Intellectual disability? I wonder if my toddler has this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OP, I want to encourage you about the MRI-my dd was delayed similarly (but not as much I don't think) as your ds. She had an EEG and an MRI.

I was so worried about the sedation, but the procedure was at a leading children's hospital (I'm not local) and went really fast and smoothly. In our case, the MRI ruled out brain issues which was a relief. DD was eventually dx with mild ASD, not saying that is what your ds has but just saying that was what turned out to be her case. She has typical IQ (she's had a neuropysch eval).

In the meanwhile while you go through all this (it takes a long time it seems) I think the therapies are the best thing. Regardless of whether he ends up dx with ID or not, the therapies will help him develop.

so the MRI was pointless. does not really support getting the MRI.

again, unless doctors can point to a suspicion of something brain-based that will a) show up on the MRI and b) change the treatment, you don't do an MRI.

You are not this child's doctor and shouldn't be saying don't get one.

The AAP does not recommend an MRI for global delay unless there are other issues on a neurological exam. Asking why your doctors recommend an invasive procedure, what change it will make in treatment, and whether watchful waiting would be acceptable, is totally OK and the basics of being an informed patient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of kids cant do those things at that age. Your day care teachers are not being realistic. A child under two should not be pinging with a brush. I would do the MRI at this point, personally.

Please don’t mitigate her concern. You may think you’re being reassuring but you’re gaslighting her into believing her very valid concerns and her knowledge about her own child are wrong. They are not. Kids can play and point and speak and move at this age. She is right to be concerned and right to be proactive. EI is critical at this age and people saying “lots of kids don’t talk or play or walk until 4 and then they’re in AP in high school” do parents and kids a disservice by convincing them to wait and see and waste that precious time.

No one is mitigating the concern but the preschool teachers are not being developmentally appropriate to think that age can paint.

And if you have read the OP you will note she has other standalone concerns and is only using the preschool teachers’ observations to substantiate her own worries. Holding a brush and being able to swipe it across paper is something kids this age can do. I would hand my kids paintbrushes with paint on it and let them do this at 11-12 months. No it’s not sophisticated painting but it’s a gross motor skill and he can’t do it in addition to other gross motor skills that children his age should be able to do.

Great yours could, mine could not.

Nor can OP’s and it worries her AND the teachers ANDS the doctors seeing him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OP, I want to encourage you about the MRI-my dd was delayed similarly (but not as much I don't think) as your ds. She had an EEG and an MRI.

I was so worried about the sedation, but the procedure was at a leading children's hospital (I'm not local) and went really fast and smoothly. In our case, the MRI ruled out brain issues which was a relief. DD was eventually dx with mild ASD, not saying that is what your ds has but just saying that was what turned out to be her case. She has typical IQ (she's had a neuropysch eval).

In the meanwhile while you go through all this (it takes a long time it seems) I think the therapies are the best thing. Regardless of whether he ends up dx with ID or not, the therapies will help him develop.

so the MRI was pointless. does not really support getting the MRI.

again, unless doctors can point to a suspicion of something brain-based that will a) show up on the MRI and b) change the treatment, you don't do an MRI.

You are not this child's doctor and shouldn't be saying don't get one.

The AAP does not recommend an MRI for global delay unless there are other issues on a neurological exam. Asking why your doctors recommend an invasive procedure, what change it will make in treatment, and whether watchful waiting would be acceptable, is totally OK and the basics of being an informed patient.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/3/e903

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

+1, we are not talking a 3-4 year old but a child under age one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OP, I want to encourage you about the MRI-my dd was delayed similarly (but not as much I don't think) as your ds. She had an EEG and an MRI.

I was so worried about the sedation, but the procedure was at a leading children's hospital (I'm not local) and went really fast and smoothly. In our case, the MRI ruled out brain issues which was a relief. DD was eventually dx with mild ASD, not saying that is what your ds has but just saying that was what turned out to be her case. She has typical IQ (she's had a neuropysch eval).

In the meanwhile while you go through all this (it takes a long time it seems) I think the therapies are the best thing. Regardless of whether he ends up dx with ID or not, the therapies will help him develop.

so the MRI was pointless. does not really support getting the MRI.

again, unless doctors can point to a suspicion of something brain-based that will a) show up on the MRI and b) change the treatment, you don't do an MRI.

You are not this child's doctor and shouldn't be saying don't get one.

The AAP does not recommend an MRI for global delay unless there are other issues on a neurological exam. Asking why your doctors recommend an invasive procedure, what change it will make in treatment, and whether watchful waiting would be acceptable, is totally OK and the basics of being an informed patient.

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/3/e903

APP gives general recommendations. It is up to the specific doctor and there may be a reason for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of kids cant do those things at that age. Your day care teachers are not being realistic. A child under two should not be pinging with a brush. I would do the MRI at this point, personally.

Please don’t mitigate her concern. You may think you’re being reassuring but you’re gaslighting her into believing her very valid concerns and her knowledge about her own child are wrong. They are not. Kids can play and point and speak and move at this age. She is right to be concerned and right to be proactive. EI is critical at this age and people saying “lots of kids don’t talk or play or walk until 4 and then they’re in AP in high school” do parents and kids a disservice by convincing them to wait and see and waste that precious time.

No one is mitigating the concern but the preschool teachers are not being developmentally appropriate to think that age can paint.

And if you have read the OP you will note she has other standalone concerns and is only using the preschool teachers’ observations to substantiate her own worries. Holding a brush and being able to swipe it across paper is something kids this age can do. I would hand my kids paintbrushes with paint on it and let them do this at 11-12 months. No it’s not sophisticated painting but it’s a gross motor skill and he can’t do it in addition to other gross motor skills that children his age should be able to do.

Great yours could, mine could not.

Nor can OP’s and it worries her AND the teachers ANDS the doctors seeing him.

A young child not painting with a paint brush is not to be concerned. Not walking and babbling/starting to talk, yes, but painting is a bit absurd to worry about given the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OP, I want to encourage you about the MRI-my dd was delayed similarly (but not as much I don't think) as your ds. She had an EEG and an MRI.

I was so worried about the sedation, but the procedure was at a leading children's hospital (I'm not local) and went really fast and smoothly. In our case, the MRI ruled out brain issues which was a relief. DD was eventually dx with mild ASD, not saying that is what your ds has but just saying that was what turned out to be her case. She has typical IQ (she's had a neuropysch eval).

In the meanwhile while you go through all this (it takes a long time it seems) I think the therapies are the best thing. Regardless of whether he ends up dx with ID or not, the therapies will help him develop.

so the MRI was pointless. does not really support getting the MRI.

again, unless doctors can point to a suspicion of something brain-based that will a) show up on the MRI and b) change the treatment, you don't do an MRI.

PP here. The pediatric neurologist, in a highly-regarded childrens hospital, recommended the MRI after dd's EEG, based on results and exam. I'll go with the doctor's expertise on this, not Dr Random-on-internet, thanks

[Anonymous]

OP I am not a parent of a kid with autism (mine has a physical disability) but I am familiar with autism due to my education and work. The motor delays, not imitating others' behavior, and repetitive behavior (spinning toys rather than playing with them in a typical way) do make me think of autism. I honestly have no idea whether the autism screening tests are validated for kids with global delays, but I would Google the M-CHAT and see how your child scores. It is validated for ages 16-30 months (but again, may not be appropriate for kids with global delays). If you get a concerning score talk to your doctor and/or therapists about it.

Does your child look at things when you point to them or act really interested in them, or look to you for reassurance if something unusual is occurring (e.g. a loud noise)? Does he bring or show you a toy or object just for the sake of sharing the experience with you? You might find this video from Kennedy Krieger helpful as it focuses on early signs of autism in 1 year olds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtvP5A5OHpU

I personally don't think it would hurt to get a second opinion about an MRI. The fact is that anesthesia has long-term effects on a developing brain. Of course the benefit outweighs the cost if the MRI is deemed medically necessary. I myself am holding off on an MRI for my child until he's old enough to stay still, even though a doctor would probably sign off on one for him. It may or may not identify a cause for his disability, and in the meantime does not change how we treat it. The MRI will show anything that might be going on at the gross anatomical level but will not tell you anything about possible abnormalities in brain cell function or communication. Abnormalities at the molecular level can have a big impact on development, but our methods for assessing these types of abnormalities in people is very limited due to the invasiveness of the techniques.

I hope you get some answers sooner or later, OP. It's so hard when they're young and you don't know what the future looks like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of kids cant do those things at that age. Your day care teachers are not being realistic. A child under two should not be pinging with a brush. I would do the MRI at this point, personally.

Please don’t mitigate her concern. You may think you’re being reassuring but you’re gaslighting her into believing her very valid concerns and her knowledge about her own child are wrong. They are not. Kids can play and point and speak and move at this age. She is right to be concerned and right to be proactive. EI is critical at this age and people saying “lots of kids don’t talk or play or walk until 4 and then they’re in AP in high school” do parents and kids a disservice by convincing them to wait and see and waste that precious time.

No one is mitigating the concern but the preschool teachers are not being developmentally appropriate to think that age can paint.

And if you have read the OP you will note she has other standalone concerns and is only using the preschool teachers’ observations to substantiate her own worries. Holding a brush and being able to swipe it across paper is something kids this age can do. I would hand my kids paintbrushes with paint on it and let them do this at 11-12 months. No it’s not sophisticated painting but it’s a gross motor skill and he can’t do it in addition to other gross motor skills that children his age should be able to do.

Great yours could, mine could not.

Nor can OP’s and it worries her AND the teachers ANDS the doctors seeing him.

A young child not painting with a paint brush is not to be concerned. Not walking and babbling/starting to talk, yes, but painting is a bit absurd to worry about given the situation.

What is your deal? He’s 18 months and not doing any of the things you listed. Nobody on this thread has said he’s getting evaluated for not being able to paint. It is one more piece of the puzzle that OP mentioned as an example of the many ways he lacks gross motor function and doesn’t use other people’s actions as a model for his own , which is how young children learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

OP here. Yes, that’s exactly what the developmental pediatrician said as well. It is going to be hard to evaluate him because of his skills as a 9 month old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: OP, I want to encourage you about the MRI-my dd was delayed similarly (but not as much I don't think) as your ds. She had an EEG and an MRI.

I was so worried about the sedation, but the procedure was at a leading children's hospital (I'm not local) and went really fast and smoothly. In our case, the MRI ruled out brain issues which was a relief. DD was eventually dx with mild ASD, not saying that is what your ds has but just saying that was what turned out to be her case. She has typical IQ (she's had a neuropysch eval).

In the meanwhile while you go through all this (it takes a long time it seems) I think the therapies are the best thing. Regardless of whether he ends up dx with ID or not, the therapies will help him develop.

so the MRI was pointless. does not really support getting the MRI.

again, unless doctors can point to a suspicion of something brain-based that will a) show up on the MRI and b) change the treatment, you don't do an MRI.

You are not this child's doctor and shouldn't be saying don't get one.

The AAP does not recommend an MRI for global delay unless there are other issues on a neurological exam. Asking why your doctors recommend an invasive procedure, what change it will make in treatment, and whether watchful waiting would be acceptable, is totally OK and the basics of being an informed patient.

OP here. Thanks, this will be our approach when we meet the neurologist this Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

I disagree. The toddler module for the ADOS can be administered as early as 12 months, and does not look at physical or language skills, but rather at joint attention primarily. Diagnosis of autism as early as 14 months is very stable: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190429111803.htm. If OP gets on the list for KKI or Childrens, her child will probably assessed right around 2 years old, which is good timing. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190429111803.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

OP here. Yes, that’s exactly what the developmental pediatrician said as well. It is going to be hard to evaluate him because of his skills as a 9 month old.

that makes no sense to me. The ADOS is not a test of physical skill. It's a test of how the child relates to the examiner. I would get on the list at KKI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your responses.

I should clarify or give examples of what I meant by he doesn’t know how to play. From what I understand, cognitive development can’t be measured directly so they use play and social interactions to gauge how cognitive development is progressing or not. At 17.5 months, DS does not put things into a container. Forget about shape sorters. He plays by spinning things (a small plate, a lid, a ball) and loves picking and dropping those things. He likes the baby musical toys that lots up. That’s the extent of his play. Tried reading to him and after two pages, he would close the book and treats it as a toy.

He is in an all day preschool (daycare center) in the toddler’s class. His teachers reported that he is unable to do things the rest of the class does. Painting with a brush for instance , or other sensory play like running a toy car over whipped cream. His PT and teacher from early intervention visit him at school as their approach is a coaching model. I can see why the developmental pediatrician puts him at 9 months as far as physical and cognitive development is concerned.

I just feel like there is something more to this global delay. I understand “intellectual disability” is a nicer term than “mental retardation” and it is very general umbrella term for a number of things. He is too young to get evaluated for a lot of things but if I read the early symptoms of intellectual disability, he seems to check all the boxes.

Some of the questions that were asked of us include if it was a normal pregnancy and yes it was. No alcohol consumption or drugs. I was asked if he has seizures, and no he doesn’t. He doesn’t wake up screaming either (apparently this happens if there is swelling in his head).

He is otherwise a more or less happy baby. Very sweet and loving, to us parents, at least.

Schedule an ADOS evaluation ASAP. There are plenty of autism flags, and the pediatrician’s dismissal based on eye contact and affection is truly ignorant. Plenty of autistic children are very affectionate and attached to parents and have good eye contact. Obvi I’m not diagnosing your child online, but that’s my recommendation for next step. ASD early intervention is critical, usually covered by insurance better that other therapies. If he has autism, a DX will help you tremendously in providing the appropriate therapy Birth-3 therapies aren’t nearly enough. Good luck.

I agree with this. My child with an HFA dx (and the very delayed motor skills that often goes along with that) was extremely loving with us and also declined to do all the activities the other kids did in daycare. I retrospect, a combination of very poor fine motor skills with just not being motivated to do what all the other kids are doing.

Disagree with the ADOS suggestion. PPs, they are estimating his overall cognitive and developmental level at 9 months. An ADOS would be a waste because if he has trouble completing the activities there is no way to tell if it is because of autism, or because he has the skills of a 9 month old. A diagnosis of autism is only made in a child with delays if the social delays seem beyond the other delays. There are still a lot of social things a typical 9 month old is not doing yet. The ADOS just doesn't have that kind of specificity.

No one is ruling out a diagnosis of autism forever, but an ADOS is unhelpful at this point.

+1, we are not talking a 3-4 year old but a child under age one

You misread. He is not 9 months. He is 18 months and developmentally at 9 months.