Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 3/29/2007

Question
My son Luke is 23 months old and I suspected a speech delay. Sooner Start came out to my home and evaluated him.  They said he has a 45% receptive language delay and a 32% expressive language delay. He also scored negative 1.20 in the personal-social screen.  They did not give me a percentage for this because it was not as bad as the language areas. They said he qualifies for treatment.

    I am concerned because Luke flaps his hands when he is angry; he does not look people in the eye much, and he does not do pretend play with dolls or stuffed animals or anything.  He does however play with our phone (does that count?) He used to wave and say bye-bye, but has stopped.  He doesn't use 2 word phrases. He doesn't imitate me or my facial expressions.
 My husband is a family practice doctor, but says there is nothing wrong; that I am worrying too much and Luke is just a late bloomer.  Many people have told me that 3rd children like Luke speak later.  My older 2 children are 7 and 9 and in school all day.
    I was sure Luke could not be autistic because he is very affectionate.  He goes to Mother's Day Out one day a week. They have commented several times about how affectionate he is.  They say he hugs and kisses everyone!  But still I am worried.  Do I have any reason to be concerned?  Thank you for your help.  

Answer
It's entirely possible that you're worrying too much and Luke is just a late bloomer. But you've already felt that your concerns were valid enough to have his language skills assessed, and that evaluation provided evidence that there is some delay.

While there are certain characteristics associated with children with autism, each child is unique. Not every kid with autism resists hugs. Some of the things you describe Luke are also seen in children with autism disorders but that does not mean he definitely has or does not have autism.

I generally think it's reasonable to pay heed to your instincts. They've already panned out about Luke's language development. You mention that Luke qualifies for language treatment. Possibly just pursuing this avenue will lead to more information about whether or not your son is showing signs of being on the autism spectrum.

Would it do any harm to continue your investigations and have a developmental pediatrician or early childhood psychologist see Luke? Possibly, they'll concur with your husband and you'll feel relieved. On the other hand, if your son is displaying signs indicative of an autism spectrum disorder, then you'll want to know so that you can seek out the strategies that will offer him the most help.

Sometimes not knowing is even harder than receiving difficult information. Once you know what you're dealing with, you can begin to educate yourself and help your son be the best he can be.

Sharon A. Mitchell
www.autismsite.ca