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Hi there I'm posting because I'm very confused and don't want to go to my child's dr and sound off or like I have no clue.
So the background story is:
My son will be 2 in 6 weeks he is adopted and we have had him since birth. He was born at 35 weeks to a diabetic type 1 mom who used meth her entire pregnancy and only saw a dr 2x throughout her entire pregnancy (both times testing positive meth)
My son has had early intervention since he was 6 months old due to fine and gross motor delays and tone issues.
He didn't roll over until he was almost 10 months old
He didn't sit up until a year and he finally started army crawling at 14 months and walking at 20 months.
He had spasticity in his legs so his pt sent him to neurology and he has since been diagnosed mild CP for which he uses leg braces and gets Botox injections every 3 to 4 months.
I have been asking early intervention about his speech since before he was a year and often got well he's a boy so he's slower.
He didn't babble or start using any words before a year and currently only says about 5 to seven words and only says them if we say them. He says mama and dada if we say them first but has never used mama toward me or come to me with arms up saying mama like he's acknowledging that I'm mama and he needs me.
He has never uttered one word or even sound to his EI teacher who has seen him weekly since he was 6 months of age.
I finally got them to get a speech therapist to come out because his delays are causing great frustration for him.
He hits/bangs his head real hard on anything when he gets frustrated he has put dents in walls and shattered cover plates to electrical outlets and I'm terrified he will hurt himself because there are times he does it so quickly that even if I'm in the same room I can't get to him quick enough. He also bites like there's no tomorrow anything toys, he attacked and bit the heck out of a door frame he will do it to our other kids he bites himself on the hands and arms etc.
I knew nothing about autism until about 4 weeks ago when a foster parent with an autistic child finally found a polite way to point out that maybe I should have him evaluated because he shows many of the signs.
Until then I had heard the word autism but never knew what it was.
Well of course I decided to look it up and have seen that there are many red flags that our son has but I'm not real sure if it could be autism or due to his drug exposure or even mild CP.
other things about our son are:
He has never pointed things out to us he doesn't really play with his toys instead he mouths them plays with the switches and wheels. He will avoid eye contact all together with strangers and most of the time with us. For awhile I thought that is why he wasn't learning speech/words because he wouldn't look at my mouth when I spoke. We use the things he wants and put them up near our face and eyes to get him to look at us. He will glance at our face and eyes on his own but for such short periods of time.
He seems to wander around in his own little world. He screams a lot (his way of saying he needs something, is in happy etc)
He either has selective hearing or just wants to be stubborn and ignore and will sometimes look at you the first time you call his name and other times it may take 9 to 10 times to even get him to turn his head for only a second just to glance.
He is very much into routine especially when it comes to nap time and bed time. I have to lay with him for him to go to sleep or he will melt down almost like he's in pain (severe melt down) he will not calm down if you walk away and try to let him put his own self to sleep.
We have lived in the same house ever since he was born but he seems afraid to be in any area of the home if he cannot see me or his dad and screams out of terror if he notices that we are no longer in the same part of the house he is.
I guess I'm posting this here because I'd like some more input. I'm afraid to go to his dr with all our concerns out of fear of sounding like an over the top mom but at the same time I fear not helping my son if he really needs it?
I love him so much and want to help him but need to know what's going on so I can find the right area to focus on in order to help him.
Hoping that some of you with experience in this field can tell me where to start or should I say go from here because I've been advocating for him since be was a baby.
Maybe he is having all these issues because of the drug exposure? Is that possible? Or even the CP?
What are your experiences?
Thanks so much for your time :)
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I'm sorry this is happening with your son. I just received a placement of 2 and 3 year old (almost 3 and 4) sisters When I took the call nobody mentioned a possible Autistic diagnoses for both girls. I am suppose to be basic only. I know their Dr. told the parents that this was possible and to get them evaluated, they did not. I know they were also requested to put them in ECI but the parents did not follow through. So here I am now trying to get all this done so that these girls can get the help they need whatever it may be. I don't know a lot about Autism but I do know that the earlier they get help the better the results so please do what you need to do to get your son some help. I am working on sign language with the girls they have only been with me for about 10 days but they are learning some signs.
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I think you will be able to get speech therapy started when he turns two with his well child check. The doctor can send a referral. He does sound like it would benefit him, and the more services he has in place now will help him reach his full potential.
Some of the head banging is normal for that age, but can also be a sign. My son does that, and his doctor said it's normal for that age.
It's hard to tell at that age if it's autism or from the drugs during pregnancy. He sounds like he will have a lot of medical issues for a while. Good Luck! It sounds like you are doing everything that you can to make his future better.
I agree with Elizabeth. Your son's behaviors might indicate that he is on the autism spectrum, but might also be attributable to his extensive prenatal exposure to methamphetamines. The short and long term effects of methamphetamines on children are still not fully understood, though they are believed to be somewhat similar to the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol. They affect physical development, intellectual development, including the ability to understand and use language and the ability to understand quantitative reasoning, and emotionality. They may cause aggressive behaviors and extreme impulsiveness. They may also cause a tendency to anxiety and depression. You would do well to consult with experts in both autism spectrum disorders and the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol on children, to see what they say about the best ways to help your son achieve his greatest potential. It is increasingly recognized that the earlier a child begins to receive therapies, the better he will do in the long term, whether he is on the autism spectrum or has problems resulting from meth exposure in utero.Both you and your son will have many struggles in the coming years. You are likely to need a great deal of emotional support from family and friends, so be sure to reach out and educate the significant people in your life about your son's needs and your own. Also, do a great deal of research on your own, with regard to the best professional people in the field to help your son, sources of financial assistance, and so on. You will be the best advocate for your son, in the coming years, but to advocate well for him, you will need to maintain your own physical and mental health and become something of a subject matter expert.I wish you strength, as you care for your son. Always remember that he did not cause his condition; despite all the biting and such, he is actually an innocent victim, and deserves your unconditional love and support. And hating his birthmother will not be productive. She was fighting her own demons, when she used meth during pregnancy, and deserves your compassion.
Last update on December 4, 8:29 am by Sharon Kaufman.