Can We Detect If a Child Has Autism or Cerebral Palsy as Early as 14 Mos?

One of mine was delayed. It was all caused by having excess fluid in his ears. He had allergies we learned later. It affected his balance, his speech, his hearing and hence communication such as eye contact. He didn't know we were saying his name because it sounded muffled to him.

Before you jump to conclusions, keep an open mind and see if there's really reason to be concerned. Talk to her paediatrician. Rule out other possibilities.

Just for reference, my other children didn't always hit milestones on time either - and they were perfectly typical in every other way and have developed well. As for crawling, my niece never crawled - she did a crab like shuffle. She went on to be a great athlete and scholar.

It sounds like there might be some kind of delay but it would be irresponsible of us to try to diagnose your daughter. You need to have her evaluated by a professional. Good luck.

Zoey,

Without sounding harsh? Don't ask a group of people you don't know, who have never seen your child, who aren't doctors to evaluate your child...please go to the doctor with your concerns. I realize you're scared. I think we all were at some point. The first year is the hardest - the most growth. She's through it. Please don't look for things to be wrong with her.

If you have video of her behavior....if you see she has poor muscle development, poor facial tone, etc. I would STRONGLY suggest you get off the internet to try and diagnose your child. I would journal what you see/observe, video tape it if you can, and then take it to your pediatrician and work with him/her to find answers for your child.

Please keep in mind your daughter is a YEAR old. She's NOT going to be skilled at walking yet. As hard as it is? DO NOT compare your child to others. EVERYONE develops differently.

Are you looking for a label for your daughter since she's not doing what others are?
Has her sight be checked?
Her hearing?
Have ANY tests been done on her?
If she's having trouble balancing? Has she been walking long? If she's been walking for a few months? Maybe her ears need to be checked because she might have fluid in the ears or some other issue. Please don't assume Cerebral Palsy or autism.

Development and milestones are an AVERAGE - not a "this will happen at 12 months".

http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-14-month-olds-physical-d...

http://www.whattoexpect.com/milestones/13-18-months/

Why not enjoy your daughter and help her grow instead of focusing on what you believe she SHOULD be doing.

I'm sure there must be a Children's Hospital near you. Please call them and ask for the developmental disability evaluation clinic. At Children's Hospital in OKC it's called the ABC Clinic, short for "A Better Chance".

They will have professionals on staff that do this sort of thing every day of the week. They are the only ones that I would trust. Why? Because they will figure out what is going on and they have all the specialists on hand to pool from. If they detect any hearing loss they'll pull in an ENT/ORL doc, if they think it's neurological they'll have a neurologist on staff to pull in, they will have all the professionals on hand and be able to do a deeper evaluation as they move forward and detect different issues.

A pediatrician doesn't have resources like that. An individual ENT/ORL doc won't have resources like that, no one but an evaluation clinic at a teaching hospital will be able to pull this off together.

Hi Zoey. I've read your questions, and I'm wondering if maybe you're inexperienced with babies, or maybe you don't have a doctor for your daughter? Maybe you don't have insurance, or know how to find a doctor. Or maybe you're not sure about how to ask the doctor certain questions.

You asked about how to help a child develop mentally and physically. Of course, there are some things all mothers can do, like talking with your baby. And I don't mean all cute baby talk, but just chatting with the baby, reading books aloud to the baby, and singing little songs to the baby. And of course, babies can benefit from being taken for a walk in the stroller, or pushed on a safe baby swing. All these things help a little brain learn about the world around it.

But, when development is a concern, a parent who is not a trained therapist or doctor should not be the one to diagnose any delays or come up with a treatment plan. That's where you need a trained professional.

Your profile on here says you're from New York, New York, but that's a pretty big area. Maybe, if you don't have access to a doctor, if you told us your general area (a little more specifically than New York City) someone can help you find a free clinic or child evaluation center for early intervention.

Maybe I'm way off-base here and maybe you have an excellent doctor and are just looking for reassurance. As others have said, all babies are different. If your doctor is not worried, that's a good sign. You might talk over your worries with your doctor and ask what he or she would do.

Most of all, don't look for a diagnosis like cerebral palsy. Instead, look for results, like "how can I help my daughter gain better balance". She's just barely a year old, and there's lots of time for development.

Based on this and your other question, I really would like to know what has been discussed so far at her checkups? Surely the pediatrician has reviewed a number of milestones, physical abilities, alertness, muscle tone and many other things. A 14 month old who cannot crawl or walk would have been on the "radar" of any good doctor. Can you elaborate on what has already been discussed, ruled out, or questioned? It's not a question of you being "paranoid" but of advocating for your child, asking questions of the medical professionals, and working hard to get early intervention services and diagnostics. If your pediatrician is not addressing this, go to a children's hospital and request a full work up and evaluation. And do take a friend with you, someone who is objective and who can take notes of everything that is said.

Thank’s for your question Zoey.

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In Florida, Early Intervention will do testing and provide services. I'm not sure if it's the same in NY. Here's a link you can start researching it. https://www.health.ny.gov/community/infants_children/earl...

Autism isn't usually diagnosed that young, though they will look for "red flags" and begin treatment.