Speech therapy went well. She watched him, saw that he does not mimic. Saw that he has some skills, but they are really behind.
Pretty much she said the best thing for him is to repeat, repeat, repeat. Even if he isn't showing signs that he is enjoying it keep it up. For instance, I was poking him in the face with his foot (it is part of keeping his hips flexible he has always been a stiff baby) I kept saying get your foot. C wasn't showing a lot of signs that he was having fun, but he was showing enough to keep it up. She said that is exactly what we need to do with him. Okay, I already do!
A lot of singing, reading, pointing etc.. All of them help.
Then we got to the Autism screen. They test all children at 18 month since there is a rise in Autism. C tested a high probability of having Autism. S asked me why I didn't seem shocked. I mentioned that I had already thought it several months ago. I didn't really think much about it, like I told them I knew something wasn't right, but I wasn't sure WHAT.
So the steps will be we watch him for the next several months. See if anymore signs emerge. L the ST is in the Autism team. She said there are some things that are saying no, such as C climbed in her lap and let her cuddle him, he didn't freak out when S and L walked in.. So we are thinking it is a developmental delay (part of the delay he has had his whole life). But my head is still spinning. The what if's are running in my head. I have been on the verge of tears since they left. Seriously Autism?
Then sippy cups. They saw that C was using a soft nipple sippy. They asked how he was doing off the bottle, I said he didn't care. He would take his juice and water in a hard spout but his milk he wanted in a soft spout. S then said, we don't care if it is soft or hard, as long as he is off. They saw a 3 year old that was still on the bottle. If I would have known that, C would have been off the bottle months ago. He LOVES the NUK sippy!
So yeah that is that..
Monday, May 17, 2010
My head is spinning..
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6 comments:
oh my gosh, kim... i keep wondering how much more can land on your shoulders. you remain one of the strongest women i have ever known, & altho i know you will handle this with the same courage you've shown all along, i really hope you & the kids catch a break soon.
will be sending lots of prayers that C will fight his way thru this autism scare the way he's beaten odds all along.
big ((hugs))
(((HGUS)))...if you need anything you know where to find me :)
Hey Kim,
I'm so sorry so much is going on right now.
I'm curious... I used to work with kiddos with Autism, and I'm wondering what were the signs the therapist mentioned? Obviously I don't know you or C or see him interact or anything. What things have you felt have been "off"? The cuddling thing and social stuff seem like big "not Autism" flags to me, but I'm far from an expert. Hopefully this is just a fluke, and just delays C is working through. I'm still amazed at how far he's come given his scary start in the world!
Sorry for being nosy...
Mollie,
He took the chat test. http://www.gotoquiz.com/chat_test_for_autism
His areas that he flunked...
8. Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something?
12. Does your child ever seem oversensitive to noise? (e.g., plugging ears)
15. Does your child respond to his/her name when you call?
16. If you point at a toy across the room, does your child look at it?
18. Does your child look at things you are looking at?
20. Does your child try to attract your attention to his/her own activity?
24. Does your child look at your face to check your reaction when faced with something unfamiliar?
Those were his no answers. I am not sure on one that I didn't post here. Which if you look at them they are all language (Thank you Amanda for pointing that out I didn't even see it until now).
I'm sorry Kim, that is so very scary. You are all strong and amazing and if this does end up being his diagnosis you will do amazing with this too. I will keep you all in my thoughts, I hope it turns out to be different.
See, what bugs me about those tests, are the questions are so vague. These types of delays *might* be a concern in a typically developing child, but even then, kids are funny - they develop at their own pace. But a preemie? I feel like they're throwing way too much at you. I do see that there are so many more Autism diagnoses these days, but I don't think they need to be screening every single child!
With that said, I hope this is just a blip, and that C continues to amaze everyone and keeps beating the odds stacked against him. If this does end up being a diagnosis for him - like mommylife (sorry, I don't know your name) said - you will do great with that as well.
(((HUGS)))
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