Expert: Tim Runner - 11/29/2007

Question
My son is 25 months old and I am worried that he may well have autism. The
reason that first got me to worry was his lack of putting two sentences
together. He does like cars alot and trains and does like to spin , although not
all the time. I am so confused because alot of the things he does point to him
having autism.

He is affectionate with people and family, he makes eye contact and points to
things with his index finger. He looks at books and points to pictures too, but
he does not speak very well. He mostly uses one word, like if he wants a
drink he will say juice, milk? If he is hungry he will say eat etc

I just want to know if I should get him evaluated based on all this. He did not
speak much until 23 months and then started talkig more. It seemed like
overnight.

Thank you
Elina

Answer
Determining whether or not your son has autism requires medical professions assessing him over a period of time. It appears from your question that, at the least, he is speech delayed. You should have your son assessed by a speech and language professional. Many medical insurance programs will pay for this. If your plan does not, contact the school in your area that he will be attending when he gets older and seek their help. They can tell you what government agency to contact for help.

I also recommend that you have your son assessed by a medical professional with experience with autistic children. This should also be done through your medical insurance or through the school. Autism is a spectrum disorder. This means there is not just one set of traits displayed by all persons with autism. This is why it is important to have an experienced professional do the assessing.

I wish you and your son the best,
Tim Runner, Education Advocate
You can learn more at my web site:
www.special-education-answers.com