Autism/am i paranoid?

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Expert: - 5/3/2009


Question
i have a 6 1/2 month old healthy son who smiles and laughs often.  he loves playing peek a boo and has started babbling.  he also loves to crawl and explore places.

these are the things that bother me.  i did the tilt test on him and he would pass 80-90 percent of the time but there will be times that he wouldnt.  i do this to him everytime i get the chance.  i feel neurotic at times by repeating it over and over again.

what does it mean ? why would he pass it and then sometimes would appear that he doesnt.

my fear is killing me.  am i being too hypervigilant?

thank you in advance

Answer
Hi,

Yes.  You are definitely worrying unnecessarily.  Babies at 6 1/2 months are still developing.  If they are tired, cranky, hungry etc they will not perform well on the tilt test.  It would be very unusual for a 6 month old to score 100% consistently.  In fact, it's only recommended to do the tilt test if you are noticing other signs of a pervasive developmental disorder.  These include no eye contact from your child, lack of social interaction, no babbling and behaviors that just seem "different" to other babies.  From what you've said it sounds like your baby is right on track.  Forget the tilt test!  Enjoy your baby. He sounds delightful.

Jene Aviram
http://www.nlconcepts.com

Autism

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Jene Aviram

Expertise

How do you know if your child has autism? If you're concerned about your child's behavior and would like to know if they're symptoms of autism, I can help you. If you need behavior and parenting strategies, I have many suggestions and ideas to help you. I can also help you with questions on ABA therapy. I cannot answer biomedical questions.

Experience

I am one of the co-founders of Natural Learning Concepts, a manufacturing company for autism and special education materials. I am an author and writer and my work on the autism spectrum is frequently published by many organizations and renowned magazines. My son has Aspergers and my nephew has autism.

Publications
Autism/Aspergers Digest Autism Society of America Autism Today Issue Spirit Magazine The Autism Perspective Magazine Yahoo News Parenting Magazine

Education/Credentials
My original background and education is computer network engineering. A turn of events led me to switch careers in early 2000 when my passion and driving force became helping people on the autism spectrum. I then co-founded a successful company that helps people on the autism spectrum every day.

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