Expert: James Michael Roan - 10/18/2005

Question
I have recently had my son assessed by a dev. ped. they have told me he is autistic but are waiting 6months before giving dianosis set in stone to see if he improves with the specialists that are working with him.  He is non-verbal lost all words around 18months, no hearing problem, he is regressing, has become picky eater, does not sleep, is ticking, sensory is becoming worse, tiptoe walking, spaces out, eye gaze is hard to get, i am just wondering if he will regain his words, and he has not improved in 4months now besides little things here and there. What kind of time frame am I looking at if i am going to start seeing vast improvement or if ever?  Thank you for your time Concerned mother Faith Rinker

Answer
Hi Faith;

I'm sorry, but I can't give you a reliable timeline. I can tell you that if your son receives immediate and intensive (greater than 25 hrs/week) of intervention services, the odds are very strong he will regain functional speech in a few years, although social delays will probably follow him through life. Make sure he is tested for Fragile X and lead poisoning, which is routine in cases of regression.

I have personally witnessed incredible growth following regression here in the U.S. and in Ireland.

Let me know if you have any more questions that I can help you with.

Kind Regards,
James