would you trust you instinct or a doctors opinion?

Question

my son is 4 years old. He has been in speech therapy and early child classes for about 18 months and although i have seen SOME improvements he still seems like he isnt where he should be for his age. He can talk a lot better and know colors and animal sounds, but most of what he says is "mimic" speech. He has almost no "spontaneous" speech. I am not saying that he only says what someone JUST said...but all of his speech is "scripted" (like when he asks for milk it is always said the same way with the same infliction in his voice) AND he seems to have no sense of danger (i am constantly running to grab him from darting out in to the street or stop him from touching a hot stove ...my 18 month old will look at the stove and say "hot...owwie")
his doctor says he should be fine but i am really worried that it may be a bigger problem. until he started talking i thought he may be autistic but should i be worried that he has bigger problems (retardation)...my other 2 kids seem fine to me

Answer 1

Your son CAN be autistic and still talk. There are varying degrees of autism, never listen to a pediatrician on this issue, they're simply not trained for it. Find out if you a regional center in your area. What you described sounds exactly like autism. My son is autistic, very high-functioning, but even his symptoms are different than your child's. I homeschool my child, and I babysit a child with SID and borderline autism, and I do their therapies by myself. I've learned to recognize autism, and I can almost guarantee that's what your dealing with. If you don't have a regional center near you, then go to your nearest university hospital and ask them about testing for autism, they'll show you what you need to do. Typically it can take three months to get an appt., so call immediately. Speech therapy can help, but it takes much more than that in dealing with autism. Good luck to you, my heart goes out to you. I was in your place just a little over a year ago.

Answer 2

I would seek another opinion, especially since this opinion is coming from just a regular pediactrician. Try to find a Developmental Pediatrician so a full evaluation can be done on your son. Also, you didn't mention, but is your son receiving speech services through the school district, or is it private therapy? If it's only through the district, you may want to consider doing private therapy as well. It sounds like your son's behavior and speech delay could be several different things, or a combination of two. He could have Sensory Integration Dysfunction (no fear), Autism (Asperger's is high functioning), Auditory Processing Disorder, or Apraxia. A developmental Pediatrician can either rule these things out or lead you to the right professionals to get answers. You might want to consider seeing a Pediatric Neurologist as well.

If you are in need of some emotional support and/or information about the disorders I listed, please feel free to join the following support group: www.specialparent.org It's an online support group for parents of children with disabilties and special needs. GOOD LUCK getting answers for your son. You need to follow your instincts, they're usually right.

Answer 3

Get a second or third opinion. Or change pediatricians. Sometimes a fresh perspective on a child's health can bring better answers. It is difficult to tell when a doctor is correct or not. However, most people just trust what they say and never question it. There is nothing wrong with questioning him. Hope things work out for the best.

Answer 4

I'd trust my instincts and take him to another doctor for a second opinion, maybe even a third. You might also want to call some type of health services and see if there are any kinds of age appropriate tests to help see if he's functioning at his correct age level. If what the doctor says ever contradicts what you feel, then find another doctor to ask. Peace of mind is always worth it, especially when it regards a child!

Answer 5

You always have to second guess a doctor, especially when something doesn't "feel" right. I would definitely have your son checked out by learning specialists - you are at a critical point near pre-school/kindergarten time and you need to have a clear idea of what is going on so that he gets the proper attention. Many community school districts provide specialized therapy for children (and have to by law), so start asking questions of people to get names of specialists.

Answer 6

Thank you for your advice to me previously... I think you should trust your instict and see two specialists. Even though this person has told you one thing --sometimes Doctors are wrong. My husband is a Pharmacist and said "no doctor is right all of the time, in fact, it is scary about how many mistakes he runs across from doctor written perscriptions." I would follow your heart, for at least peace of mind and get two specialist opinions. Also research has proven very effective for me in the past (on accredited websites -like american pediatrics. Hang in there - I am sure it is stressful for you.

Answer 7

I agree with Tay jen. You are a good mother and you know if something just isn't what it should be. I am losing faith in the medical system. They treat us like cattle sometimes without really stopping to see each person as an individual with real problems, sometimes unique ones.
Not all doctors are like this, but some.
But if you need a doctor, see a specialist like a neurologist.

Answer 8

my son didnt talk or become potty trained until he was 2 1/2 or 3....took him to an ear, nose, throat specialist and found out he was nearly deaf (98% in one ear and 60% in the other) so when he spoke he only said what he thought he heard..for instance instead of calling my mom "granny" he called her "gee" because he only heard the definitive "g" sound and the "ee" sound from the end of the word (and to this day all my kids call her "gee")...however tubes were placed and he improved almost immediatedly ...today he is 17 and hears and talks perfectly....you didnt say anything about whether or not you had his hearing checked but if you havent it might be worth your (and his) while!...good luck :o)

Answer 9

I would definitely seek a second (or third) opinion. What do the speech therapists and other teachers have to say about his development? Do they think he's on track or still behind? Is he meeting other milestones, or is he only behind verbally?

Good luck to you, and I hope you can get the answers you need.

Answer 10

A second opinion couldn't hurt. He may have Asperger's Syndrome which is a higher functioning form of Autism. Don't ignore your gut instinct that something more could be the cause of his disconnection. Good Luck!