jsmith567

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
jsmith567
2
Tue, 10-04-2005 - 11:22am
HI! Just read you post below and sounds like we are going through similar things. My DS (JACOB) just turned 1. The drs think he is language delayed with possible SID. HE will be getting an OT eval pretty soon. I , on the otherhand, think he is PDD. I say this b/c I am a special ed teacher and see many of his "red flags". The dr's do not dismiss his red flags, but also say he has lots of positive things going on that are not usually associated with a dx of Pdd. I am curious as to what you are experiencing at home with your Jake. What kinds of behaviors are you seeing?
Just wanted to know how similar our kids may be.
Thanks
Sonya
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2003
In reply to: saggzz
Tue, 10-04-2005 - 3:27pm

Sonya,
Hmmmm....where do I even begin???? Jake is two and has been in EI since he was 18 months old - they've said that he has apraxia, expressive language delay and sensory integration dysfunction. As time goes on, I seem to notice more and more. First off, Jake just seems different than other kids his age - not completely sure why - but it's always been that way. Some of the things we're noticing now:
- he doesn't make direct eye contact (sometimes he does, but if you ask him to look at you or try to get him to he deliberately doesn't, he'll pull away and fuss or say "no no no")
- often he doesn't answer to his name or when you talk to him (although we're going to get his hearing checked as well)
- he doesn't like to hug or give kisses - he will on VERY RARE occasions, but usually if you ask for a hug or kiss he turns away or he might offer his cheek or lean in to you to accept one, but that's it
- he'll back up into my lap rather than turn and face me, and he doesn't look at our faces
- when around other kids he tends to go off on his own or off to the side - he does have an interest in them he likes to watch them, but he doesn't play with them
- he doesn't imitate- doesn't do what the other kids do, and won't imitate us - head shoulders knees and toes - is impossible with him, he's also never done patty cake either, peek a boo - he'll laugh but doesn't hide himself, usually
- he tends to line up his toys, cars, trucks, etc even his food sometimes in neat little lines.
- he likes to play by himself - he has never asked me to play with him, and even will move away if I try sometimes
- he absolutely has to have shoes on or he'll have a fit (he even sleeps and takes a bath with his sandals on - don't know what to do when winter starts...)
-he crawls under tables or into corners when at restaurants or in public - not to play, just to lay and suck his thumb.
-he'll get upset when I leave him somewhere (typical), but then when I come back he doesn't seem to care.
- he has to have his blankies (any that are around the house - he'll carry 6 at one time), and can NOT be comforted without them, regardless of whether or not I'm there
- he HATES baths, toothbrushing, and getting his nails trimmed (all of these require me holding him down to complete them)
- when he's upset he'll lay on the floor in a heap, crying and screaming, sometimes he'll throw things, hit, bite, pinch, and/or head bang.
-he tends to play with the same type toys all the time (trucks- construction or tractors) although this is improving somewhat
- he get's very into some things -like he got into Bob the Builder and had to watch the show (we have a video)atleast twice each day or he'd have a major fit. He also would walk around the house and say Bob over and over. Once the video stops, he usually tries to head bang the tv or throw a fit. He does this with any show he likes - he get's upset if it goes to commercial or ends.
-he likes small spaces and often retreats into a corner, under a table or into a closet to sit
- he lays out his toys very deliberately- arranges them just so and get's upset if you move them
- he often repeats the last few words you've said to him (not sure if this is echolalia or just typical speech development since he's only two and has a speech disorder)
- rarely waves bye bye (although he has on occassion)
- doesn't answer questions or fill in the blanks very often (like if you ask him "what's this? or This is a _____.)
- doesn't spontaneously point things out that interest him
(like a bird or a plane), but he will point to something in a book if you ask him where is the ball, he'll also usually follow your point
-doesn't have a reaction to others being upset (although if very angry sometimes he does cry)
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. HTH. What types of things are you seeing in your son (also Jacob - how weird..) ?

Jen

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-30-2003
In reply to: saggzz
Wed, 10-05-2005 - 8:31am

Jen, Ok, this is weird. I am seeing some of the same things.

Jacob was born a month early. He never made eye contact when nursing so I knew something was up pretty early. Now at a year, this is what I see:

Does not respond to his name consistently. But if it is someone he doesn't see very much and they say his name he will look up. WHen I call his name it takes about 3 times for him to look (especially if he is playing).

Eye contact is not that great. He is better from a distance. Sometimes he looks at you then darts his eyes away very quickly.

Like your Jake, mine is interested in kids, but doesn't necessarily join in. Although this could be his age. Plus he doesn't walk yet. Jacob does on occasion crawl to Emma (his sister) and pull her hair.

He doesn't really imitate either. He used to do "so big" but not with any consistency. He likes peek-a-boo, but doesn't hide his face. Just smiles. He will wave bye bye, but not consistently. We were having a home visit from a nurse last week and when she was leaving she said bye to Jacob. He didn't respond. We walked her to her car and then he pointed and waved bye. Jacob has done patty cake, but only when I say the words and again without consistency.

He also doesn't really react to anyone who is upset. Sometimes he laughs and thinks its funny.

I just started brushing his teeth and he does not like it. ALthough I don't know if it's the toothbrush part or the taste of the baby toothpaste. He doesn't seem to like sweet foods. Prefers salty. The baby sitter has even mentioned that he doesn't like popsicles.

Jacob does point to things. He points to the cat and sometimes to Emma. He has even pointed to an airplane and vocalized a 2 syllable sound.

He also doesn't sleep well. He tends to wake up early. Drives me nuts. He goes to bed at 7:30 and wakes up around 5:45-6:00. There were a few days where he actually slept til about 6:45. BUt he was on medicine for an ear infection at that time. So, I don't know if that was a correlation or not.

Jacob doesn't really have stranger anxiety. When we go places he kind of shuts down and becomes "blank". We tend to go to a lot of festivals in the summer and Jacob seems to shut down. (this is why the dr's are thinking sensory issues). He is much better in a quieter area.

Another things that I think is weird is that when DH and DD are wrestling or playing rough, Jacob doesn't really acknowledge them and then crawls over to me. It's like it's too loud or too much for him.

Positive things are he LOVEs the bath, recognizes me when I pick him up from the sitters (although it takes a minute or two), reaches for people, points, crawls to find me when he wants to be held and on Friday he pushed a toy car around and said vroom, vroom. Jacob is really just a sweet kid. It breaks my heart that all this is going on.

So, I can see similarities b/w our kids. I took the test on childbrain too and came up with a mild PDD score. He is going to get an OT eval and probably start receiving OT services for sensory things. THe drs are not willing to give a PDD Dx b/c at this point he is doing more typical things than not. THey have suggested speech therapy too, but I don't think its worth it---yet. My undergraduate degree is Speech and HEaring and my masters degree is special ed, so I know I do a lot of speech stuff with him already. If he is not talking by 16-18 months I will probably consider speech. But he does babble mama and has even said bye and baby. And I swear I heard him say ELmo once. Anyhow, I am starting to ramble and I have to go teach math in a few minutes.

Thanks for the response and let me know how things are progressing. I'd love to keep in touch.
Sonya