Can my child have autism??

Parents want to know that their child is healthy and growing in the right ways. As their child grows,  the parents hope that their child’s language, thinking, social and emotional skills are developing exactly as they should. Parents naturally watch how their babies grow  and develop and also know what they are and aren’t able to do. But, how can parents know if their child is developing as they should?
Doctors look at the growth of a child. They compare a child’s abilities to those of other children around the same age. They look at a child’s progress in developmental areas during certain time frames, meaning physical skills, language, social skills, emotional development, and thinking skills. There are no specific deadlines for when a child should have developed certain skills. But, there are certain time periods or time frames for when a child should be able to first speak, stand, and be able to follow one- or two-word directions, and so on. These are called developmental milestones. One developmental milestone is when a child first learns to walk (the average is around 12 months; but it can happen any time from 10 to 15 months).
Parents need to know what is expected in typical or average development. There are several main skills and behaviors to look for in children around 3 months, 7 months, 1 year old and so on. Talk with your child’s doctor and learn what you should be looking for as your child grows. Write down anything that doesn’t seem right to you or that you may have questions around. Always use your judgment and follow your instincts. You know your child better than anyone. If you have a concern, get help.

Autism and PDD

Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Pervasive Development Disorders (PDD). We hear these terms about children almost regularly now. Once mysterious and hardly spoken of, these disorders are now a main focus in around the world. Parents, doctors, and teachers are now faced with a growing number of children who have autism, ADHD, PDD and other similar disorders. If you are a parent hearing one of these “labels” associated with your child, it can be frightening. It is easy to become overwhelmed and unsure about what to do next and how it will affect your child.
So what are these disorders? What does it mean for your child? Autism is a word that covers delays or something that is unusual in a child’s development in more than one developmental area. This means there is a delay of some sort in the areas of: communication/language, social interaction, and behavior. “Pervasive” means there are delays across many areas in a child’s development, not just one.
These kinds of delays are almost always noticeable by the age of 3. Children do not become autistic or have PDD later in life. Autism or PDD can be detected and treated as early as 18 months. For instance, a child may be delayed in his speech, have a lot of difficulty with fine motor skills, and be behind in social skills, and that would be considered in the PDD category. The difference between Autism and PDD is usually in how severe the delays or abnormalities are in a child’s abilities, and how a child functions on an everyday basis.
There are many other kinds of disorders that have similar signs as Autism. Many children have mixed symptoms or may have more than one condition (for example many children with PDD usually have learning disabilities, and may also have speech delays). So getting a full evaluation and proper diagnosis from your doctor is critical. That way, you can get the services that will treat the symptoms your child has, rather than just guessing what the disorder may be.

Signs of Delays or a Disorder

There are some general signs that may mean your child has a delay in development, or has a more specific developmental disorder such as Autism or PDD.
While knowing and observing the typical developmental milestones with your child, also take note if your child displays any of the following signs associated with the possibility of having PDD or Autism.

Social and Communication

• Your child’s speech is not at the level it should be for your child’s age; or your child stops saying words they use to know or has a reverse in speech skills
• Your child’s speech has unusual patterns, such as your child repeats phrases over and over, or only repeats what is said on TV or videos
• Your child’s voice has a high pitch tone or is flat in pitch with no change
• Your child does not point at objects to show interest
• Your child has trouble expressing what she needs with words or gestures

Behavior/Personality

• Your child does not have eye contact when talking with you or others
• Your child prefers to be alone and play alone
• Your child does not like being held or cuddled
• Your child does not seem to be interested in other people
• Your child has many and unusually long temper tantrums
• Your child repeats certain actions over and over (hand gestures, movements)
• Your child has unusual interests (lining up objects, spinning objects)
• Your child has trouble adjusting to changes in routine

Sensory and Motor

• Your child is very sensitive to sounds, the way things feel, taste or look (may react very strongly to them)
• Your child likes being squeezed or hugged very tightly
• Your child runs or bumps into things a lot; is considered “clumsy”
• Your child has trouble with small motor skills such as grasping objects or holding crayons or utensils

Physical

• Your child does not crawl, walk or talk at any of the expected age ranges
• Your child’s vision or hearing does not seem normal
• Your child walks on his toes all the time

Note: These signs only show a possible delay if you see then regularly. Parents, caregivers and other adults who spend a lot of time with children are often the best observers. They can often pick up on behaviors that a doctor may not in a few minutes with a child. A child with any disorder may not show all of associated behaviors or signs. In fact, most will not, because all children are unique.