Is my student autistic?

Question

I teach preschool and one of my students, who will be 2 years old next month, does not speak a word. He wanders around the classroom aimlessly. He does not play with, or even near, the other kids. He has hour-long (sometimes more) temper tantrums for no apparent reason, or for something as simple as telling him it's time to put a book away.

I'm very concerned and I've spoken with his mother about it. She thinks he is absolutely fine and that his "speech is a little delayed because of his pacifier." I happen to disagree.

Opinions?

Answer 1

Sounds like it may well be a neruo-biological disorder like Autsim although there are a lot of similarities in things like ADHD inattentive type as well.

It is important for the best outcome to intervene as early as possible - however no one can evaluate without parent permission.

I would suggest that you recommend some Early childhood screenings by whatever public school they would reside in.  The best way might be to say to mom "I see that you are concerned because lanugage is delayed because of pacifier use.  Having the school look at him in that area will provide information that we can use in preschool and you can use at home - may I give you that contact information."

Answer 2

Does your school have access to a school psychologist?

It's a shame how some parents are in denial of their children's disabilities.

My son (now 9) has high functioning autism.  When he was pre-school age, he roamed around the perimeter of his classroom, not interacting with the other children at all.  Also, when we would go to a playground, he would do the same thing there.

I would speak to your school's director or principal and strongly urge the mom to get an evaluation done on her son.  Time is of the essence.  Early intervention services should be started asap.

Answer 3

Could be. You need to talk to the director of the program.

When I was little I didn't speak until I was 7. They told my mom I was just delayed until I was 3 years and then tested me but it was too late for early intervention.

He really needs to be tested and is at the right age I think.

Answer 4

the evidence you have for autism is a little flimsy at the moment, to say the least, - so I wouldn't go worrying anyone unnecessarily!

You need much more observation and I am going to give you a checklist of things to look for.

Failure to make eye contact

.

Difficulty in sharing attention with anyone.

Difficulty in communicating with others

Avoids interaction with others

Failure to engage in 'pretend' play

Lacks understanding of the emotions and / or intentions of others.

Avoids physical contact

Seems disconnected from the environment.

Children with autism also suffer sensory distortions, which may cause them to display certain behaviours.

Appear not to notice anything visually.

Appears visually distracted as though he is looking at something which you cannot see.

Appears visually obsessed with particular features of the environment.

appears unable to 'switch' visual attention from one feature of the environment to another.

Appears uncomfortable with the visual environment.

Appears not to hear anything.

Appears auditorily distracted as though listening to something which you cannot hear.

Appears auditorially obsessed with particular sounds within the environment.

Appears unable to 'switch' auditory attention from one sound within the environment to another.

Appears uncomfortable with the auditory environment.

Appears not to feel much sensation.

Appears distracted by tactile stimuli of which you are not aware.

Appears obsessed with particular tactile sensations within the environment.

Appears unable to 'switch' tactile attention from one sensation to another.

Appears uncomfortable with the tactile environment.

These are just a few of the behaviours / problems you need to look out for.

For further education on the subject read http://www.lulu.com/content/1225081

or go to

http://www.snowdrop.cc/info2.cfm?info_id...  - Autism

Answer 5

I taught a child in Kindergarten for two years that was very similar to your student..doctors stated he had a combination of autism, manic depression ( at 4 or 5 years old I found this hard to belive) and ADHD...also his mother (not saying the same about your students mother) was addicted to pain medication and alcohol during the last two months of pregnancy..he was with me for two years without being in a special needs class and I am so proud of how far we have gotten him..he can read some simple words and can write and communicate verbally ..and he still doesn't play with other kids but I hope he will be able to one day..as far as the mother you may have to get the help of doctors or other professionals to speak with her and explain what is going on..

Answer 6

What MCC suggested is very good. What type of preschool do you work in? You might want to check to see if you aren't required to report that behavior. There are special preschools that deal with developmental delays...kids who have speech issues, etc. See if you have any and suggest one. You also might be able to get a speech therapist to come to your preschool and work with the child one on one. Also, the child may not hear you. Insist the mother get the hearing checked. And not one of those stand behind the child and snap their fingers tests. If the parents don't have insurance I'm sure the child can receive a free screening from the health dept. I have read of children who were deaf or even slightly and they had autistic like symptoms. It could also be an ear infection, or many other things. Please continue to work on the mom to get the child evaluated. Early intervention is the key when working with these types of kids.

Answer 7

He would be eligbile for early intervention-

suggest that the mother have him evaluated to see if he is eligible for speech services-tell her that many children have delayed speech and benefit from speech therapy-it doesn't necessarily mean ther eis something wrong with teh child-just needs help-even if it is only because of teh pacifier-

then let the Early intervention professionals help her accept that the problem may be more serious..

could also just be sensory integration disorder and may benefit from occupational therapy

Answer 8

He definitely meets the Title 5 Section 3030 of California Ed Code for definition of autism.  What state do you live in?  Check out this printout from our website on the criteria for autism.  You can find it here:  http://www.valleysnafu.com/SAMPLE%20DSM.... It is a Word document, so you can insert this child's characteristics, print it out, put a copy in the child's file and give one to mom.  I also recommend trying to determine what is causing his tantrums.  This is called the antecedent...aka what happens just before his tantrum hits.  It could be a certain sound you might not notice (ie buzzing of fluorescent lighting, denial of a preferred item or activity, being put in a demand situation (asking him to do something), too much noise, etc).

Wandering aimlessly could be a self-stimulatory (most often called "stimming") behavior.  My son used to do this on the playground all the time.  You have to teach the child how to apporach and interact with other children.  It does not come naturally.

As for the parent, I suggest giving her a copy of the printout I described above.  Sometimes parents are in denial but they feel something might be wrong.  But sometimes the denial is so strong, they won't listen at all.  The best thing you can do is be there for the parent...don't complain about the child...state you are concerned rather than irritated.  This mom may have heard complaints about her child so much that she is in defensive mode.  She will need compassion and understanding regardless if she accepts what is going on or not and you are in the perfect situation to give her that.

Answer 9

I assume Shirley N is a child psychiatrist, psychologist, or pediatrician who is intimately familiar with your student in order to make a statement such as this:

"He definitely meets the Title 5 Section 3030 of California Ed Code for definition of autism."

Rather than going to this parent and reporting, "Someone from Yahoo! Answers told me your child is Autistic" I agree with several of the other posters who suggested you continue to share your concerns with the parent--in a non-confrontational way, of course.  If mom does admit he has speech delays, that is a good place to intervene.  I would suggest that she pursue a speech/language evaluation through the local school district, children's hospital, or through a private speech/language pathologist.  If you frame this to her in such a way as to suggest he may qualify for additional speech services to "catch him up" if you will, I surmise she will be more likely to pursue it.

Answer 10

I see there are some good answers that recommend getting an evaluation. I also agree that it is important to rule out other conditions, before applying labels based on limited information. There are many different things that may cause a child to look autistic. Although the prevalence of autism has increased greatly, this is a disability that needs to be diagnosed by a professional, and is not something that can be determined based solely on your question. Sometimes it is hard for parents to see that their children are behaving differently than other children, or they may become defensive when this is brought up, even if they see the same unusual behavior. I would encourage you to keep sharing your concerns with the parent, but try to present your concerns in a way that shows you are on the mom's side and concerned about the well being of her child. When you share concerns, make sure you give specific examples of behaviors you are concerned about, without negative connotations. ( When I asked Johnny to put the book down, he started crying and could not calm down for over an hour).  You might suggest that she pursue an evaluation so that her child can receive some additional help to catch up if he is delayed in areas such as speech or motor skills. In my state, we do not provide special education preschools until children are three years old. However, autism can be diagnosed in two year olds, and children and families can receive support at home. If a child is autistic, early intervention does lead to the best outcome for the child in the long run.