Expert: James Michael Roan - 2/4/2009

Question
my son is 3 1/2, he was born 6 weeks early. i had questionable pregnancy diabetes. i say questionable because i took all tests and was fine but he was born 6 weeks early @ 6lbs 9oz & had some fluid that is common w/diabetic babies mom's. he had acid reflux and required meds. he had some sort of funny named medical thing that made his throat whistle, and he had jaundice. other than that, he has been totally healthy and totally on target w/all milestones other than talking. he has a brother who is 11 months older than him and a sister who is 3 1/2 years older. he is very outgoing, he plays pretend and w/toys. he colors, paints, draws, like movies and playgrounds. he is exactly like my other children (who also talked late, daughter at 2 1/2 & son at almost 3- except w/them it was like a switch. they hardly said anything and then they started talking). w/my son liam, he says 3-5 word sentences, identifies people objects, colors, makes demands and understands almost every single command or idea i say but does not hold a full conversation. he will say things i understand and babble too. he parrots words and says new words all the time. he does not flap his arms, arrange things, avoid eye contact, avoid people, or have frequent tantrums...he is happy and very loving. we recently enrolled him in a special ed program for language delay and they are working on his cogitative development as well. i guess i am just looking to see what is his possible outcome? how long will it take before it clicks for him? his teachers assure me that just because he is delayed now, doesn't mean he will be that way later, but what is the exact diagnosis? delayed? his doctor simply said to get him started in the school program, she said he showed a lot of promising things and not to worry too much...but hello! i am worried! i don't know anyone like him! i know a diagnosis may possible make me feel worse (my daughter was diagnosed w/cerebral palsy at 4 months and is TOTALLY normal..so i fear a mis-diagnosis as well) i just want to know that i am not alone and what are his odds? what should i do?

Answer
Hi Amanda;

You are not alone. The odds are extremely high in his favor that he will be just fine. When will that happen? It is impossible to say. Most children with developmental delay come on before age seven while all come on by age nine, UNLESS the delay is a disorder and not a delay. That only happens in very rare cases. Human development is widely diverse. All human beings are different, and all develop at their different pace. The best predictor of improvement is improvement itself! I know that sounds idiotic, but when you see a child begin to make gains in a delayed area, generally, they continue to make gains. I work with children aged 2 1/2 to 11 almost exclusively and don't believe you have any thing to worry about. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't begin to lose essential skills in any area of development.


Kind regards,
James




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Bio

James Roan is a certified school psychologist who has been consulting in the areas of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and learning difficulties in the United States and in Ireland for over ten years (http://www.jamesroan.com). James earned his M.Ed. in School Psychology and M. Ed. in Adult Education and receives ongoing post graduate training in autism at the University of Washington’s Autism Center. James Roan has traveled to Galway, Limerick, Mayo, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and other cities and counties across Ireland assessing children and adults, and consulting with solicitors (lawyers) in defense of children with disabilities. James Roan was the consulting psychologist responsible for many of the autism and AD/HD screening tools and other content for Access Special Needs.Com. James Roan consulted with the graduate department of the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford Ireland in the development of their graduate program for the certification of private autism tutors. James has conducted formal assessments of students in the Autism Unit in the Claddagh National School in County Galway Ireland.