By Lori Warner, Ph.D., BCBA
Q: My friend told me her son has autism, but he can talk and he plays with my son. I thought kids with autism didn't connect with people.
A. Autism is called a "spectrum disorder", meaning that some children are severely affected and may also have cognitive impairments, but others are much less affected and can attend regular education classrooms and form friendships. Some high-functioning people with autism or Asperger Syndrome attend college, work, and have families of their own.
Q: How can I tell if my child has an autism spectrum disorder?
A. Experts look for three core areas of impairment: delayed communication, difficulty relating to other people (also called reciprocal social interactions), and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior. Children with autism have trouble communicating, playing appropriately, and engaging with other people. They may display unusual mannerisms such as repetitive jumping, hand-flapping, or looking at objects from different angles. Children with autism may not speak at all, or may speak rarely. Others may repeat or echo what you say (echolalia). For an excellent "video glossary" illustrating symptoms of autism; see www.autismspeaks.org.
Q: My pediatrician is now screening for autism before age 2. Why, and what is she looking for?
A. Autism affects one in every 150 children, with a boy:girl ratio of 4:1. Treating autism early leads to better outcomes. So pediatricians are now looking earlier at family risk factors and "red flags" such as: delayed speech, little eye contact, inconsistent response to name, lack of playful interaction/social "back-and-forth", and lack of appropriate play. Joint attention is also assessed, such as: pointing to draw your attention to something, and following your point. See The American Academy of Pediatrics website at www.aap.org/healthtopics/autism.cfm.
Q: My son is 2 1/2 and not talking yet. My family says that boys usually talk later than girls, but I'm starting to worry. What should I do?
A. By 2 1/2, most children use lots of gestures and simple sentences like "Daddy go" or "more juice." Children with language delays usually use eye contact and gestures to get their point across. If hearing problems are ruled out and any of the "red flags" listed earlier are evident, immediately talk to your pediatrician about referrals. Early, intensive behavioral intervention has the most scientific support in teaching young children with autism and other developmental delays. For more information see www.asatonline.org or www.abainternational.org.
The HOPE Center houses Beaumont's autism treatment programs and is part of the Center for Human Development. At the HOPE Center families receive intensive behavioral therapy for preschoolers with autism in two center-based programs. We also offer behavioral consultation services for children of all ages with a variety of referral questions from autism and other developmental disabilities to behavior management, OCD, toileting, and feeding problems.
Dr. Lori Warner is a Licensed Psychologist and Director of the HOPE Center, Center for Human Development at William Beaumont Hospital in Berkley. She can be reached at (248) 691-4774.
Visit their Web site @ www.beaumonthospitals.com/hope.
SAVE THE DATE: Dr. Warner will provide a presentation on 'Assessing & Addressing Autism' (early years: birth to age 6) and answer your questions on Wednesday March 25, 2009 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Beaumont Hospital, Connelly Auditorium (468 Cadieux, Grosse Pointe). The free program is part of The Family Center 2009 Partners in Parenting Enrichment Series. To register call The Family Center at 313.432.3832.
The Family Center - 20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
The Family Center is a 501c3 non-profit community organization that depends on donations.
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
Assessing and Addressing Autism
