Early Intervention and Warning Signs

Hello again! Today we are going to talk about diagnosing autism, and the importance of early intervention. This subject is so important to me because of the situation with my nephew. He is now 12 years old and cannot speak or really function as a teenager. He still needs to be fed and cannot feed, dress, or bathe himself. What is interesting is that the doctor mentioned that if my sister would have acted sooner, he may be able to do basic skills to at least take care of himself. He may even have learned to talk. Please read up on the warning signs and alert parents that you know. This is so important!

First we will start by talking about some of the warning signs that your child may have autism. First Signs is a great sight dedicated to educating parents, educators and even doctors on early detection of autism. It does this by talking about the early warning signs of autism and similar disorders.

According to First Signs, "In some cases, effective intervention can improve conditions once thought to be virtually untreatable, such as autism. Well-implemented programs can brighten a child’s future and the impact a developmental disorder has on the family. It can lead a child to greater independence, enable that child to be included in his/her community, and offer him/her a more productive and fulfilling life." The key to success with Autism is early detection.

"The research is very clear -- the earlier a child is treated, the better," says Dr. Ami Klin, Harris associate professor of child psychology and psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center. "It's never too early to start treatment." (From a CNN article "Pediatricians Urge Early Autism Screening")

Here is a great video that features Temple Grandin, a woman who has autism. She is speaking about early intervention. My favorite quote from the video is, "If you have a child two to three years old and has no speech, no social contact, just sits and rocks, the worst thing you can do is nothing"

Now that you know the importance of early detection, you may be wondering, "What are some common signs that my child may have autism?" Autism Web is a great site that is written by parents of children with autism and related disorders to other parents who may be in the same situation.

According to Autism Web, if a child has any of these signs, a doctor should immediately have the child tested.

-Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
-Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
-Does not say single words by 16 months of age
-Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
-Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.

Here is a video with information on some warning signs that your child may have Autism. There is a list of more warning signs after the video. Please contact your doctor if you have any questions!

More Warning signs: (From Autism Web)
-The child does not respond to his/her name.
-The child cannot explain what he/she wants.
-Language skills or speech are delayed.
-The child doesn’t follow directions.
-At times, the child seems to be deaf.
-The child seems to hear sometimes, but not others.
-The child doesn’t point or wave bye-bye.
-The child used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn’t.
-The child throws intense or violent tantrums.
-The child has odd movement patterns.
-The child is hyperactive, uncooperative, or oppositional.
-The child doesn’t know how to play with toys.
-The child doesn’t smile when smiled at.
-The child has poor eye contact.

References:

Autism Symptoms and Warning Signs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.autismweb.com/signs.htm

CNN, E. C. (n.d.). Pediatricians urge early autism screening - CNN.com. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/10/29/autism.signs/index.html

Developmental disability, early intervention, developmental delays, autism screening and early intervention autism. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.firstsigns.org/