worried that my daughter may have autism?

Question

please help i think my 3yr old daughter has autism i am really worried about it. what should i do first

she can not put more than two words together and she only has a few two words

she always cries

she has a fear of hairs is that weird
she screams when she has a hair stuck on her hand foot etc

she is a lovely beautiful loveing little girl who i love so much thanks for all your wonderful answers many thanks by the way i keep saying her but her name is aya

Answer 1

1st. Read through this list and see if your little girl has some of the following signs and symptoms:

not play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll)
not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over)
not look at objects when another person points at them
have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all
avoid eye contact and want to be alone
have trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
prefer not to be held or cuddled or might cuddle only when they want to
appear to be unaware when other people talk to them but respond to other sounds
be very interested in people, but not know how to talk, play, or relate to them
repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of normal language (echolalia)
have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions
repeat actions over and over again
have trouble adapting when a routine changes
have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
lose skills they once had (for instance, stop saying words they were once using)

2nd. If she does then call your Health Visitor immediately and ask her to watch her behaviour and comment. If she believes there may be issues then your daughter will be referred to the appropriate therapy section. The GP and HV and yourself will decide the best course of action to improve her life and yours.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

I don't think so. Speech problems do occur in autism but that is not the main sign. Does she cuddle you? Does she like being picked up? When she is picked up does she sit on your hip in a comfortable way? Does she have any obsessions, like lining toys up instead of playing with them? If yes to these questions then autism is a possibility. If the answer is no then I think it is highly likely that your kid is just experiencing a bit of a delay in speech developement. Kids learn at different speeds and yours will probably catch up quickly but speech therapy can be really useful even just one or two sessions to get some tips and tricks to help encourage use of words. You could also think about using baby signing... its something that can be useful in the short term to improve effective communication so she does not get frustrated. Try not to worry too much... in a year or 2 she'll probably be chatting more than you know what to do with! : ) xx

Answer 3

Whether it is autism or not, you should take your child to a specialist. Not speaking by age 3 could be an indicator of autism, hearing loss, or some other a serious problem.

The top 3 signs of autism are:

1. Social Impairment such as;
a. no eye contact, pointing, or gestures to communicate.
b. doesn't show off items. "Look at what I have!" type behaviour, or otherwise share interest or enjoyment with others.

2. Impairments in Communication such as;
a. delay in, or total lack of speech
b. Or with Asperger's, marked impairment in the
ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others.

3. Repetitive movements, patterns of behavior & interests such as;
a. hand-flapping, rocking, etc.
b. obsessions with objects or parts of objects.
c. inflexible adherence to routines & rituals. (My niece will throw a fit if the bus driver doesn't stop at every normal stop even if the child at that particular stop didn't come to school that day, therefore doesn't need to be dropped off.)

The extreme sensitivity to something like hair is very common in kids with autism, but isn't exactly a sign of autism.

Answer 4

I also had the same problem, my son was diagnosed when he was 2 and a half, i first went to see the health visitor, they were fantastic, within weeks we saw the consultant where he began an assesment . the assesment takes a while as no 2 autistic children are the same, my son didnt say a word untill he was 3 and that was with help of speech therapist who worked wonders for him, we have now got him into a great school where he is coming on in leaps and bounds.

Answer 5

I have an autistic 17 year old and work with adults and children who have special needs.
Most areas have specialist Child Development Clinic where your daughter can be assessed. The first thing to do is to see your G.P. and explain your concerns. Ask him to refer you to a child development specialist.
Try not to worry too much; even if she is autistic this can cover a very wide range of ability. My son didn't talk until he was four but can now hold a reasonable conversation, even over the telephone. He travels to and from college himself, can make himself simple meals ( sandwiches, cheese toasties and omelette's) and has his own web page. He still needs support in many other things but each year he's managed more and more.

Answer 6

Write down a list of her behaviour traits that make you believe she has autism, note down any unusual behaviour. Then take her to your doctors surgery and explain that you want your daughter evaluated. Hopefully she will only have it mildly. I have whats called "High Functioning Asperger's Syndrome". There are a few different forms of autism. If your doc's won't help then read up about autism in a book. Also check if any family members have it too as it could be hereditary.

Answer 7

Autism is characterized by marked social impairment, communication delay/disorder and obessive repitious behavior. Though your daughter exhibits communication delay, you need to check out the other behaviors too. There is also a milder form of autism called Aspergers. The best thing is to contact your general physican and get referral to a pysch. Also in the mean time, try to stimulate your daughter's language by giving her correct model on how to combine phrases, reading books and talking slowly with her, so she can process it adequately.

Answer 8

I have a question - whe did you start to notice this? Also - is your child vaccinated? I am anti -vaccine because of the high levels of mercury and othe things in them such as aborted fetal cells, animal cell, aluminum, and formaldehyde to name a few. There is not very much of a difference between mercury poising and autism. If you started noticing this after your child had the MMR vaccine, that is probly what it is - mercury poising. I suggest you do research on the MMR vaccine and autism, also mercury poising and there is now a way to 'de-toxify' the body. here is a site I will find more.

You know what all I have right now is vaccine ingrdiants - I will post the rest when I find them =)
http://www.vaccination.inoz.com/ingredie.html

Answer 9

my son has autism i knew from him being a few months old but didnt take him to get checked by doc till he was 6 yrs(reason being peopl including health visitors said oo its because hes the middle child etc really daft explanations) glad to say within 5 mins of being in the docs surgery i was told what i always thought-good luck please email me with any questions x

Answer 10

If you are in the UK you need to approach your GP and your health visitor. At the age of 3 it can be very difficult to diagnose, my son is 12 and we are still battling to get him the help he needs, so I wish you all the luck in the world.