I’m so sorry to hear about the concerns with your son. The easy answer, of course, would be to say that some children do develop faster or slower than others, but of course you don’t want to sit back and wait while there could be something being done for your son now! Vocabulary development in itself wouldn’t be a big issue, because at home you can help that as you have already. My bigger concern, personally, would be the lack of eye contact as you’ve described, and the jumpiness. My first recommendation would be a full physical workup, to rule out any environmental factors such as lead, poisons etc. as many toxic substances can cause symptoms such as those you describe. second, not knowing where in GA you are, and your financial/insurance considerations, would be to contact the state dept. of human resources, since they have satellite offices throughout Georgia. They do offer mental health screening dealing with early childhood development, and perhaps through them you could get help with the lead screening, etc. I do know that they can point you in the right direction at least. Here’s a link to their page concerning Child & Adolescent Services.

http://mhddad.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHR-MHDDAD/menuitem.8d349b4fc181e44b50c8798dd03036a0/?vgnextoid=a97a934c1805ff00VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD

I wish I could offer more, as a parent myself my heart really goes out to you for how you must be feeling. I wish you the best of luck and hope that everything turns out for the best. If you get a chance, e-mail me in the future and let me know how it’s going. God Bless.

All school districts in the United States have a system called “Child Find.” It is a system where the districts are required to find children who may need service. This service must start from birth; however, at age 3, it becomes a bit more formal in the schools.

There is no “test” for Autism. It is a series of interviews and interactions, after which the clinician will offer an opinion… and maybe even a diagnosis. It does “sound like” many of the signs are there, but the special education department of the local public school system should be able to refer you to appropriate evaluators.

Now, here comes the tricky part. If the district is completely above board, there will be no “you should,” “why don’t you,” etc. These are sometimes ways for the district to encourage you to obtain this information yourself. The district is obligated to offer the services of evaluating your child at no expense to you. Now, it is legitimate for them to ask you to use your insurance when possible, but you should have no out-of-pocket expenses.

Check with your state. I live in Florida. My kids are very late talkers and there is a program called “Early Steps” that anyone is eligible for regardless of income. My kids get speech therapy twice a week. (My twins are nearly 3). Once they “age out” of Early Steps (at age 3) they are eligible for pre-preschool through the public school system. Early Steps did a 3-point evaluation. The kids were evaluated by a speech therapist, an occupational therapist and a physical therapist. I believe Early Steps is federally funded, so there should be a similar program in Georgia. Call the local school district and ask them if they are aware of programs to assist with developmental issues in infants and pre-schoolers.

Definitely get another opinion from another pediatrician. Ask him or her what state programs you will be eligible for. Tell him the things you’ve written here and ask if you can get an evaluation for autism and other developmental delays. Believe me, I know what you’re going through. I’m sick with worry that my kids don’t talk, don’t play with toys (though they do love books, they also make eye contact, respond with affection to affection, etc) they do not say ONE WORD (except very randomly)!!

If you wanna e-mail me that would be fine. My heart is with you. Good luck. Open the phone book and your insurance provider guide and start calling.

My son has autism. There are many levels of Autism. Contact your doctor and tell them that you would like them to refer you to Children’s Hospital for testing. It can take a while to get in there, and if your doctor acts like it is a big deal, find another pediatrician. You and your child need one that is there to listen to what is going on. You are doing a great job with him, keep letting him know how much you love him, and talk to him all the time. Hold things in front of him that he wants and say their names. It takes a very long time, even for a normal developing child, it can seem to take a long time, but in the long run, you will be glad that you spent so much time working with him. Good luck, and keep us posted 🙂

if the pediatrician says wait you can tell them that you want the test done, they have to recommend one…that doesn’t mean that your beautiful son has it but it always is safe to go ahead and check…. some children do regress before they learn more… my nephew refused to really talk until he was over a two years old…. but now he is in first grade and is the most talkative, brightest little boy…. don’t freak out but do be concerned as a parent and an aunt of three you know your child more than anyone else and you are the one that is right….

it is possible that your son as autism. Some of †he signs of autism do include lack of eye contact, social skills, playing by themselves.

You should contact your local Early intervention services unit, your local school district should have the number.

go online to find support groups about special needs in children, and ask them what their child was like before diagnosed, adsn if your doctor is unsure seek another doctor.