Autistic or just child behavior?

Question

PLease only answer if you have expirience with autistic children. I have twin girls who will be 3 Feb 08. One of the girls has had a few febrile seizures - she has a slight speech issue as well as delayed learning on certain things not everything.
She just started walking on her toes and dragging her head on the floor - this started THIS week. She is a wild child and insists on being the center of attention - she is loving and plays OK with others most of the time. I run a daycare so she does get tired of others - but who wouldn't. Do you think she is slightly autistic because of the speech delay, tippy toes thing and the dragging her head ( what ever that is all about)? I read that autistic children do not show affection - but she does. And she plays with lots of toys which I also read they do not do. She can be very defient and very good all in the same day. Kind of like Dr jekel / Mr Hyde type thing. What do you think?

By saying "getting tired of others" I mean she is a 2.5 yr old twin who is constantly with other children. Fromt ime to time there is another toddler here 10 hours day - 5 days a week that they have to share and play with. Every one needs their space and sometimes she will get edgy and does not want to share etc and can be nasty about it.

Answer 1

Walking on the tippy toes can sometimes be a symptom of Autism but not always.I have a child who is on the spectrum of Autism.He had some developmental delays too,which sometimes can also be a symptom of Autism or on the "Spectrum" of Autism but again,not always.Sometimes developmental delay(s) is caused by premature birth or intrauterine growth restriction,or simply inherited(a slow learner)It was not until recently that it was discovered that Autism has a wide range.A child can be anywhere on the Autism Spectrum,ranging from the most obvious form(no affection,never smiling,never talking,and never makes eye contact)to a very mild form(some developmental delays in speech,crawling,or walking)so mild that you would not know that a child has it.In the mild forms,such as my child has,these children are usually able to overcome all of their delays,with extra help of course(Early Childhood Education AKA-preschool)by the time they are ready for kindergarten.Keep in mind though that the only way of knowing with any degree of certainty is to have a screening done and your pediatrician should be able to give you a referral to the right place to have it done and Doctors suggest that every child have a screening before age two anyway because of the Autism prevalence we have these days and because early diagnose is so important so that they can determine what level of help your child will need if indeed they are somewhere on the spectrum.My suggestion is that if you have a concern that there may be a problem it warrants investigation.Have a screening done just in case.If it turns out your child needs some help they will ensure that your child gets the proper help to ensure the best possible outcome for your child later and if it turns out that your child is fine then you won't have to wonder or worry anymore and you will then be able to feel satisfied that no stone remained unturned and that you have done everything in your power to ensure a healthy and productive future for your child.

Answer 2

I teach preschool in an inclusionary program, I would definitely call your pediatrician. One of the big things about autism is that the child can appear normal one day and then the next day they aren't speaking anymore, They are flapping (hand/arm flapping), spinning, etc. What do you mean when you say she gets tired of others? That could actually be another symptom....she is only able to handle so much interaction and once her threshold of tolerance is reached, she is reacting to that. Head dragging is not automatically a red flag, but it's consistent with autism traits....it gives her sensory feedback that she isn't getting from other activities. Children who are high functioning or aspergers can show affection and have some emotional response and social interaction. Every autistic child is different in their level of functioning. I would definitely get her checked out, if indeed she is on the spectrum...getting services early is very important. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Hi I am a mommy of 1 child with Autism and 1 child with developmental delays. You have identified some autistic signs but many kids have the similar signs. You need to make you pediatrician refer you to a Neurologist ( Demand it !) My 2 and a half year old daughter is very loving as well.She has issues with sensory, transition, and speech delays ( although she said her first word last week). She also walked on her tip toes, and was anti-social. She was diagnosed 6 months ago and has drastically improved with behavior intervention and modified diet ( casein free/gluten-free). There is so much help out there right now. You also need to contact Regional Center to get classes started right away the earlier the intervention the better the results.

Answer 4

I have worked with children with autism for 10 years now, and have been present during over 30 dignosis. It's very hard without actually seeing the child to give an opinion. There are many symptoms of autism, and each child has different ones. Children with autism have speech issues, social interaton issues, and certain odd behaviors. If you are concerned then you should call the local school district and ask for an overall evaluation. Once a child turns three the school is responsible for all educational services, and they can tell you where to go for an autism evaluation if one is warranted. Good luck.

Answer 5

It sounds like she has some problem, but autism probably isn't it. Showing affection and playing with other kids pretty much indicate that it isn't autism. Walking on her toes could indicate a sensory integration disorder (the head dragging thing might have something to do with that but honestly I've never heard of that before). Sensory disorders are common in autistic children which may be why that would be your first thought.

(Of course this is just a thought and you should see a doctor to be sure of anything)

Answer 6

I work with autistic children and I have seen some children that would drag their heads on the floor and toe walk. But this is not necessarily a sign of autism. There are many things that have to present to be diagnosed, such as low social skills, poor eye contact, sensitivity to noise, sensory issues, etc. She could be doing this as a result of the seizures. I have heard that a wheat free diet dramatically helps seizures. You might want to get her evaluated, and see what a doctor says.... if you have any questions e-mail me.

Answer 7

there are a few simple tests you can preform. first of all you said she usually plays well with others. playing with others at all is a good sign as autisitc children usually avoid situations with other children. also, shes only 2 1/2 so i wouldn't even worry about that yet. she is still in a parallel play mode meaning she tends to play along side children but not with. this is normal for her age. and this may sound silly but does she respond to her name? if she doenst then this is a total giveaway that she has autism. most autistic children won't respond to their name at her age. late speech development may be due to a hearing problem which makes sense if she is dragging her head on the floor...her ear may hurt and she doesnt know how to tell you. take her to a pediatrician and have her evaluated. best of luck to you!

Answer 8

I would say that the signs you are seeing are just her looking for attention. A child with Autism usually begins to show signs at 3 years old. The signs usually aren't "acting out" they are withdraw. Children with Autism become fixated on something, whether it be a toy or a word or their finger. The would be able to sit for a long period of time only focused on that. They would not respond when in this fixated state. This is usually when they begin to rock for comfort.
I would say give her a little time and the head dragging will stop. :)
I am an early childhood teacher and am working on a Masters degree in Special Ed. I worked for a year, one on one with a boy with Autism and currently have a child in my class that is Autistic.

Answer 9

Hi,
My mum is a carer for autistic children and she told me what to say about this question,,
A lot of autistic kids do show effection it all depends on what type of autism they have. She also maybe a little deaf in the ear. Maybe you should get her checked out by a doctor.
But then again she is still only little. With my daughter I was speaking to her in 2 languages and she didnt start speaing till she was 3 and a half

Answer 10

The main markers for autism is the emotional connection. Does she have good eye contact with you? Does she smile or laugh when you do something silly? If she does those two things she should be fine.