Hello I'm new can I introduce myself

[TurtleTuck]

My DD aged 2.1 has just been diagnosed with autism, which didn't come as a surprise as we had strongly suspected this was case. I was surprised at how quickly the diagnosis was given, I had expected her to have an assessment period then a multidisciplinary review. Instead we were told at the first appointment with the consultant.

She currently has portage and we are waiting for speech therapy as she is non verbal. She has been referred for an educational statement. What other services do you think I should be asking for?

Hi Turtle Tuck, my DS was diagnosed at 3 and was non-verbal. You have done so well to get her diganosed this early as there is such great hope if you get in early with the interventions. I really think you might want to look at ABA - as to be honest that's the only thing that really worked to get my DS to speak (normal speech therapy just didn't do it for him, but you might find differently). You could even try out basic ABA techniques yourself. First, you need her to learn to imitate as that is crucial for everything. Try saying "do this", then you clap, then clap her hands for her to show her you mean her to copy what you do. Then try it with other obvious and funny movements (tongue poking out, lift up footm wave hand, open mouth). Do it again and again till one lovely day when she will copy you without prompting. It makes my skin tingle to remember the day it happened for us, because once you have that established you have a chance of speech. A few months after he'd mastered copying movements we tried "do this " "OOOO" and he had to copy a sound we made.
The day he did that was fantastic, and I am not sure it would have happened without ABA. Your traditional speech therapists will rubbish all this, and tell you there's no substitue for learning to talk their way (eg learning eye contact, turn taking etc first)but I don't agree. The other thing you might want to try is the BABY BUMBLE BEE dvds and simple nursery rhyme DVDS. MY DS has learned so much from one called My First DVD and CD of nursery rhymes. You can get it on Amazon.

sorry to rant on, but I really regret the year I lost because I wasn't sure DS had autism until 3, and I now realise I could be a lot further on now if I'd started ABA etc at 2. Good luck!

Hi, just wanted to say hello. Am not usually mmneting during the day but am not at work cause I'm ill but am fed up at looking at all the housework that needs doing! I am mum of 2 DS1 has AS, dyspraxia, dyslexia and a few other bits of stuff but is lovely. DS2 is just a pickle!

Have you been offered a place at a special needs nursery for your daughter - they might be able to do the SALt there rather than you go off to appointments.

If she has been referred for a statement that is brilliant - cling on to that one. I'm not sure what else to suggest but there will be someone on who has much more experience than me. There are some very wise owls on here and the advice and support is brilliant.

All the best.

Thanks for that its really helpful I will look out for those dvds on amazon. I really had to make myself into a right PITA to get the referral to see the consultant. I was so certain my dd had autism I couldn't believe that it wasn't obvious to everyone else.

Thanks flying mum, I'm not sure what is going to happen next. We go back to see the consultant in 4 weeks so I will ask about a special needs nursery place. I know everyone is really kind and helpful here as I lurked for a little while waiting for a diagnosis.

I had a similar experience as I got so fed up with the endless and pointless appointments at the Child Development Centre that I pressured and pressured to get seen an NHS autism unit - where we got a diagnosis within an hour.

If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck....

You are lucky to get a DX so early as you will be able to do a great deal to help your DD. ASD does not mean she will not develop and learn just that it will happen at a different pace and in a different way.

I have been really lucky, it has been less than 5 months from first raising my concerns with the HV to actually getting a diagnosis. I just wish I could see into the future and get some idea as to the extent of her development. At the moment my very big worry is that she will never talk. I also worry for my ds 10 months as I know he is at greater risk of developing asd.

No one has a crystal ball about speech in ASD children but my DS was completely non verbal til 3.6 with little evidence of speech emerging. However after that age, he did start using words and some phrases. He is no where near age appropriate (just turned 4) but at least we have a toe on the ladder. We were advised to repeat words over and over again - that even if we had to say the word a thousand times, in the end, he will say it. It worked for us

10 months is quite young but if he puts his arms out to you to be lifted up and usually turns his head to his name, he probably is not ASD. Also my DS2 who is not ASD was using eye contact to control attention from about 6 months (?) I mean he would not start banging his juice cup on the table until he had caught my eye whereas DS1 would have just started the bang the cup without caring if he had my attention. DS1 has fairly good eye contact but has only recently seemed to realise that eye contact controls attention.

Thanks cyberseraphim my ds does both of those things. He is very different to how my dd was as a baby. It is reassuring about your ds's speech as well. All I can do is keep trying and pushing for speech therapy asap.

Hello and welcome turtletuck

Hi TT my Ds was diagnosed at 2.1 with ASD he is now 2.11. He is still non verbal but has progressed in many ways over this last year.

Hi TT my Ds was diagnosed at 2.1 with ASD he is now 2.11. He is still non verbal but has progressed in many ways over this last year.

Hello and welcome to the SN board x