Autism? Aspergers? Or just 2?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2005
Autism? Aspergers? Or just 2?
6
Sun, 03-16-2008 - 3:38am

Hi. I am the mother of a 2 ½ year old boy and I’m wondering how much of this I should be worried about and how much is just him being a two year old?! I know there is a whole autistic spectrum and I am having him screened by a kids therapy group in his pre-preschool just to catch anything early, as I’ve read is so important. But I am so curious about everyone else’s kids at 2 ½. I guess I just want to be prepared. I’ve read online about a lot of the signs to look for, so I’ll write about those below. Sorry it’s so long!


iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Sun, 03-16-2008 - 10:08am

Hello and welcome.

My son Peter had the textbook regression. He was developing normally, and then he lost all language and regressed hugely.

Peter had the Thomas obsession going on too, but really it is impossible to know if the Thomas thing is typical or not. My nephew was also Thomas obsessed and he is not on the Spectrum, so who knows?

I really think if you have concerns you should seek a professional evaluation. Talk to your pediatrician (make a consultation appointment -no kids) about a referral for a full neuropsychological evaluation. The other option is to contact Early Intervention (also called birth-3 in some areas) and see if they will evaluate him, but they usually don't diagnose. They will identify red flag areas and if he qualifies, will provide services (such as speech therapy or special Ed) through the county at no charge to you

From your descriptions, I don't see a lot of red flags to be honest. You son eats, sleeps and plays well. There is nothing that screams "Autism Spectrum" at me as opposed to typical 2yo stuff (and I would tell you if there was). However, I am no expert and I have not seen him, so really if you want to know for sure -even if just to put your mind at ease, you should have him evaluated

I hope this helps.

-Paula


visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Sun, 03-16-2008 - 10:09am

Hi Joelle,

As your son is so young, this is a hard time to really tell if anything you write are red flags. But I will say that my son, who is now 10 and dx'ed PDD-NOS, was very like yours at that age. And my son liked other kids. I think it is a good thing to have your son looked at, never a bad idea IMHO. If he is on the spectrum, he sounds like he would be very borderline. And those are the kids that are hard to catch.

But he also could be just being 2 and a half. It is the huge meltdowns that would make me wonder, and if he is spectrum those are likely to get worse instead of better, but you are paying attention. That is good. Our ds wasn't very obvious at 2 and a half, but by 3 and a half, it was more clear that something was up. We got help for delays, but actually did not get a spectrum dx until he was almost 7 years old, because the spectrum part wasn't so obvious. It is easier to see now, at least to me.

This is a great board for advice and support, even if your child isn't on the spectrum, so any question you have, just ask away!

and Welcome!

yours,

Sara

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2008
Sun, 03-16-2008 - 10:21am
I think all parents should not become paranoid about AUTISM BUT if they have a "feeling" like I called it and are questioning your child in anyway, it is definitely safer to have the child tested even if the child is as young as 2...
If they consider your child diagnosed with a problem then there is always the early intervention that is available for you and your child.
I did not have that advantage because I was hesitant and sort of in denial because my child was very high functioning. I decided at age 4 to have her tested and now she is no longer eligible for early intervention and i have to deal with school systems who dont care and we have to pay EVERYTHING OUT OF POCKET...
So, my opinion is when in doubt for your own piece of mind and maybe even your child's own benefit have him/her tested...It might save you months or years of wondering and help your child in the long-run.
Good luck and peace.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-30-2003
Sun, 03-16-2008 - 10:55am
My son has not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder until age 8. Screening for him started as young as 24 months.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-10-2004
Tue, 03-18-2008 - 4:31pm

Joelle, my son is 2 yrs 10 mos old.

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2005
Tue, 03-18-2008 - 5:33pm

Thank you to everyone for your valuable input. I'm really anxious for our screening appointment in 2 weeks and will keep you posted. And I just want to say that I'm really impressed by your message board. Everyone here is so happy and supportive. Reading a lot of your posts made me feel like if we got the dx, it definitely wouldn't be the end of the world - just the beginning of a new one!


Thanks,
Joelle
Mom of Toby, 8.22.05 and Elliot, 2/16/07