My three years old son can't talk yet and i am afraid he could be autistic.Is he going to talk some day?

Question

He can say a few words,but he can't make a sentence.He has other symtoms of autism too.What future has autistic children?Is he going to be normal someday and live a normal life?Is there someone here with an autistic experience?Please tell me what you know and how i can help my son.

Answer 1

No one here can answer that. You need to talk to his pediatrician and have the doctor refer him for testing. That's how you can help your son.

Answer 2

Autism is diagnosed based on a lot more than just not talking. Some kids do talk late and are just fine. However, the most critical factor in the prognosis for an autistic child is an early diagnosis. So I would definitely have him evaluated by specialists in autism, if you think he has other autistic characteristics. If he were to be autistic, he sounds like he's high-functioning, so I would definitely have him seen by a developmental pedicatrician, psychologist specializing in autism, or a school evaluation team. Regular pediatricians often tell parents to wait and see, and high functioning autism is going to be not as easy for them to recognize. The last thing you want to do with autism is wait.

You say he has other characteristics, but not knowing what those are, I can't give you any more insight into it. Not talking alone isn't autism, there are many more symptoms. However, because of the prevalence and seriousness of autism, you should have him evaluated right away.

As for his future, nobody knows. We can only go by the statistics of adults who have it today, and not many live a fully indpendent life, but some do. However, we're treating autism very differently than we did 20 years ago, more people are fighting for funding of the very costly therapies, and we're learning a lot more about the biological aspect of it. So basically, nobody really knows what their future is. We do know that intensive early intervention is critical - the years before 5 allow for the most improvement.

No matter what his diagnosis may be, have high expectations for him. Be creative, persistent, and patient in trying to teach him, don't assume he's not capable of something because he doesn't learn it right away. Autistics need much more repetition in learning than typical kids.
If he is autistic, you need to prepare for the worst, but expect the best.

Good luck

Answer 3

I don't know if this will help, but I will give you some info. from my own experience. My son didn't really talk either until he was about 3 1/2 years old. The only words we could get him to say was daddy and juice. He created his own language and we never could really figure out what he was saying. Our son also exhibited what most would call Autistic behavior - but more along the lines of Aspergers Syndrome. My son is 4 now and speaks in complete full sentences like he is a teenager and his fine and gross motor skills are pretty advanced. The doctors are telling us now, that they don't think he is autistic, but that is has a high IQ - the two can mimic each other very closely when they are young, so sometimes it is really hard to tell. When my son was an infant, he never smiled, he never laughed, he pretty much stared at everything. We nick named him the extreme focus boy. Most people who saw him in those days, thought something was seriously wrong with him, but now he is a very delightful little boy who talks and plays like any other child. You also have to remember that all children develop at their own pace, so take heart. If he doesn't start talking soon, then take him to a neurologist and have him tested to see if they can pin point where the problem is.

Answer 4

i've worked with autistic kids for quite a while, and although there are some good comments here, do not take any too literally ((15 years ago i thought i was pretty hot on autism, now i fell i've got a good idea!)). although some can have many difficulties, others can be a complete joy. one thing they all have in common, is that they are different individuals with completely unique personalities - like all of us.
if he has an ASD, the fact that he's got some words at 3 is a very good sign, as the key to an autistic child functioning effectively in our screwed up world, is seeing the point of communication!
(ps also be cautious of GP's opinion! seek out specialist opinions.)

Answer 5

I would take your son to the child doc or child clinic and ask if he could be tested as he is 3 years and not yet talking as might be expected.

I have worked with autistic adults and teenagers but not children, but I wouldn't jump the gun yet about your son until you have had him properly assessed.

There are special schools for autistic people and I believe a lot can be done to help them live a normal life as is possible depending on the severity of the autism.

If it is autism they do like a lot of input and focus on activity but then so do most children.

Answer 6

I'm sorry but i find your question very hurtful, to be quite honest, my twin son has severe autism , your saying your son has other symptoms how do you know this has your son seen someone if not how can you know he has other symptoms i suppose you got this info on-line and not from a doctor,
what life does an autistic child have, i can say as i speak for me and my son he will have the best possible future that we can give him, and just because a child has Autism doesn't mean to say the are not 'normal' what is that supposed to mean ! normal to me is a cycle on a washing machine you shouldn't use that to describe a child, and at aged three you as a mum should have taken your son to see your GP, but your so lucky your son can say a few words my son is 9 and cannot talk at all !

Answer 7

Lots of children around the age of 2 - 4 show "autistic tendencies" but are not autistic or come under the autistic spectrum of diseases. My stepson didn't speak until he was over 4 years but is completely normal (well, as normal as any teenager these days!). Try not to worry - the different areas of the brain develop at different rates in different people - I'm sure by the time he goes to school, all will be well. Perhaps your health visitor can reassure you, or arrange some assessments if you are really worried.

Answer 8

i would firstly get a proper assessment! there may be many reasons or diagnoses.but what i would say if it is autism his future development is down to him and all the people around him (family friends and school) however things turn out choose the right path for both your son and you only you know what that will be, and hopefully the support you deserve will help too!!no body is the same so there s no right or wrong way so as long as you face things together with lots of love anything is possible. e-mail me anytime!!!! at least investigating further is a good first step to deal with whatever it is and then you can get on and enjoy every day from now on.

Answer 9

No one on the internet can give you an accurate diagnosis. You need to see a doctor or psychologist that specializes in this area. It sounds as if you are aware of the "other symptoms" of autism, and that your son demonstrates some of them. Don't wait - if he does have an autism spectrum disorder, the earlier he receives intervention, the better the possible outcome.

In addition, children with autism vary widely in their level of functioning. Some children remain very disabled, however, many can function in school and have a wide range of abilities. So, no one can tell you what the outcome might be for your child because we don't know him. Please please please see a doctor soon, the more you know as a parent, the better it will be for you. And you never know, it might not be autism at all... it might be some kind of speech delay or other condition.

Answer 10

Ahhhhh I feel so much for you because we went through the same thing with our son too......dont worry

Boys are slower to speak than girls and our son was a second child - who statisticaaly are also slower to speak. He was 4 and had about 6 months to go before he started school - all he did was grunt and point - he had never even said the word mum or dad...we were out of our minds with worry.

I can remember reading all sorts of things on the internet about autism etc and being convinced that he was...I suggested to our GP but he just laughed at me. He said that all children develop at differnt rates and we should not worry. looking back it was really good advice...if your boy is 3 - he really is still quite young

The GP referred him for speech therapy and the first thing that she did was check for any physical problems in his mouth preventing him from speaking - she mentioned that his tonsils were absolutely huge and asked if he had health problems because of them.....he had suffered with loads of sore throats/ear infections etc. He also choked on his food regularly......it all fitted into place - his tonsils were causing all his health problems/choking and making it difficult to speak . they removed them about a week later and he was absolutely fine after that.

he started speaking and quickly caught up -he is now a teenager and doing extremely well at school and never shuts up talking.

I hope this story is helpful - please try not to worry. i am sure he will be fine.

Answer 11

Take him to a specialist. Then, and only then, will you know for sure.

If he has it, autism will affect him for the rest of his life. I refuse to say he will never be "normal," because what is normal anyway? Depending on the severity of his autism, he may be able to cope with it very nicely. It also helps to seek teachers who have experience with teaching kids with autism. (I do NOT mean special schools. I mean experienced teachers in normal schools. The worst thing you can do is put him in a special school, because his social skills will have NO chance to develop if he is kept only with other kids with autism or similar issues.)

My mother teaches many autistic kids, and has done so both in an average school setting and in a gifted education setting. It is difficult, but they do find ways to communicate. The best thing to do is to not cater to his refusals to communicate or behave. Discipline him just as you would anyone else--that is how he will learn to interact with his peers.

I nannied for an autistic 3 year old. He was wonderful. The key was to let him have his harmless habits (like wanting to read certain books and not others), but to make sure he communicated his desires in an effective manner, either by speech or another understandable method. I learned that you can't give in to his frustrated outbursts, like repeatedly slamming doors when I didn't immediately understand what he wanted.

Remember, it is just as frustrating for him as it is for you.


However, he may not be autistic. I knew kids growing up who didn't speak until they were four, and are not autistic. Again, see a specialist.