My SIL has a DS who will be 2 in April. My MIL(and other members of the family) are starting to get concerned that he is not speaking yet. He say's some words (mum, dad), but they are hard to make out. I know at this stage he should be talking much more than this, but there are some other things which are really concerning me.
He does not interact with other children, or with other people. Just likes to play by himself. Also, he flaps his arms when excited and likes to spin things - constantly. I have also noticed him grinding his teeth (almost looks like he is smiling, but when you get close, you can hear the teeth being mashed together). The more research I do, the more I'm convinced he has a form of autism.
My relationship with my SIL is not great and she is of the opinion that 'there is nothing wrong with my son!!!!', and won't get him assessed. I would love to believe her, but my sister has a son 1 month younger and he is much more interactive with others, speaks (alot!!), and still seems to be developing.
I would appreciate anyones comments/thoughts/experiences.
As someone who has worked extensively with children with Autism, all of what you have described could still fit in to "normal." Really she would need to take him to a paediatrician for a full assessment.
A lot of children hand flap in excitement. The grinding could be teething. Many children just reach milestones later, and lets hope that this is the case with your nephew. The fact that you are concerns would lead me to believe that there could be a problem, therefore it should be investigated further. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome for the child.
My middle son Ryan only just started really talking about 4 months ago, he's now just turned 3, some children take a while to start talking.
My other 2 boys grind their teeth
and they all flap their arms when they are excited.
Nick is not very sociable, he would rather play by himself.
I hope your nephew is just taking his time with things and that everything turns out ok.
I agree with all that Meg said, your description can still fit into the 'normal' range of development. A paediatrician would definitely be the person to see to get a diagnosis.
The hard thing is (on top of you not having a good relationship with your SIL), it's hard for some people to come to grips with the idea of having a special needs child. I know some people who have really stuggled with the idea, feeling that if their child is diagnosed with a special need that it's 'their fault', that they may be bad parents, and may feel that if they 'ignore the problem' it may go away IYKWIM?
Maybe someone who has a closer relationship with your SIL could subtly talk to her about everyone's concerns, and maybe try to get her to just speak to a GP (who would have to give a referral to a paed. anyway).
Good luck.
Last edited by mum3girls; March 12th, 2008 at 10:58 AM.
One of the specialists who came into school to see an autistic child in my class told me that one early indicator is to call their name and see if they respond. Autism spectrum is very wide and we are all on it somewhere! At this young age it would be very hard to diagnose from the things you have said, as they could apply to a lot of children especially boys! (I am really noticing the difference with my DS's speach and socialising compared to his sisters)
I know my MIL wants to talk to my SIL, but she is so defensive when it comes to her son that I'm worried that if there is a problem, it wont be considered, let alone diagnosed.
But from your responses, I will just bid my time, and keep an eye on him when I can. Hopefully, he will start to progress with his speech and interaction with others.
Don't want to pry but....austism???
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