Assalamu Alaikum,
my son is 3.2 years old, he had a normal developement and reached his milestones on time but experienced some language regression around age 2.5 (baby brother was born when he was 2 and we were thinking it's jealousy)..he was diagnosed with mild autism at age 3 by a dev ped and possibly autistic by the school district....what is the diff?
two weeks ago he started school( 3 half days/week ) and behavioral therapy at home ( 10 h /week )....he has a receptive prblm ( does not understand instructions unless he sees some visual cues ), he has poor eye contact and does very limited imitation....he does flap hands and tiptoes ...he does NOT have any prblms with routine, food,noises and loves to be arround other people ( he is friendly), he plays with toys , knows all his alphabet and numbers up to 10....is there a chance that what he has is MERLD (mixed expre receptive disorder ) and not autism ? eventhough he has been in therapy for 2 weeks but we do see already some improvement , he does say few words ( about 15 )and does use about 5 of them ...is there a chance he will never talk? do children with mild autism normalize? does he need to be followed by a neurologist ? any other suggestion will be apreciated ( we did all the blood /urine test / DNA ) and everything came back normal including the fragil x testing wel hamdoulillah ...the only thing that came back high are the amino acids ) do you suggest any other testing?
jazak Aallah kheir !!
Answer
Dear Sister Rima,
Thanks very much for your question. I pray to God that your son and the great work you're doing is rewarded InshaAllah (ISA).
First: The features you described are suggestive of Autism and you can help your child by working with him and adhering to the specialist's advice such as good interaction, encouragement and reinforcing any positive change. We need to be patient as it is really hard work but ISA you will find a good outcome.
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between Autistic spectrum and other Neurologic or developmental disorders, for example: Mixed receptive and expressive dysphasia but I think in the USA they have specialized clinicians and good expertise in making such diagnoses and if needed they do the needed investigation.
All investigations being normal is a good sign as sometimes the child suffers other undiagnosed problems such as anemia or Thalassemia which could be forgotten after the diagnosis of Autism.
I think you will need to encourage interaction and use the visual and helpful cues to promote developing your child's social and communication skills as much as you can. The more you help your child supported by the specialist's advice, the more he will progress.
It is important to emotionally interact with him and value his interaction which may be seen by others as being different.
Some of the autistic children develop certain skills or become talented in a special area. Once you identify this, promote it and encourage it .
Hope this helps
Best wishes to you and your family
Name
rima
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Profession
Question
what do you think about the GFCF gluten free caseine free diet for autistic children?
can you explain to me please ( it is hard for me to understand eventhough I did tons of research ) about sensory needs as I have been told that my son 3.2 has sensory needs ( he loves crashing, r ocking , climbing and throwing toys ) when his needs are going to be met? and how to help ( he had some ot done )?
does the brushing method help ? any other suggestion ?
thank you!
Answer
Dear sister Rima,
Research may prove that supplying the autistic child may or may not help him. If he has an allergy to gluten, then avoid it but otherwise I do not suggest that a gluten free diet be a part of the treatment of Autism. However, if suggested or recommended by your child's treating specialist, there may be a reason for this.
Autistic children tend to have difficulty interacting emotionally and socially, therefore, they need more help to promote their interaction and help them to compensate. As you know children's development depends on the interaction between nature and nurture and we increase the nurture factor(s) to compensate if there is difficulty in the natural (biological or genetic) aspect.
Do come back to me if this does not answer your question
Best wishes
Name
shah
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Profession
Question
My daughter is 9 years old. She developed very quickly regrading her teeth and walking but was slower to begin speaking. When she speaks she has a little difficulty getting what she wants to say out so she will be like: "ah ah ah" and then say what she wants to say. Other than that she seems normal. DO you think there is anything I need to worry about?
Answer
Dear Sister Shah,
Thank you for your care and may Allah reward you, your husband and your daughter.
The good development you referred to (Physcial) is a good sign but the speech delay is the question? Is it associated with other symptoms e.g. unusal movements, adhering to certain routine or being rigid in the behavior.
I think if it is only a speech problem then please:
1. Consult a specialist or a pediatrician.
2. Also see a speech therapist. This will help a lot.
3. Speak with your daughter and interact with her, promote good command.
4. Avoid being sarcastic of her difficulty as this is likely to undermine her self esteem, self confidence and moral and encourage her more to promote good self confidence and progress.
Also promote normalization by encouraging her to play with her peers but do not coerce her if she does not like some of them. Also support her if her peers are sarcastic or making negative comments.
If on the other hand she has other symptoms such as learning disability, unusual movements or hyperactivity..... Please consult a child psychiatrist or a pediatrician according to the situation where you live.
Hope this helps
Name
Batool
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Profession
Question
I have a friend who's daughter was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Could you give me an idea of what the treatment of Cerebral palsy is and how I can help?
Answer
Dear Sister Batool,
Sorry to know about your friend's daughter and I pray to Allah to reward them for their patience and to reward you for caring.
Cerebral Palsy is a term that means the brain (Cerebral Cortex) does not function as in normal cases , for example, due to birth trauma. Such children cannot function like those who do not suffer from Cerebral Palsy, as the function of the brain centers may have been affected.
They may suffer from motor deficit but no sensory problem. Mental sub-normality or what we call learning disability is a common problem. However with physiotherapy and special education we can compensate for the limitations especially if we start at an early age.
Best wishes
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Do you think that children with special needs should be taught alongside with those without special needs?
Answer
Dear Sir,
This is a very important question. Before I address this I need to say that children are a highly important asset for all of mankind and the future of any developing nation even if they have special difficulties or needs.
Teaching those children is an important task to avoid their lagging behind.
In the West they encourage normalization i.e. as much as possible we need to have the children with special needs in the main stream schooling. However if the extent of the special needs is severe and they are likely to benefit from special education, we may need to give this choice the priority.
Special education in a highly structured school environment may be best for children with special needs as this will help address the special nature of their needs and avoid undermining their self esteem, moral and confidence if they cannot achieve and compete with those who do not have similar difficulties. In both situations i.e. in mainstream or special schools they need to be monitored and according to their progress and gain, the situation can be reviewed.
I hope this answers your question.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
What is your take on natural therapies for autism?
Answer
This is a very important question. As we know autism is an arrest of the normal development of the brain. However, recently there has been evidence from neuro-research that nerve cells can compensate and develop further in function (Neuroplasticity).
We need to be open to accept our current limitations of the psychopharmacology. But everyday there are new developments in understanding and treating. If a natural therapy is thought to have a positive effect and this was proved by research ...why not!
The most important thing is to not give up on the specialist's help and only use natural or herbal remedies that may not be sufficient or may not be of an adequate benefit to the child. In such a case it would be a crime not to help and use an unknown type of remedy that is later proved to be useless.
Best wishes
Name
Farah
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Profession
Question
My son is 7 years and was diagnosed with ADHD. How can I help him do well at school and in is learning?
Answer
Dear sister Farah,
Children diagnosed with ADHD are usually overactive and seen by others, either at home or school, as trouble makers and do not settle down. If diagnosed and treated properly they respond very well.
1. They need to see a specialist such as a pediatrician or child psychiatrist who has experience in this area.
2. He is likely to benefit from a stimulant medication (Ritalin or Methyl phenidate) which will improve his ability for concentration and attention. These will of course improve his education and scholastic achievement.
- At home: please do not punish him for overactivity or breaking objects and show understanding towards his difficulty. Encourage and reward his positive behavior. Avoid being sarcastic towards his difficulties and do not allow his siblings or peers to be sarcastic.
- At school: Speak with the teacher and educational psychologist to make them aware of his special nature. This will help avoid unnecessary punishment or undeserved penalties. This will also improve his moral if he feels well understood and appreciated rather than being a victim of ignorance.
