Expert: James Michael Roan - 9/11/2006

Question
MY SON DOES NOT SPEAK YET.  HE EATS NORMALLY, BUT ONLY THE USUAL FOODS.  HE DOES EAT NOTHING DIFFERENT.  HE DOES NOT TASTE IT, BUT HE REFUSES TO EAT ANYTHING DIFFERENT.  (I AM A PICKY EATER, TOO) HE WON'T SAY BYE ONLY UNLESS HE WANTS TO.  I CALL HIS NAME AND HE SEEMS LIKE HE IS IGNORING ME BECAUSE HE MIGHT TURNED ON THE THIRD TIME AND GIVE ME A SMILE.  WHEN HE WATCHES TV HE TUNES OUT.  HE'LL PLAY WITH COUSINS RUNNING, FIGHTING & ETC., BUT DOES NOT PLAY WITH TOYS WITH ANYONE.  HE LIKES TO PLAY WITH US EXAMPLE PEEK-A-BOO, AND HE LOOKS FOR MOM & DAD. WHEN HE IS TIRED OR SLEEPY.  HE POINTS SOMETIMES, BUT HE'LL TAKE US TO THE STUFF THAT HE WANTS.  HE'LL PAY ATTENTION SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES NOT.  HE WILL BE AROUND THE HOUSE LOOKING AROUND.  HE LOVES GETTING INTO THE RESTROOM AND PLAYING WITH WATER.  HE LOVES TO DO MESSES.  EVERYTHING.  SOMETIMES I BELIEVE THAT HE DOES NOT CARE TO LEARN, BUT SOMETIMES I THINK HE NEEDS HELP LEARNING.  HELP

Answer
Hi Juanita;

I recommend you have your evaluated formally for autism. You can ask your pediatician for a referral to an autism unit at a nearby Childrens Hospital or university.

I suggest you download off the internet the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) http://www.firstsigns.org/downloads/m-chat.PDF It was normed on 1,293 children in the UK and provides a risk estimate for autism. Also download the scoring instructions at http://www.firstsigns.org/downloads/m-chat_scoring.PDF If there is any risk noted then do two things:

1. If you live in the U.S., make a special education referral to the school district in which your son lives. They are responsible for the assessment of children 0-21 years of age, and if they qualify for special education, responsible for education and related therapies.

2. In addition to the special education referral, take the M-CHAT to your son's pediatrician and ask for a referral to a multidisciplinary team expert in this area. Again, if you live in the U.S., you can go to the autism unit at a university near you, or a Children's Hospital.

It's absolutely essential to get the right diagnosis and appropriate services going right away. You can email me again when you have the results of the M-CHAT.

Kind regards,
James