One of the issues with recognizing Autism in your child, and with having your child diagnosed, is knowing what are true symptoms and what are just things that some kids do… for example, walking and talking late. Some kids just do that. Flipping over their cars and spinning the wheels, some kids just do that. Not wanting to eat most foods… most parents will tell you that it’s a chore to get their kids to eat a lot of the time.
So then you get the diagnosis and you start getting the education, doing the research, going to the appointments… and as the years roll on, you still find that you are constantly asking yourself: Is this due to the Autism or is this just something he is doing?
My latest example of this is Cameron’s constant repeating of everything his little brother says. He sometimes even repeats my wife and I. It’s something that seems like it could be something that he picked up at school, it seems like he could be doing it simply because he thinks it’s funny. And I do remember the repeating game, where you repeat everything that someone says until they just get so furious that they storm off.
I decided to ask around and was told about Echolalia. And there it was, an in your face answer and yet, still no real answer at all…. is he doing this Echolalia or is it just something he’s doing to bug us.
Given that it has a name and is specifically attributed to certain individuals, including Autistics, I can’t help but think that I was right to ask around and try to find out.
Even those who’ve been dealing with it for years, even the experts are sometimes presented with a symptom of Autism that they might simply mistake as a child or person being quirky.
The safest thing you can do is, if you question it, then ask questions about it. If something persists longer than a day or two, or a week… if something seems like it’s come on pretty strong quite rapidly… if it seems like it could be a quirk but might is possible that it could be due to the Autism, ask!! Whether it be on a forum, a social networking site, the therapists you work with, even just your doctor… ask around.
If it is something relating to their Autism, chances are they’ve heard of it, dealt with it and may even have some solutions to help you through it. But if you just sit and wonder… you’ll never know.
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