Starting Points: Autism Checklist (CHAT) - I

Let’s say you think your toddler has something not-quite-right about their behavior. He or she doesn’t interact well with others, lacks age-appropriate communication skills, and/or just seems to be in another world a lot of the time. Here are some questions to ask yourself, about your child. We found this to be a heelpful checklist, and there are other, similar lists available:

1. Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee, etc.? Yes / No

2. Does your child take an interest in other children? Yes / No

3. Does your child like climbing on things, such as up stairs? Yes / No

4. Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo or hide-n-seek? Yes / No

5. Does your child ever pretend, for example, to make a cup of tea using a toy cup and
teapot, or pretend other things? Yes / No

6. Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something? Yes / No

7. Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something? Yes / No

8. Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g., cars or bricks) without just mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them? Yes / No

9. Does your child ever bring objects over to you (parent) to show you something? Yes / No

Of course, your answers to these questions will probably not reveal the totality of your child’s condition. But according to the author, three or more “No” responses would indicate a need for further assessment by an autism specialist.

Adapted from Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Simon Baron-Cohen, Department of experimental Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, U.K.

Starting Points: Early Identification, II

One more quote to encourage you, to prompt you, to move you to be your kid's quarterback. To advocate for your child. To seek out confirmation of your suspicions that he or she has autism.

...our understanding of these children is growing, and
intensive integrated treatment approaches are helping many
children make extraordinary developmental progress, the
most remarkable of which is their ability to relate to others
with warmth, pleasure, empathy, and growing emotional
flexibility.

The longer such children remain uncommunicative, and the
more parents lose their sense of the child’s earlier
relatedness, the more deeply the children withdraw, and the
more perseverative and idiosyncratic they become.

M.D. Greenspan, Reconsidering the Diagnosis and Treatment of Very Young
Children with Autism Spectrum or Pervasive Development Disorder.

Get going. Your child will only benefit from a lot knowledge as you fast as you can gather it.

Starting Points: Early Identification, I

Why is early identification of autism important? Two quotes illustrate the significance of knowing as soon as possible that your child has autism. First, Dr. Isabelle Rapin, The Advocate:

Message number one is that you cannot predict outcome
in the pre-school years. Message number two is that
appropriate intervention in the pre-school years makes a big
difference in the outcome.

And then from B.J. Freeman, author of The Syndrome of Autism: Update and Guidelines for Diagnosis:

Differential and early diagnosis of autism are critical
because the prognosis for autistic children has changed
markedly since Kanner’s initial work. Identifying and
diagnosing autism early can provide access to appropriate
services that result in better prognosis. In addition, parents
benefit from having a label to put on their child’s problem.
It helps them understand why the child is having
difficulties and helps to focus treatment efforts.

If you suspect your child may have autistic tendencies, act now. Start researching. Talk to people. Read. Consult with medical and psychological professionals. Take charge. And don't give up!

Parenting: Margin Needed

We have six kids, six different directions. A busy wife who is buried under medical reciepts and invoices. House and yard work to be done. Cars breaking. Appliances dying. Financial paperwork in piles.

On top of that, a boy with autism and several therapists coming to the house daily. Neurologist visits. Speech therapy. Pre-school to line up. And on it goes. Busy is an understatement. If things get any busier, I fear a collapse!

We are needing some margin in life right now, but not going to get it.

"Margin"- a concept written about by Dr. Richard Swenson. His premise is that we have pushed life too fast and too hard, that we have too much going on.

His analogy is the written page. Fatigue sets in if you try to read a book which has type running across the entire page. It takes effort to sort through all the text. It drains us to try to decipher that much information.

Swenson suggests that is what we do with life. We cram activity into every nook and cranny of life. We lack "margin," and there is a price to be paid for that.

Get the book, read it and try to apply the principles. You'll be glad you did.

Starting Points: More on ABA Therapy

Some good introductory information about Applied Behavior Analysis therapy here. You'll find find scientifically validated information about the causes of autism, and ABA approach to treating it.