Expert: Trey McGowan - 9/27/2009

Question
Hi Trey,
I am a mother of a 7 month old. He has some odd behaviors. He will not make eye contact while being fed his bottle or when I hold him. Otherwise he engages and gives big smiles unless I am too close. He has never coo'd and inconsistently makes some aahhh and baa sounds. He does not imitate faces. He does seem interested in his toys and other people. His Dr. gives the wait and see speech. I am ready to have another eval, but it is expensive and out of pocket. Can you comment on the behaviors and give your opinion on a second opinion please. Thanks, Sarah

Answer
Hi there, Sarah!

At 7 months old, I too would give the 'wait and see' speech. While I believe in early intervention, unless a child's symptoms are very profound, waiting until they are at least a year old would be quite difficult, as there are many important things (such as movement, speech, and social behaviours) which are still developing.

Of course, I am not a doctor. If you are concerned enough that you are unable to wait, then before you pay out of pocket, you may want to speak with other doctors and ask about the age that they would evaluate a child. In that way, you can make certain that if they are saying 'Wait and see', it's because they sincerely believe that you should 'wait and see', and not just because they are unwilling to diagnose in such a young age. Also, if they are used to diagnosing at a young age, they will have a much better chance of knowing which might be red flags, and which of the behaviours are simply 'development'.

Hopefully that was able to answer your question! As usual, questions, comments ,feedback, follow-ups, are welcome!

Trey