Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 5/31/2008

Question
Dear Mam,
I am a Indian having a 4yrs old daughter suffering from Autism.At the age of 4 she behaves like 1yrs od kid.She cannot speak nighter she can walk.
Request you to kindly hep me and guide me.

Answer
It sounds like your daughter is struggling on many fronts. I'm not sure what kind of services are available to you but professional help would be ideal.

You say that your child at age 4 cannot walk. That's not a typical symptom of autism, so there must be some other involvement that a medical person could help you with.

But if medical help is not available, there are still things you can do at home to help your little girl.

Since you say she does not talk, one of the first things you could work on is a communication system. Ideally, a speech language therapist would guide you but you can still try some things on your own.

I suggest beginning with a communication system because kids who can't express their wants and needs often use other behaviors to get what they want and these may be behaviors we don't especially care for.

While you wait for her speech to develop, you could introduce signs or pictures. For some children, pictures are ideal as they closely represent the real object so that they catch on to the idea that showing this picture of a glass of juice actually makes someone give me a glass of juice. There are free pictures available at such websites as www.do2learn.com. There you'll also find an good explanation of why using pictures or visuals works and find assistance in getting started. Another site to browse is http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/8561.asp

Or you might consider teaching your daughter baby sign language. An advantage of signing is that you always have your hands with you while you may not have the correct picture handy. Here's a website with some information on teaching a young child signs: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-layout/concepts.htm

If you're unsure whether pictures or sign language is the way to go with your daughter and don't have a speech therapist to guide you, you may find information here: http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/pecs.html

There's quite a bit involved in a child learning to talk. You can find out more about this at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/default.htm

While there are many areas you could work on with your daughter, I'd suggest that you pick one thing at a time so that you'll be able to note progress without becoming too frustrated.

All the best to you and your family,

Sharon A. Mitchell, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.
www.autismsite.ca