Expert: James Michael Roan - 5/29/2009

Question
QUESTION: I apologise if this note runs long, however I have been driving my friends and
family (and myself!) nuts for the past few months while I analyze my sons
behavior.  He is a seemingly happy, healthy, very high energy 12 month old.  
He currently cruises, crawls normally, waves hi & bye, points, smiles, laughs,
responds to simple commands (like "no" and "look"), and has a regular sleep
routine.  He likes to be around other children - particularly those that are
around the same age or even babies.  But he has some behaviors that have
me worried:

1) Sometimes he does not respond to his name at all.  I would say he answers
about 75% of the time, but the other 25 he ignores you until you add his
middle name, or go over and get him.

2) He will fall or bump in to things and not even cry.  Sometimes he'll cry for a
few moments, but is always quickly consoled like it didn't really hurt.

3) Babbles frequently and has a few words, but he talks to his toys a lot.

4)  He sometimes turns toys over and over in his hands.  Never for hours, but
he will do it repetitively until he seems to get his fix.

5) Has always liked to look at ceiling fans and lights.

6)  Has tons of energy - sometimes to the point I feel like he is out of control
and not really taking anything in...  I have to kind of slow him down before he
gets totally crazy...

What is *good* eye contact?  What should we be looking for at this age?

I feel like I am over analysing because I have read too much, and our
pediatrician thinks he is doing great, but I can't help but worry.  What are your
thoughts?

Thank you so much,
Sam




ANSWER: Hi Sam;

He sounds on track to me. Stereotypies occur in over 20 percent of typically developing children so I wouldn't worry about the ceiling fan by itself. In an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) you are looking for delays in social development the effects of those delays in language development and peer interaction more than anything. This includes sharing and pointing, eye contact, etc. He sounds pretty good in that department. Eye contact reflects social thinking such as when he points and looks back at you to see if you are looking where he is pointing. There are social smiles you look for such as when he approaches you with a request in mind or is glad to see you. There is social interest in peers, which you describe he does. He's very young and these behaviors emerge between 9-15 months so he is at the beginning of his developmental trajectory in this area.

Keep in touch if things change for the worse.

Kind regards,
James



Disclaimer:

While James Michael Roan has attempted to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, the information is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. The purpose of this web site is to provide information to families with children, teens, and adults with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delay. James Michael Roan does not prefer any one organization to another, and it is not responsible for the information listed on an organization's web site, or any disseminated information either verbal or written. Please be advised we are not giving medical advice and that circumstances can dictate different treatments. If these issues affect you or your loved ones you should seek professional advice. This site is operated for informational purposes only. At no time will James Michael Roan attempt to diagnose or dismiss a potential diagnosis over the Internet. We hope that you find our resources useful.


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 assessment professional 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.






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

QUESTION: Thank you so much for the fast response.  He does seem to interact socially
and sometimes engages in back and forth dialogue & play.  I guess what
triggers my worry is that he has so much energy and sometimes seems to be
in his own little world (which he probably is).  His eye contact is not as good
as some children I have been around - but again, it seem to revolve around
his attention span and energy level.  He is the child that is always banging
and throwing toys around...

So you would not be too concerned that he doesn't seemed phased when he
gets bumped and falls?

Thank you again for your time, Sam

Answer
Hi Sam;

No, I'm not concerned about about his high threshold for pain. Here's the thing: We don't know if he has a social delay or a social disorder like Asperger's syndrome. I would seek out Early Intervention services through your school district if you live in the U.S. They can assess all areas of development and provide services at no cost to you.

If he has a low attention span I would limit television a great deal, and especially if he "zones out."

Kind regards,
James




Disclaimer:

While James Michael Roan has attempted to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, the information is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. The purpose of this web site is to provide information to families with children, teens, and adults with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delay. James Michael Roan does not prefer any one organization to another, and it is not responsible for the information listed on an organization's web site, or any disseminated information either verbal or written. Please be advised we are not giving medical advice and that circumstances can dictate different treatments. If these issues affect you or your loved ones you should seek professional advice. This site is operated for informational purposes only. At no time will James Michael Roan attempt to diagnose or dismiss a potential diagnosis over the Internet. We hope that you find our resources useful.


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 assessment professional 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.