Expert: Jene Aviram - 3/16/2010

Question
Hi,

My son indrajit has been diagnosed of having Autism by a specialist doctor, he is 2 he is undergoing speech therapy since last 2 months but without any remarkable progress however the therapist is confident. Now i would like to know few things

I have heard of this mild autism, classic autism etc in which category does my kid fall, are there any tests?

Secondly everybody says early intervention is always beneficial
can my kid talk around 60% if not perfectly? and can he go to
normal school?

Answer
Hi there,

There are comprehensive evaluations to determine if a child is on the autism spectrum.  The therapist should not be guessing or making assumptions.  Unfortunately I don't know the system in India.  There must be some support groups or Autism Society in your area.  Search for it on-line and see if you can get in touch with some other parents.  If your child is not progressing as the therapist would like, then it is NOT his fault.  It's up to the therapist and the team to change their strategy so that your child will progress faster.  Believe me, he is capable.

Your son is so little. He is just two years old.  You would be amazed by some of the stories I've heard when a child is 2 years old and seems not to comprehend anything.  And when you look at that person as an adult they are functioning just fine.  Each person is different but a diagnosis of autism does NOT equal loss of hope.  Many many children with autism go to regular school and get some extra support.  It's a GREAT sign that your son is already talking when he is just 2 years old.  
Take a look at this interview.  This person did not speak until he was almost seven and look what he is doing now.  http://www.nlconcepts.com/autism-hawthorne.htm  
There are many more interviews just like this on this website that you can view.

Your son is young and has lots of time to learn and grow.  Early intervention is key so do whatever you can to find some parents or organizations in your area.  This way you can learn from their mistakes and guidance and take a shorter path for helping your son.

I wish you great luck and success.

Jene Aviram
http://www.nlconcepts.com