I think my 2 yr old son may b slightly Autistic....Or is this just normal 2 yr old behaviour?

Question

My son is nearly 2 yrs old. His development up to this stage has been completely normal, however, despite my trying he still does not speak 1 word of english.

He will pretend to "chat" with you, showing eye contact etc, he will pretend to use the phone, pretend to eat from a spoon etc.

However, there are certain behaviours that i feel may b a sign of autism.

I know there is different degrees of autism, so im really trying to reach out to those peeps who are know what thier talking about or have had children themselves who r autistic.

I will explain some behaviours:

His "favourite" fun is to line up cars in a row, or line bricks in a row, or for eg, sort food from 1 bowl to the other, or to sort any given object from 1 place to another then vise versa.

If 1 item falls from the table, (while sorting) this will caurse him great distress and he will tantrum. This goes for ANYTHING he is attempting to do at the time, if something in the process falls, or is moved from its place he will scream and tantrum.

Also, if we mimic his sounds, be it good or bad, he will also throw a tantrum.

Is this just normal for his age or in ur experience do u think he has autistic behaviour?

Answer 1

Call Early Intervention for a complete evaluation on your child's development. My son was diagnosed with being into the autism spectrum. It looks like your son just has some of the autistic behavior. But, he needs helps with his speech... Early Intervention can help you to get a clear diagnosis of your child's problem... My son is in the early childhood program @ the public school, & he's with other children who haven't been diagnosed with Autism but with sensory integration disorder (common in Autistic children as well). They act more like your child...

Answer 2

My son was 3 yrs old before he talked. I when to the school district to get him on a speech program.  But he is not autisic

What you descried about his behavior does sound like autistic behavior, but I'm not a Doctor. I would suggest to contact a Regional Center. Each state has one or more. They can help you with testing. Also check if there is a college like UCLA around. They do most of the testing for autism in California.

Also go to www.autismspeaks.com and  www.autism-society.org.

Good Luck

Answer 3

at 2 he should be using 2 word (understandable phrases)

the jargin you describe is more typical to a 14 or 15 month old

the pretend play is a good sign--some children with autism do engage in pretend play--so that does not rule out autism---it may be an indicator of teh level of autism

lining up things is appropriate to a point--the problem is when he doesn't do anything else with them or gets seriously upset when teh line is disrupted and he can't be redirected...

there are conditions that mimic autsim-especially at this age--such as sensory intergration disorder adn language disorders

you need to make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician-

in the meantime--you can contact your state Early Intervention services to have him evaluated for speech and developmental intervention

late talking is sometimes normal and not an indication orf a problem

Answer 4

i would say this is normal exsecially when theres only one child in the family my son wasent talking till he started nursery not a word he wasent pottie trained till then either, but if your concerned see a doctor but i'd give him another 6 months aybe take him more round other children a sign of autism is also when they don't want to play with others :)

Answer 5

These tendencies do sound like symptoms along the autistic spectrum.  You should probably consult with your pediatrician to get a definitive diagnosis.

Answer 6

Its a bit difficult to say as they go through funny phases at 2, but I would definately get him checked out by your Health Visitor or Doctor.

Answer 7

Hi, i know what your going through, and i would be lying if i said this shouldn't concern you but the fact the he gets really upset if you interrupt his routine in any way is definetely a red flag but it seems like he is aware of the people around them and whats going on , i'd suggest to bring him to get  a developmental evaluation at your nearest hospital usually insurance covers the cost  and medicaid does it for sure. So please don't let it go because if he needs some tipe of help this is the best time to give that to him. My son is 2 1/2 and he wasn't saying anything and just 3wks ago he started naming things when he wanted them like juice or cookies, etc.

You can also contact the Early Intervention Services they can provide you with free speech classes and other tipes that can help him, they even come to your house to do it ;but is only until your son turns 3 and it takes about a month to get it, so look into it . I really hope this hlps you.

I know how worried you feel so if you have any other question s you can e mail me , my address is [e-mail]

Good luck

Answer 8

This is very typical "autism" behaviour. My boy behaved exactly the same in so many ways. He lined cars, pens anything he could up. He would build duplo castles and remember every brick, if one was moved, he would know and he would scream. I had to draw pictures of the same thing again and again and again and everything had to be in the same place on the picture. He, like your son didnt talk, just grunted and pointed to the things he wanted.I was refered to the hospital and he went to see 3 "play therapists" every week and he was disgnosed as slightly autistic. He went to speech thereapy and we even learned a type of sign language called Makatan. He finally started to speak at about 4 1/2. I was very keen to put him in a mainstream school and he was assigned a special needs teacher. After 6 months, he stopped needing the extra help, was speaking very well and once the speech came, the anxious behaviour disappeared! He is now almost 11. He is top of his class in nearly all subjects and he is a very eliquent young man, polite and sensitive. We had a very hard few years with our son, but with help and a lot of love, there is definately light at the end of the tunnel. Hope we have been of some support and help. P.s My son disliked anything dirty too!!  

Answer 9

Well, it's not completly typical 2 year old behavior, but the pretending, relating, and interacting are not things a 2 yr old with autism would do.  

The lining up cars, and dislike of being dirty sounds more like perfectionist and/or obsessive type behavior.  

The MCHAT is an excellent screening for autism that you can do with children ages 16-30 months. http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/m...  

The Childbrain pdd assessment is also an excellent screening tool to see if further evaluation for autism is in order.

This link is for the grading guide. It explains exactly how to answer each question on the page.  http://www.childbrain.com/pddassess2.htm...

Here's the link to the questionaire itself. http://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html

I have a 14 yr old who would line things up all the time, and HATED getting even a drop of water on her clothes. She had lots of sensory issues as a kid, and still can be a little rigid, but she doesn't have autism.  I have a 9 yr old daughter who does have autism.  She did line things up and act like your son, but she never played pretend like you're describing, she avoided eye contact except on her terms. She would not try to interact with us even when she needed things.  She would hand lead, but there was no attempt on her part to try to communicate with us.  It was like she was treating us as tools.  

If you're concerned about his lack of speech, by all means contact early intervention and get him evaluated.  I have a son who had severe speech/language delays, but he didn't have autism either. He loved to rock in place, and was a bit socially withdrawn (due to lack of language) but he's now a fairly typical rough and tumble 11 yr old boy.

EDITED TO ADD:

To be diagnosed with autism, there is a criteria to be met.  "Autistic like" behavior does not equal autism, and if a child "grows out of it" then it wasn't autism.  Autism is a lifelong condition,though people can learn to navigate and compensate for some of their issues.  I know there are some diagnosed "autistic spectrum disorder" or

"atypical autism"  which are probably just other terms for pdd-nos.  Here's the diagnostic criteria for autism.



A total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):

(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

(a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to- eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

(b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

(c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)

(d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(2) qualitative impairments in communication, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)

(b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

(c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

(d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

(b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

(c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting or complex whole-body movements)

(d) persistent precoccupation with parts of objects

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by Rett's disorder or childhood disintegrative disorder.

Edited to add:  Curious about the two thumbs down.  Would love feedback via e-mail regarding why?

Answer 10

he might be Autistic, i'm autistic (Asperger's) and spoke caveman language intill i was 4, but now i'm fine with english, i still screan when something falls off the shelf or something and i used to line my teddies up in lines and cars too omg! i was the same as your son its amazing, but do get it checked ot just incase, but autism is nothing bad at all, just don't worry.

hope this helps

Answer 11

yes, this does sound like autism.  these are legitimate concerns you have and the lining up toys and tantrumming are some very common early warning signs.  please take him to a pediatrician (a good one) to get him screened.  early intervention is the key to higher levels of progress.  good luck!

Answer 12

I think you really need to get your son to see a good clinical psychologist who specialises in autistic spectrum disorders. If he is in any way on the spectrum it could be that he is too young for a diagnosis but it will be worth monitoring him and noting down these unusual behaviours. It could just be a develpomental stage that he is going through but if it is anything else early intervention is always very helpful. A lot of the behaviours you describe could be applied to any 2 year old child but the lining up and sorting of things could point to an ASD. My daughter is on the spectrum and although she is very high functioning one of the first things she did was constantly line up any toys. She still does it now and no one is allowed to touch them or move them. Get your son assessed and monitor his behaviours. Good luck.

Answer 13

no one will diagnose a child of 2 as being on the spectrum but some of the symptoms do sound as if he may be. you need to keep a check on any changes in how he reacts to things, organisation, routines, times etc. keep a check on his social interaction, speech  etc, there are as you say very different aspects to the spectrum, my sister is aspergers and wasnt diagnosed until she was 26!!!!

Answer 14

This sound like your child does have autism. I would take him to a doctor right away, asap. If you don't fix it right away, you might not be able to later.

Good Luck!

Answer 15

I am very concerned with some of the answers I have read.  Many of the things you are describing sound like your son might be on the spectrum.  You are right it is a spectrum, and all kids are different.  He is pretending to use the phone and pretending to eat, but my guess is those are things he has done before.  He has eaten, and probably said hello to grandma or grandpa on the phone.  

I cannot tell you if your son has autism, but not talking by the age of two is a huge red flag no matter what.  Doctors DO diagnose children with autism at age 2, in fact they are usually diagnosed by 3 1/2.  Aspergers diagnosis is usually later, 10, due to the fact they do not have a speech delay.

The most important thing with autism is EARLY INTERVENTION.  I encourage you to see your doctor, contact other professionals, and contact your state for early childhood services.  If it is autism you need to start treatment NOW!  Please do not wait.  You are his mom and you need to fight for what is best for him, whether he has autism or not.  Best of luck to you and your son.

Answer 16

I would say this in normal for age.  I have given you two websites which have tests you can do.  The CHAT test is very good.

Answer 17

put our mind at rest go to the doctor maybe its just a stage its advicable to get this checked fast as early spotting is the key to getting good results