Expert: James Michael Roan - 1/3/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Mr James!
I have a 17 month old baby boy, he is not talking yet but he can speak a little such mama and atata, but he never turns when we called his name, he always turn his head side by side when he heard a sounds or watching TV.
do you think he has a symptoms of autism? please help me. thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Lenny;

Look at this list of red flags and tell me what he can and cannot do:
6-12 Month Markers:

•   Passivity and decreased activity
•   Extreme distress reactions
•   Fixation on objects

By 12 Months:

•   Decreased positive affect and social smiling
•   Delayed gesture and language
•   Poor or no eye contact
•   Poor disengagement of attention
•   Inability to shift attention back and forth between different stimuli
•   Failure to orient to name
•   Poor imitation
•   No babbling by 12 months
•   No gesturing by 12 months

By 16 Months:

•   No single words by 16 months
•   No pointing to objects or interesting events in an attempt to share them with another

By 24 Months:

•   No spontaneous two-word phrases
•   Loss of any language or social skills at any age


Kind regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Mr.James!
Thanks for your reply.
He can pointing to objects or interesting events in an attempt to share them with another
Can shift attention back and forth between different stimuli.
He is paying attention when we teaching him to count
Failure to orient to name
decreased positive affect and social smiling.
he loves to see motorcycle going by

Your reply is very much appreciated.  

Answer
Hi Lenny;

I would keep a close eye on him over the next few months and see if his social development continues to grow or not. If he is orienting to his name and social smiles are still low, then contact me again. Verbal development and social development go hand in hand. A delay in one usually results in a delay in the other.

Kind regards,
James