My older daughter would be so overwhelmed during the Holidays she would go into hiding. We want kids to feel welcome too. I found a great list of tips to help families with special need kids on the Autism Society of America site.

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=holiday_tips

   I remember how this all went down so vividly, my 2.5 year old daughter had a horrible diaper rash and needed to go to the Dr for it. I had to work so my husband took our daughter to an afternoon appointment, I got home late that night like I usually did and put Kylee to bed for the night. The next day I hugged and kissed both hubby and daughter and was on my way to a mandatory staff meeting at work when my husband called and told me how the Dr appointment went the day before.
    He said that she prescribed an ointment for the rash and then he said that Kylee was Autistic. I was in pretty heavy morning traffic when he dropped that  “A” bomb. I was dazed and confused, he said that he had run through the list of autism warning signs with the pediatrician and Kylee and had just about the whole list. I don’t remember the rest of the drive to work. I do remember getting into the meeting and crying to the point that they stopped the meeting so I could talk to my boss. I could just see all my hopes and dreams for her future popping like little floating bubbles around me. And I had so many questions about what had happened. Will she ever talk? make friends? play with me? potty train? have a normal life?
   The pediatrician put us in contact with Child Find, here in Colorado and we did the evaluations and everything, started speech therapy and special preschool with various other therapies.
   This was all about 3 years ago now, tomorrow we are having her professionally evaluated again, and I’m so nervous about it. I’m not sure what to think or do, do we want her to do really good, bad, mediocre? Will she still qualify for the help she needs after it? I know that we cant train her to pass with flying colors, I know that she is what she is and I just need to calm down and hope that things work out for the best. God’s will be done.

Somehow I know that we will get through this together.

   No one knows your child as well as you do, not even the pediatrician or school teacher.  A way to help your pediatrician to better understand your child’s development is “Ages & Stages” (ASQ) questionnaire, recommended by the group ABCD. The questionaire which is filled out by the parent and reviewed by the pediatrician or family doctor asks questions about the child’s communication, gross and fine motor skills, problem solving  etc…
   The Assuring Better Child Health & development project (ABCD) is funded by the Colorado Health Foundation and the Kaiser Community Benefit Fund and supports implementing standardized, developmental screenings for kids up to age five. National Statistics show that pediatricians are only detecting 30% of children with possible developmental delays, but when they use the standardized development screening tool like ASQ the rate increases to 80%. Scores signal parents and pediatricians to the need for Early Intervention Colorado, (WWW.earlyinterventioncolorado.org), which provides support and services for further assessment. The ASQ is NOT a diagnosis of a problem but and indicator for further evaluation.
   Currently all Kaiser and Denver Health sites use the ASQ but ABCDs goal is to have 90% of physicians using the tool by 2010 with each well child check.

For more information contact Bennet at Eileen@acecc.org or go to www.ColoradoABCD.org.

Some of the early signs and symptoms that parents and Pediatricians look for to alert them that a child needs further evaluation for autism include:

• not smiling by six months of age
• not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
• not using single words by age 16 months
• not using two word phrases by 24 months
• having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills

Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact, and as they get older, act as if they are unaware of when people come and go around them, as you can see in this autism screening quiz.

Keep in mind that autism usually isn’t diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age.

There is also an autism study that showed that some children with autism had abnormal brain growth. Specifically, they had a smaller than average head size at birth (at the 25th percentile), but then had a period of rapid head growth during which their head size moved up to the 84th percentile by age 6-14 months. But rapid head growth is not a sign in all kids with autism.

In general, if you are concerned about your child’s development, especially if you think that they might have autism, you should talk to your Pediatrician and consider a more formal developmental evaluation.

Getting An Evaluation

One of the frustrating things that occurs when parents think something is wrong with their child’s development is that they may be told ‘not to worry’ or that they ‘should just wait.’ Experts think that it is better for parents to trust their instincts and get their child evaluated if they think that they aren’t developing normally. This guide from First Signs is a good resource for parents trying to share their concerns with their Pediatrician.

Your local early childhood development program may also be able to do an evaluation if you are concerned about your child’s development.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, there are a number of things that parents, teachers, and others who care for children can look for to determine if a child needs to be evaluated for autism.  This autism quiz asks about ‘red flags’ that could be a sign that a Pediatrician or other health professional should evaluate a child for autism or a related communication disorder.

Keep in mind that other conditions can also cause these symptoms, that you have to consider what your child can do in an age appropriate manner (for example, a 6 month old likely won’t respond to his name), and that normal children can have some of these symptoms and behaviors (like being independent, walking on her toes, or preferring to play alone).

Having one or more of these signs, symptoms, and behaviors should prompt a discussion with your Pediatrician to see if further evaluation needs to be done.

Your child…

1. does not respond to his/her name.

2. cannot explain what he/she wants.

3. has language skills or speech that is delayed.

4. doesn’t follow directions.

5. at times, seems to be deaf.

6. seems to hear sometimes, but not others.

7. doesn’t point or wave goodbye.

8. used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn’t.

9. throws intense or violent tantrums.

10. has odd movement patterns.

11. is hyperactive, uncooperative, or oppositional.

12. doesn’t know how to play with toys.

13. doesn’t smile when smiled at.

14. poor eye contact.

15. gets “stuck” on things over and over and can’t move on to other things.

16. seems to prefer playing alone.

17. gets things for him/herself only.

18. very independent for age.

19. does things “early” compared to other children.

20. seem to be in their own little world.

21. seems to tune people out.

22. is not interested in other children.

23. walks on his/her toes.

24. shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules (i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants).

25. spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.

Keep track of your yes answers, write it down so that you can talk to your pediatrician about it. The more yes answers you have the more likely you will need an evaluation for your child.

Autism is a disorder that can last throughout a person’s entire life. It’s part of a group of disorders called autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than diabetes, AIDS and cancer combined. It affects all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism affects a person’s ability to communicate and relate to others. It’s known for inflexible routines and repetitive behaviors, like obsessively arranging things or following specific routines. Symptoms can range from  mild to severe.

ASD can and is usually diagnosed by age 3, and new research is pushing back the that age to as 6 months. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child’s failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then lost skills. Pediatricians may initially dismiss signs of autism, thinking a child will “catch up,” and may advise parents to “wait and see.” New research shows that when parents suspect something is wrong with their child, they are usually correct. If you have concerns about your child’s development, don’t wait: speak to your pediatrician about getting your child screened for autism.

If your child’s diagnosed with autism, early intervention is very important to gain maximum benefit from therapy. Some parents have concerns about labeling a toddler as “autistic,” the earlier the diagnosis is made, the earlier interventions can begin. Currently, there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure. Research indicates, however, that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many young children with autism spectrum disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social, and cognitive skills.