[baddmammajamma]

Dear Fellow EB Parents:

There are similar pinned messages on the other toddler & kids' boards, but I want to target this one as well, especially in light of a lot of recent posts from parents who are worried about their child's development. (Forgive me for sounding like a broken record on this score, but this is a matter so near & dear to my heart!)

As a mother of two young kids, I can appreciate that there can be a fine line between fretting over every nuance of your child's development and being diligent in keeping an antenna up for possible issues.

When I first started worrying that something was slightly "off" about my daughter's development -- around the age of 12-15 months -- autism was nowhere on my radar screen!

Sure, my daughter seemed "different" when I compared her to other babies at playgroup, but she was also happy, smiling, and meeting all of her physical milestones. So I chalked up my concerns to being a paranoid, first time mother.

Everyone around me -- my well intentioned friends, family, online DIG, and even some medical professionals -- assured me that she was just "quirky," "sensitive" and "developing at her own speed..." which only reinforced my feeling that I was a stereotypical nervous mother. Nobody encouraged me to explore my concerns further until, finally, more than a year later, two girlfriends intervened and gave me the courage to seek the opinion of a specialist.

For any of you who have niggling concerns about your own child, but need a gentle nudge to act upon them, I hope that this message will encourage you to trust your gut and take action. If you click on the link in my signature, you will see why I feel so passionately about this issue.

If you are worried about your child's development -- physical, social, speech issues, sensory sensitivities, whatever -- I encourage you to raise those concerns with a qualified professional. Your MCHN or GP should be able to do a relatively simple developmental screen to help set your mind at ease or validate that further exploration is needed.

If you are told "don't worry" yet you continue to feel in your gut that something isn't right, please don't be afraid to seek another opinion.

This link below sets forth Hallmark Development Milestones for babies/toddlers. This can be a good launching off point for a discussion with a health care professional about your child's overall development.

http://www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm

On a more specific note, here are some of the very early red flags for autism spectrum disorders, which are now THE most common developmental disorder in Australia.

RED FLAGS FOR ASD IN BABIES/TODDLERS

Below are some of the early warning signs -- usually seen in the first two years -- of ASD. Some children will have many of these early warning signs, whereas others might have only a few. Also, any loss of social or language skills during this period is cause for concern.


Social
The child:

* doesn't consistently respond to her name
* doesn't smile at caregivers
* doesn't use gestures independently -- for example, she doesn't wave bye-bye without being told to, or without copying someone else who is waving
* doesn't show interest in other children
* doesn't enjoy or engage in games such as peek-a-boo or patty cake.


Communication
The child:

* doesn't use gestures to get needs met -- for example, she doesn't raise her arms when she wants to be picked up or reach out to something that she wants
* doesn't use eye contact to get someone's attention or communicate -- for example, she doesn't look at a parent and then look at a snack to indicate she wants the snack
* doesn't point to show people things, to share an experience or to request or indicate that she wants something -- for example, when she's being read to, she doesn't point to pictures in books and look back to show the reader
* doesn't engage in pretend play -- for example, she doesn't feed her baby doll
* doesn't sound like she's having a conversation with you when she babbles
* doesn't understand simple one-step instructions -- for example, "Give the block to me" or "Show me the dog."


Behavior
The child:

* has an intense interest in certain objects and becomes "stuck" on particular toys or objects
* focuses narrowly on objects and activities such as turning the wheels of a toy car or lining up objects
* is easily upset by change and must follow routines -- for example, sleeping, feeding or leaving the house must be done in the same way every time
* repeats body movements or has unusual body movements such as back-arching, hand-flapping and walking on toes.

Sensory
The child:

* is extremely sensitive to sensory experiences -- for example, she is easily upset by certain sounds, or will only eat foods with a certain texture
*seeks sensory stimulation -- for example, she likes deep pressure, seeks vibrating objects like the washing machine, or flutters fingers to the side of her eyes to watch the light flicker.

Additionally, the University of California-San Diego's Autism Center of Excellence, a world leader in research, early detection & early intervention, has some excellent, very easy-to-digest information on its web site:

Identifying autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) at the earliest age possible is of the utmost importance because early treatment can be very beneficial to the child and his/her family.

Abnormalities in how babies acts socially, as well as how they pay attention to and interact with their non-social environment, may be early warning signs. A delay in speech alone generally does not signify autism, but in combination with other warning signs, could suggest that a toddler is at risk.

Below are early warning signs describing what children at risk for an ASD between 12-24 months generally don't do, as well as a description of what they might do. Note that it is very common for typically developing toddlers to also show some of the red flags listed below.

(to read the specific examples, please click on the link below - they complement the information above):
http://www.autism-center.ucsd.edu/treating...ages/signs.aspx

If any of the above resonates with you, it doesn't necessarily mean that your child has ASD, but it does suggest that further investigation is warranted. Your GP can refer you to a developmental paed, a specialist who focuses on the comprehensive (physical, emotional, behavioral) development of children.

There is so much that can be done to help children with ASD and other developmental issues reach their full potential, especially when these issues are caught early. Waiting lists for various professionals and various professionals can be long and funding support is overwhelming skewed toward young (below school age) children, hence another set of reasons to take action sooner rather than later.

In the words of my daughter's straight-shooting developmental pediatrician, "No child was ever harmed by an assessment or early intervention, but plenty of children could benefit from receiving timely support." My daughter is wonderful proof of that!

Thanks for reading this far,

BMJ

To learn more, check out:

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/otarc/info

http://www.firstsigns.org/

http://raisingchildren.net.au/development/...evelopment.html

http://www.autismawareness.com.au/

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 22/04/2013, 09:05 AM

[Jacintaconway]

Hi badmammajamma,

I just read your post and had to reply! I think everything you have said is amazing!

Someone else that I know just had their toddler assessed and their child does not have ASD, but they have been diagnosed with ADHD.
At such a young age, (just over 2) its so much to take in, and the one thing that stuck in my mind was the quote that the mother had said to her mother (a friend of mine).

That quote was, 'I just felt so bad, like it was my fault because of bad parenting.'

How awful that the mother had to go through this.

The more awareness there are for disorders, the more tolerating and accepting our communities will be. So even though I don't know you from a bar of soap, thanks for doing this - every time I read something like this, I am reminded once again of how important it is not to judge and also of to follow up any niggling thoughts you have for your child's health.

[bubblegummum]

Hi, your posts are always really informative.

My dd who has Asperger's (& ADHD) would have had a lot of signs from the last 2 categories but none from the social as a toddler. I have my suspicions my toddler could have Asperger's too but I'm just watching for now. I will raise it with our specialists soon. Again though, there's none of the social signs.

So I guess it's also worth knowing that not all kids will have the signs that people see as what a particular syndrome or disorder is 'all about'. (She is the same with ADHD, she doesn't have the 'in your face' behaviours which makes these things hard to put your finger on as a parent. I felt for years that there was something about dd that didn't fit but didn't know where to start).

[baddmammajamma]

Jacintaconway: Thank you so much for your very kind words. I agree with you that educating people -- both parents whose children might need support as well as the broader community about various developmental disorders -- is something that is so important.

bubblegummum: Your point really resonates with me. My daughter didn't show a lot of the "in your face" signs that people typically associate with ASD, which made it even harder for me to know whether I was just being a "Nervous Nelly" or whether I had reason to be concerned.

I've shared this quote recently, but it bears sharing again (from the wonderful First Signs web site):

“Don’t worry.” These two words have often discouraged parents and have prevented many children with developmental delays from getting what they need: early screening and identification, and appropriate intervention. Despite the fact that there is a direct correlation between early identification and improved development, parents with concerns about their children are often told not to worry. “Don’t worry...boys develop more slowly. Don’t worry...she’ll grow out of it. Don’t worry...Einstein was a late talker too. Don’t worry...just give it a few months.”

If you have concerns, don’t worry: take action.

Ask your physician to arrange for a routine developmental screening.

http://www.firstsigns.org/concerns/if.htm

***

Thanks for taking the time to read!

[Stephanie1975]

Great post.

[Fennel Salad]

Thanks Badmammajamma,

I will keep these resources in mind.

I have a niece diagnosed with Aspergers at 11 and a nephew (her brother) at 28 who was never formally diagnosed, but I'm sure is on the ASD spectrum. In hindsight, if only we knew or someone in school picked it up ..... He could have been helped so much more

Now I have my own DS I keep a hawk eye on him. I think all is okay, but should it not be, I know he can be helped. So thanks.

ETS - rubbish spelling

This post has been edited by Fennel Salad: 08/10/2011, 07:03 PM

[bubblegummum]

I have a good little book I got on sale recently. I can't remember the name but it's a 'when to worry' kind of book written by a couple of phsychiatrists. They go through a lot of typical ages and stages and explain a lot of the things that are typical and those that aren't - i.e. when to chase things up.

I really think mums of girls need to know that ASD & ADHD often look very different in a girl. Especially, in our experience, because girls can be very good mimics. I realise in hindsight that my extremely social, extroverted first born was probably 'faking it' for years. She was so good at appearing to have social interaction figured out. It was years before it started falling to pieces. And girls with non hyperactive ADHD can be bright enough to go under the radar. They're clever enough to perform at a satisfactory level despite missing so much of what's going on in the classroom.

Most people that know my eldest do not believe she has these two conditions. Yet if you read in depth on either she is really very typical. Most people think they know what ASD and ADHD are - but they only know the really obvious signs that you typically read about or that really stand out.

[soontobegran]

I think we as parents need to trust our instinct, to listen to that 'inner voice' when it tells us that there may just be something not quite 'normal' about our children's behaviour.
It is hard when your concerns are not validated, even as a nurse I didn't follow my gut when my eldest was 3 weeks old and this almost cost the life of our child. I had put a 'dog ear' in my neonatal nursing text on the page which described Cardiac Failure on day 1 of her illness so I 'knew' but I was repeatedly being told that I was just being a paranoid and typical nurse and my baby was fine so I doubted myself and let it go---until it was almost too late 3 days later.

Please read the links that BMJ has provided, it is always far better to worry and be proved wrong than to ignore and miss the opportunity to utilise all the amazing early intervention programs/treatments that are available now for children with ASD.

[Guest_Lois Griffin_*]

Bumping to raise awareness!

[neaka]

Thumbs up to this post. Thank you.