I'm not sure what i should be doing

[Tudor Rose]

My DD is 3, she is non verbal, we are awaiting speech and language and paediatric assessments at the child development clinic. In the mean time I don't know what to do?

I've had my suspicions from when DD was 18months that something wasn't right, (my youngest sister is brain damaged but has high functioning Autism. I was 14 when she was born so I remember quite a bit.) At 15 months DD started saying her 1st words, would smile at the camera when you asked her to, she would respond to her name, the at 16 months she didn't seem to be saying any words by 20months we had no speech again, the smiles had stopped, she wasn't responding to her name, no eye contact. I spoke to the HV about my concerns and she and members of my family told me that because I have knowledge of ASD im looking for the signs and I shouldn't be so anxious.

If we fast forward to now, I have a 3 year old, who is non-verbal, not toilet trained, no sense of danger, will not wear shoes or sock on her feet no matter how cold or how rough the gravel is under foot she will not have anything on her feet, getting dressed into clothes or bathed is a huge task that I dread, she would live in her pjs if she could, she only eats a selection of foods, mainly sausage rolls, beef, potato shapes, cadburys chocolate and peppa pig yogurts. I add vitamin drops to her juice to make up for the lack of goodness in her diet. if I was to tell DD wheres you cup? she would just look at me blankly. she doesn't understand emotion or facial expressions. she aggressively chews.
I don't know what to do to help her? im suppose to be getting her for school next September I don't even know if she'll go mainstream. if anyone has any advice I would be grateful,

 

[JASMAK]

She sounds like my daughter at that age. She has asd. PDD-NOS was her first diagnosis. The school says she has classic autism. She is 8 now. She never spoke until age 4. She was potty trained at 4. My advice, assume she has autism and start getting her speech therapy. Pay out of pocket if you can. Get books. We are in diff countries so I eont know,the system. Go to the schools and get advice. Go to parent groups and learn things.

 

[sethsmummy]

Goto your gp and raise your concern of autism hun, they have a checklist and if she crosses some of the checks then they can refer you. Go straight past any health visitors.

for communication try pec cards... look them up on ebay or amazon. Its a picture communication system that you could try.

also agree with pp, act as though she is autistic. Google has a lot of good links etc on it for websites to support you.

My ds1 has just started te process of meetings etc to be sent for an official diagnosis of asd. It took an education visitor all of 15 minutes with him and a list of questions for me to tell me he is autistic after many different professionals being involved with him since birth.

You could also ask about seeing an education visitor and talk about it and the thoughts of school. Ds1 is meant to move up next year but were probably going to hold him back a year. X

 

[mummy2o]

Sounds like she's possibly autistic. The most likely cause would be genetic from your side. I would go and see a doctor. I wouldn't go private as that hinders on your statement which you will have to get when she starts school. I have no idea why, but I got 3 health professionals telling me the same thing. I was very lucky as I had a brilliant team behind my son so got seen quite quickly (still a year+)

 

[Tiff]

I second going to a doctor and mentioning Autism. Worst case they'll screen her and she doesn't and you aren't any different off than you are now. The wait lists can be huge, so the sooner you get her screened the better.

Massive hugs!