Diaper Swappers

aries416 · 01-21-2013, 06:11 PM

My 27 month old son does not play with toys properly. He can build towers, but chooses not to unless I ask him. He prefers to hold and study cars instead of pushing them. He takes toys apart and looks at the pieces individually. He will not do puzzles. He likes to carry a toy around and "talk" to it. He does the same with shoes. He does not try to put shoes on himself. He will point to things if he's playing games on my phone or an iPad, but not otherwise. He will point if I hold his hand. He sticks out his index finger, but wants me to hold his hand while he's doing it.

This is his biggest "red flag" for Autism along with not talking. Is there any way I can help him play with toys properly? I have been sitting next to him and modeling how to play. Anything else I can do?

luvsviola · 01-22-2013, 06:57 AM

How often is he around other kids? Maybe make an effort to get him around other kids his age regularly? Have you had an EI evaluation done?

ktmelody · 01-22-2013, 10:19 AM

I would get an evaluation (if you havent already) it is a major flag for asd and with no speech even more concerning.

But...there is no right or wrong way to play with toys. All kids (spectrum or not) play with toys differently.

My dd (3) has autism and she lines her toys up, organizes her lalaloopsy dolls by hair style and shoe color. I have no interest in making her play "properly" with them. She is playing with them the way she feels she needs too. She gets socialization at school so I am not worried about it. She has never played with toys the way NT kids do, but thats ok. I have no interest in "normalizing" her.

aries416 · 01-22-2013, 05:15 PM

A real evaluation is going to take months to get here. My 4.5 yr old is finishing hers next Friday and it took 9 months to get the appointment

. That is on my list to do.

EI is working with him, but they are only providing 30 minutes of speech a month. I know he needs more than that. He is supposed to be screened for possible placement in a school setting, but they keep giving me the run around on that, too. EI is really just a huge disappointment. OT is coming out this week, too.

I'm making an appointment with the doctor to get a prescription for speech and probably OT outside of EI as well as get the referral for an autism screening. The ped. told me to wait until 2.5, but I don't want to wait that long.

Regardless of all of that, he will be going to preschool at a sped. integrated school in October when he turns 3. I'm considering putting him in daycare a couple days a week if he doesn't get into the EI school now.

aries416 · 01-22-2013, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ktmelody

I would get an evaluation (if you havent already) it is a major flag for asd and with no speech even more concerning.

But...there is no right or wrong way to play with toys. All kids (spectrum or not) play with toys differently.

My dd (3) has autism and she lines her toys up, organizes her lalaloopsy dolls by hair style and shoe color. I have no interest in making her play "properly" with them. She is playing with them the way she feels she needs too. She gets socialization at school so I am not worried about it. She has never played with toys the way NT kids do, but thats ok. I have no interest in "normalizing" her.

The speech and the toys are his only real indicators. My 4.5 yr old DD has always been the one I was concerned about because she is very socially unaware and speech was a long time coming with her. She used to line up her toys and also never played with them properly. I never thought twice about it. Toys were sorted by size and color. She's stopped that on her own. We are almost done with an autism assessment for her (2 parts here). My son is VERY sensory orientated and just wants to touch everything. Again, I never thought anything of it until the EI teachers said I should try to engage him in playing "properly". As far a speech, he has about 75 words that he's said in his life, but he doesn't use them regularly. I hear maybe 2-3 words a day and he adds a new one 1-2 times a week. He babbles a lot.

But, thanks for that. I agree that "normalizing" is not my goal. I want to respect who they are and what they can do while making sure they are getting help that will benefit them in the long term.

EvaL · 01-30-2013, 04:38 PM

Do not wait until 2.5 years old! That is crazy. Also Speech once a month is crazy.... what state are you in? I am in the bottom of the list of 50 states in regard to quality schools and I have never heard of so little intervention. Please take a look at these sites. The last has a lot of questions and is meant to be brought to the child's pediatrician and honestly, all pediatricians should be asking these questions.

http://www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/mchat

Blessings from a Mama of a wonderful boy with regressive autism.

aries416 · 01-30-2013, 05:46 PM

Thanks! He has a speech eval. next Thursday and will then start therapy 3x a week. I am also scheduling an autism eval for sometime in February. We have ONE place that diagnoses near me and he won't get in for the first half of the eval until the end of March. I'm in Iowa and apparently the 30 minutes a month is normal until the school district takes over at age 3. Ridiculous! If he is autistic or "possibly autistic", he will be able to start an intense 25 hour a week school program geared for autism if there are openings.

EvaL · 01-30-2013, 05:58 PM

My son with autism was given an intensive ABA program, 5 hours of speech, 4 hours of OT and 2 hours of PT a week through Early Intervention.... which is a federal program. Please find an advocate, the child is entitled to what they need, not a set amount that is considered 'normal'. :/

aries416 · 01-31-2013, 09:06 AM

I hear you! The county's only option seems to be 25 hours of intense school/therapy a week. They are unable to do anything more in the child's home. So, he's going to a private practice speech pathologist and if he needs more, I'll find that for him privately as well. I'm going to pay out of pocket for an autism eval in another state because my state will take months.

EvaL · 01-31-2013, 03:31 PM

None of our EI was done at the home.... that would have been nice but we were out of the house 5 days a week then. The school really should do an autism evaluation.

01-21-2013, 06:11 PM	#1
aries416 Registered Users Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 967 Ratings: 17 Feedback: 100%	Not playing with toys properly My 27 month old son does not play with toys properly. He can build towers, but chooses not to unless I ask him. He prefers to hold and study cars instead of pushing them. He takes toys apart and looks at the pieces individually. He will not do puzzles. He likes to carry a toy around and "talk" to it. He does the same with shoes. He does not try to put shoes on himself. He will point to things if he's playing games on my phone or an iPad, but not otherwise. He will point if I hold his hand. He sticks out his index finger, but wants me to hold his hand while he's doing it. This is his biggest "red flag" for Autism along with not talking. Is there any way I can help him play with toys properly? I have been sitting next to him and modeling how to play. Anything else I can do? __________________ Eleanor, mama to Maren (07.05.08) and Grant (10.20.10)

01-22-2013, 06:57 AM	#2
luvsviola Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 15,039 Ratings: 115 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Not playing with toys properly How often is he around other kids? Maybe make an effort to get him around other kids his age regularly? Have you had an EI evaluation done? __________________ Kristen Mommy to Abigail ~1/24/07 and Kendall~3/17/2011 and FINALLY adoptive mama to LEDGER~4/4/09!!!--G-J tube, asthma, oral aversion, reflux, SPD, drug exposure, and still searching for a diagnosis of the rest... Ask me about extended rear facing!

01-22-2013, 10:19 AM	#3
ktmelody Super Moderator "We're all mad here." Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vegas BABY! Posts: 18,271 Ratings: 617 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	I would get an evaluation (if you havent already) it is a major flag for asd and with no speech even more concerning. But...there is no right or wrong way to play with toys. All kids (spectrum or not) play with toys differently. My dd (3) has autism and she lines her toys up, organizes her lalaloopsy dolls by hair style and shoe color. I have no interest in making her play "properly" with them. She is playing with them the way she feels she needs too. She gets socialization at school so I am not worried about it. She has never played with toys the way NT kids do, but thats ok. I have no interest in "normalizing" her. __________________ Katie, mom to Olivia (97), Veda (98), Franky (2004), Wendy (2005), JoHannah (2007), Thea (2009) and NEW baby Sunny Ella 12/6/2011

01-22-2013, 05:15 PM	#4
aries416 Registered Users Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 967 Ratings: 17 Feedback: 100%	Re: Not playing with toys properly A real evaluation is going to take months to get here. My 4.5 yr old is finishing hers next Friday and it took 9 months to get the appointment . That is on my list to do. EI is working with him, but they are only providing 30 minutes of speech a month. I know he needs more than that. He is supposed to be screened for possible placement in a school setting, but they keep giving me the run around on that, too. EI is really just a huge disappointment. OT is coming out this week, too. I'm making an appointment with the doctor to get a prescription for speech and probably OT outside of EI as well as get the referral for an autism screening. The ped. told me to wait until 2.5, but I don't want to wait that long. Regardless of all of that, he will be going to preschool at a sped. integrated school in October when he turns 3. I'm considering putting him in daycare a couple days a week if he doesn't get into the EI school now. __________________ Eleanor, mama to Maren (07.05.08) and Grant (10.20.10)

01-30-2013, 04:38 PM	#6
EvaL Registered Users Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Central Alabama Posts: 73 Ratings: 30 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Not playing with toys properly Do not wait until 2.5 years old! That is crazy. Also Speech once a month is crazy.... what state are you in? I am in the bottom of the list of 50 states in regard to quality schools and I have never heard of so little intervention. Please take a look at these sites. The last has a lot of questions and is meant to be brought to the child's pediatrician and honestly, all pediatricians should be asking these questions. http://www.firstsigns.org/healthydev/milestones.htm http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/mchat Blessings from a Mama of a wonderful boy with regressive autism.