My son's speech therapist told us he thinks our son has Autism?

My son will be 2 next month. The other day his speech therapist told us he thinks he has Autism. So I looked up the signs of Autism and he has next to none of them. He makes great eye contact, very loving and cuddley, very social, never wants to be left alone, responds to his name, doesn't obsess over toys.. doesnt even spin the wheels on cars, no stacking or lining of things, no rocking or head banging, very happy never throws fits, no routines, has pretend play and imitates well, He always brings me toys to show me and tries to get me to play with him.. always looks for approval Etc Etc.. the only symptoms I could think of that he may have is his delayed speech.. he is a very late talker with only a few consistant words (had hearing troubles and tubes was placed at 15 months) He doesn flap his hands.. only have noticed it when mad.. or if he has something on his hands like food or something (I thought trying to knock it off?) and he is shy around kids.. but he eventually starts to play with them just takes a minute to warm up to them. But he is never shy around adults? Could this be a mild case of Autism or is my son's speech therapist nuts? The reason's he thought he was Autistic is because he tenses when he picks him up to move him to a different place (He never tenses up for us?) He said when he babbles it's self soothing and not cummunicative.. which I do not agree with at all I will ask him a question all the time and he always responds with some kind of babble (but does babble aimlessly a lot to) and because he said it's hard to get him to engage he wants to get up and run around a lot.. He thinks we need to get him tested and of course we are but there is a 6 to 8 month waiting list and I am very concerned now. Thoughts?My son's speech therapist told us he thinks our son has Autism?
Your speech therapist isn't qualified to diagnose Autism. He's certainly got a right to his opinion, but so do you - and you know your kid better.



If it was "mild" autism, we would probably be talking about Asperger's, which is characterized by NORMAL speech development. There are kids with Asperger's syndrome who do have speech delays, but I'm just saying - it doesn't sound like classic high-functioning autism, and it definitely doesn't sound like the low-functioning end of the spectrum. In fact, it doesn't sound like autism at all.



Obviously I haven't met your kid, but my brother has autism, and I'm pretty familiar with the signs. Go ahead and get him tested if you want, but until then, don't freak out. I don't know why you have t wait 6-8 months - you should be able to ask your pediatrician for a professional opinion, or even find a psychiatrist who'll see you before then.My son's speech therapist told us he thinks our son has Autism?
I don't think he is. Doctors today are overmedicating, specifically with this autism thing. Some kids may be seriously impaired (I mean like you can tell by looking at someone) if they are mentally-challenged, but otherwise, these acute symptoms of autism, I think are just a case of a normal person who did not develop social skills. That's it. The worst part is that by telling a child they're "autistic" when they could just be "shy or quiet" then it acts as an enabler for the child. Instead of trying to resolve it, they just tuck themselves even more into their shyness and quietude.My son's speech therapist told us he thinks our son has Autism?
Ok Calm Down. When my son's speech therapists suggested autism, I thought they were nuts too. Some of the things do suggest autism, but he may have something different.. like a sensory disorder.. where he's too sensitive or not sensitive much to things around him. The tensing up part may be because he's not used to them?

My son had different symptoms. He regressed in his talking and didn't talk again for 2 years.

My son also has sensory problems. He was too hypo-sensitive. My son wasn't diagnosed until nearly 3 so it's still early.

My son also will not answer questions the way a typical child would. I will ask him something.. and he will repeat the question.. and it is an autism thing.

It's not the end of the world though if he's autistic. It hasn't been easy, but my son's nearly 5 now and he's doing great. Let me know if you need to talk or anything
Since autism is a " spectrum disorder", your son could be considered " on the spectrum" if he exhibits only one or two of the symptoms mildly. The speech therapist may not be right, but I don't think it is unreasonable for him to have suspicions based on what you have explained. Get him tested as soon as you can, and no matter how it turns out, remember that a diagnosis of autism does not change your son, he will still be the same little boy, still able to do the same things he was able to do before his diagnosis. If the testing determines that he is on the spectrum it will only help you to understand better what he may need help with and give you access to services and specialists that can help him to develop to his full potential. There is no reason to be any more concerned than you were before. Autistic or not your son will always be just as wonderful as he always has been.