her hearing, and as a result, her language? My older son did, and after having ear tubes put in a few weeks before his 2nd birthday, he went from babbling to 3-4 word sentences in less than a month.
There are a number of agencies, such as Easter Seals and Little Friends (in Naperville) that can evaluate your daughter. The first step, I suggest, is contacting your local school district for referrals. The state's Early Intervention Program, if it still exists in any form (budget cuts, you know), may be helpful.
Finally, I don't recommend waiting. If there is a problem, the sooner you identify it, the sooner you can begin to fix it or treat it.
S. Redfern