Worried about my friend's son.......

catnip

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My friend called round today with her son. He had quite a traumatic birth and was ill for a while post partum but everything seemed to settle down. He was just a week early. He is now 2 and a half and he still doesn't string normal sentences together. He also is quite obsessive about tidying things and keeping doors closed etc.

I'm kind of worried about him. She is getting him checked by a specialist regarding his speech and hearing but does anyone know if this sounds like something more serious? I don't know much about developmental problems but he is much more quiet and serious than any other child his age I have come across, plus he has some obsessive behaviours. Does it sound like Asperger's or something in the vein of Autism?
 

jack31

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First let me say, I am not a doctor but I do have a degree in Family Studies so I've learned alot about development and diseases and disorders.

There is definitely an issue at hand. The first thing that comes to mind when you talk about speech not being quite right is hearing. So thats a big first step is a hearing specialist.

The possibility of autism or aspergers is there--but a more detailed idea of what perhaps a day in the child's life entails would tell you for sure. The obsessive behavior about things being just right, speech delay and being rather quiet are big red flags for a child this age.

I wish them the best--knowledge is power and finding the right physician can be hard but be persistent and know that others are going through the same thing.

Leslie
 
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catnip

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Originally Posted by Jack31

First let me say, I am not a doctor but I do have a degree in Family Studies so I've learned alot about development and diseases and disorders.

There is definitely an issue at hand. The first thing that comes to mind when you talk about speech not being quite right is hearing. So thats a big first step is a hearing specialist.

The possibility of autism or aspergers is there--but a more detailed idea of what perhaps a day in the child's life entails would tell you for sure. The obsessive behavior about things being just right, speech delay and being rather quiet are big red flags for a child this age.

I wish them the best--knowledge is power and finding the right physician can be hard but be persistent and know that others are going through the same thing.

Leslie
Thank you for your reply. I quizzed his mum a little bit and she is very matter-of-fact about it all; I think their main concern is the hearing issue and possibly speech therapy at the moment. It was the obsessive behaviour that sent alarm bells off in my mind.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by Catnip

I don't know much about developmental problems but he is much more quiet and serious than any other child his age I have come across, plus he has some obsessive behaviours. Does it sound like Asperger's or something in the vein of Autism?
what about his social interactions with his mom, etc. are they normal? the autism spectrum is very wide-ranging, & characteristics can vary widely from individual to individual. IMO, the speech therapist might be able to spot any 'suspicious' [for lack of a better term] characteristics after working with him for a while.
could just be his personality... my brother's oldest daughter was basically not speaking at age 2.5. my mom & i [both educators] advised them to get her tested. she qualified as what is called 'language delay' & had walk-in speech until she turned 3. at that time she started in the PPCD program [Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities]. she was dismissed both from speech & PPCD in December of last year, because her progress was so good. my brother is now home-schooling her. she's doing fine - but she's still a very reserved child, not talkative - very much like him, personality-wise.
here're some autism websites:
Autism web - a guide for parents
Wikipedia - PDD
web4health - autism sypmtoms checklist
autism-pdd.net checklist

 

catsknowme

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Sending vibes for your friend's little boy
My friend has a son who had similar odd behaviors and the speech delay. He's now 13, and was always at the bottom third of regular classes, but now that he's in Catholic school, with tutoring, he's made big improvements.
he had an odd obsession about double doors, he could enter only the left one - which, with businesses, a person can't always choose which one, if not both, don't open. If we went through the door on the right side, he'd have total melt down. This behavior continued until about 8 years of age, but really improved after that, without any medications. He has to avoid too much television or video games, though, or his odd behaviors start showing up again.
 
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