Reply to Worried about ASD in my baby. Sorry to be "that mom."

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, research shows that 6 months is a great age for intervention, with fantastic results. The problem is many specialists out there aren't trained to work with infants.
"Treatment at the earliest age when signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appear – sometimes in infants as young as 6 months old – significantly reduces symptoms so that, by age 3, most who received the therapy had neither ASD nor developmental delay, a UC Davis MIND Institute research study has found."
https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/9182

I was trained in a setting similar to this study. It's about incorporating naturalistic therapy techniques that subtly change your parenting approach to encourage communication from your child.

I don't see anything particularly worrisome in your description of your son. On the other hand, this is not the first rodeo, so trust your instincts, but think logically. Are there any risk factors? ASD in the family, or autistic traits? Delays in meting milestones? [/quote]

Hi PP, this is OP. Can you please tell me more about these techniques you are trained in and give examples? If nothing else, it will help me assuage my anxiety by feeling like I'm doing something proactive, even if my concerns are unfounded. As for risk factors, my brother's son has ADHD and Asperger's tendencies. Thank you for your kind and insightful response.[/quote]

sorry for the delay, it's been a crazy couple of days.

There are two methods I'm aware of that have been studied in infants (6-12 months) and young toddlers (12-18 months)
ESDM http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/research/esdm/
http://www.amazon.com/Early-Start-Your-Child-Autism/dp/160918470X

and

IMPACT http://psychology.msu.edu/autismlab/projectimpact.html
http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Social-Communication-Children-Autism/dp/1606234420

The techniques are similar, IMO. The ESDM manual is detailed, very thorough; the IMPACT one is much thinner, but I see they also have a video now, which might help. I know both research teams were working on manuals specifically for infants and young toddler, but I don't know if they're out yet.

I was trained and coached as a parent, not as a professional. It was a fantastic experience and so glad I did it, for me and for DS. You asked for an example. If you're concerned about eye contact, be mindful of that in all interactions with your baby. When he wants a toy, you hold it right in front of your face so that he gets used to looking toward you when he wants something. You gradually fade the prompt over several weeks until he looks at you without you holding the toy up. You read to him face to face, not with him on your lap facing away from you. My son had no joint attention while reading, so I'd bring the book up next to my face, playing peek a boo behind the book, anything to make my facial expressions just as interesting to him as the book. Similarly with communication, you treat first any communication as meaningful, and very gradually help him understand that he needs to make certain sounds and gestures to get what he wants. All this is done very gently, without upsetting the baby. It become second nature to me and I don't even think about it anymore, it's just how I interact with my kid.

If you're really concerned, contact either/ both programs and see if they have any advice for you or helpful materials. Good luck and pls post an update/ :)[/quote]

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