Red Flags - early detection for atypical development

[AutMom]

"The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an immediate evaluation."
http://www.firstsigns.org/concerns/flags.htm

[caregiver]

I am a childcare provider in my home, with 13 years experience and 4 kids of my own. I am worried about an almost 4 year old I just started watching. He doesn't make eye contact and bounces and hand flaps often. He repeats what I say, such as "Do you want a cookie?" He will repeat it back several times instead of saying yes. He calls me mom, and I correct him every time, but it's as if he doesn't distinguish me as a different adult taking care of him. He talks without moving his mouth- he would be a great ventriloquist! He doesn't socialize well with the other kids very well and carries a blanket everywhere.
How do I approach his mom with my concerns?

[AutMom]

Is this her only child?
You might want to just tell her what you've observed, such as him calling you mom and things like that. See how she reacts to that.
Did she tell you of any concerns before you started caring for him??
At this age I would think she would've started noticing some of these things....but could be in denial.

[caregiver]

No, she did not indicate any problems, it is her oldest child and she has acknowledged that he "stresses easily". I called our area education agency and they are supposed to send me a developmental checklist and since I am a state-certified provider I will just offer her one to fill out and send in if she wants. I don't have any specific training so I feel funny telling her I think something is wrong, but I know that early intervention helps and I am their first "outside" contact, she has been home with him full-time until recently.

[sharon]

The red flags site could be an excellent resource for you and mom.

As an Early Intervention Educator, I was often confronted with something similar. In EI, teachers are "generalists" who are called in when a child between Birth and Three Years Old exhibits signs of delay. These delays can be the result of a wide range of issues from chromosomal abnormalities to the elusive Global Delays of "unspecified origin". As you may know, a diagnosis of Autism before 2 1/2 or 3 years of age is rare. Perhaps for good reason. The down side being that valuable time can be lost. Few of the parents I worked with were initially ready or were willing to admit the possibilty that their child may be exhibiting signs of ASD.

As indicated above, denial could also be an issue.

It's a sticky widget. As a parent, you know that our children all have their idiosyncracies and that children develop in their own unique ways. There are, however, warning signs (and gut feelings) that tell us our child may not be developing according to the norm.

I would offer the parent on-going (objective) observations. I would share these and your concerns with her respectfully, kindly and gently. For example, you might ask her what she does when her son does not "answer" her question but repeats it. Ask her what works for her at home. ( I'm sure she has noticed if her son is echolalic).

Through the discussions that will inevitably ensue from your on-going observations, dialogue and problem solving could certainly follow.You can express your concerns without causing offense; you can certainly offer the checklists provided by your county. (Be careful of the Sensory Profile! The questions and scoring can be confusing for parents and educators alike.) You could offer to review the information with her adding your insights on his behaviors while in your care.

As teachers and caregivers, we are not diagnosticians but we are often placed unwittingly on the front line.

If you approach this mom with care and concern, she will respect your efforts regardless of the outcome. Good Luck.

[JOYCE]

HI,
My daughter is 18 months old and has some speech language delays and is getting therapy for that. also she lays on the floor face down and tightens her legs so hard, i have to go over to her and tell her to stop. when she stops she seems calm. its not a temper tantrum, cause she just does it out of the blue. it seems like a slight seizure, if there is such a thing.. her speech therapist thinks it might be called stemming. have you ever heard of that, and she also walks on her tiptoes. her tongue seems to hang out a bit. we did have her tested for down syndrome and it was negative. we are going to a nuerologist to get evaluated. she does take temper tantrums and is a picky eater and still gets up 2 to 3 times a night. I just was wondering if anyone heard of these symptoms for austim, if so and know where i can get some info, please let me know
A concerned Mom

[JOYCE]

[QUOTE=JOYCE]HI,
My daughter is 18 months old and has some speech language delays and is getting therapy for that. also she lays on the floor face down and tightens her legs so hard, i have to go over to her and tell her to stop. when she stops she seems calm. its not a temper tantrum, cause she just does it out of the blue. it seems like a slight seizure, if there is such a thing.. her speech therapist thinks it might be called stemming. have you ever heard of that, and she also walks on her tiptoes. her tongue seems to hang out a bit. we did have her tested for down syndrome and it was negative. we are going to a nuerologist to get evaluated. she does take temper tantrums and is a picky eater and still gets up 2 to 3 times a night. I just was wondering if anyone heard of these symptoms for austim, if so and know where i can get some info, please let me know
A concerned Mom[/QUOTE]

[AutMom]

Yes, stimming is common in autism. Toe walking is also one I've heard of, though my son didn't do that. The thing is there is so much info online that it can be overwhelming. Seizures are also a possibility. Have you checked the Red Flags site? I hope the neuro can help.

Welcome to this forum JOYCE!