Expert: Ettina - 9/27/2009

Question
My grandson, who is 27 months old, I think is showing signs of Autism.  When watching Sesame Street he dances back and forth on his toes and flaps his hands.  He does not say any words that I have noticed.  He cannot sit still for any length of time unless he is strapped into his high chair.  He pushes his baby brother away when playing with toys.  He has been evaluated by a speech therapist and an occupational therapist, both of which say he is slow, but have not diagnosed him with Autism.  The evaluation was a month ago and services have not started yet.  We are concerned that he may not receive the services because of the cut in funding from the state.  My son has Blue Cross, would they offer any services?

Answer
He certainly sounds autistic, although you haven't given me enough information about his social behavior to know for sure. STs and OTs, from what I understand, don't usually diagnose children, just treat them (and evaluate for the purposes of treatment). I have no idea if Blue Cross offers services or not - as a Canadian, I've had no dealings with them.