Expert: James Michael Roan - 10/8/2008

Question
Hello,

I have a little boy who is 22 months old.  He has delayed speech which resulted in me putting him in Early Intervention at 18 months.  His Ped thought he was fine but I just wanted to make sure I caught anything early.  Since starting EI he now picks up 1-2 new words a week.  Last week I counted and he is up to about 17 new words.  

With a speech delay you always worry about the possibility of having autism.  I've asked his speech therapist if she thought he had autism.  She said she didn't think so because he has great eye contact, he has good attention span when they play with toys or puzzles, and because he is very social.

However, when we got to my Mom's house for a big family gathering (with about 30-40 people) he often seems overwhelmed and throws lots of tantrums like the can't handle all the commotion.  I also watch two other kids four days a week.  He will only be interested in playing with them on his terms and when he feels like it. He doesn't like when people, like my mother in law, make a big fuss over him when she comes over.  This seems to overwhelm him too.  But if she just says back and lets him warm up to her then he is fine.  He also seems to be more moody when there are a lot of other people over at his house. He is very into cars right now and The Cars movie.  He'll wake up in his crib saying "Car", meaning he'll want to watch the car movie.  Sometimes we watch it 3 times a day!  Is this normal?

He has never lined his cars or any toys up and doesn't flap his arms which I know are hallmarks of autism.  However should I be concerned about him getting overwhelmed at times and not seeming too interested in other kids?

Any help you can provide is appreciated!!

Thank you,
Andrea

Answer
Hi Andrea;

Watching the same movie over and over is fairly common to most parents' chagrin! His social anxiety, though mild can be just that, "social anxiety" or it could turn out to be Asperger's syndrome (AS). Asperger's syndrome is tough to tease out at this age and ranges from significant impairment in several areas to mild or "subclinical" impairment. My guess, based on your descriptions, is IF he has AS, that he would be nearer the subclinical end of the spectrum. I'm fairly confident that you have nothing to worry about. Many boys are low social such as myself! If, however, he is unable or unwilling to play with others at birthday parties or in other events attended by not well known peers, then you may want to revisit it.

Kind regards,
James