It is now April, and it is Occupational Therapy (OT) and Autism Awareness Month which are two things dear to my everyday life. Growing up I had no knowledge of this field and didn’t learn of it until I was a sophomore in college, and it was one of the best decisions I could have made career wise. As an Occupational Therapist I mostly work with kids with Autism.
Some of you may not know what Occupational Therapy is and I will briefly explain it for you. As Occupational Therapist we focus on client centered care or working on areas (“occupations”) in that person’s life that are important to their daily living; when working with children this includes play/learning and social skills in those early years as they prepare for school and beyond. So, for a kid with Autism and/or other cognitive conditions there are increased delays in these areas as compared to typical developing kids but just like any other kid they require teachings of the basics of yes or no/right and wrong in the early years with more patience and encouragement along the way. A major detail to include is that the Autism spectrum is large, so no two kids with the same diagnosis are alike and should never be compared.
In communities of color, especially in the Black and Brown communities, children are often diagnosed at a later age than whites and often have less access to services and I can attest to this as most of the Black and Brown kids I work with don’t receive services until they are 2 years or older but then I worked with a white family of a 15-month-old child who did not have a diagnosis, but their parents saw their child was not walking/crawling and spoke up early and didn’t stop until getting what was needed and that led to their child eventually getting Physical Therapy who then referred to Occupational Therapy and then I referred to Speech Language Therapy because now as a community we all saw the need.
I am not a mother, but I work with many mother’s who are often the one’s more engaged in their child’s health and wellness especially once a diagnosis is given. Having a child with Autism is still a stigma in our communities and most people are silent about it and I’m here to tell you I understand having this feeling but there are so many more resources out there now more than years before and it is better to speak up and get your child the services they need as early as possible as well as begin to work with them on your own. But one should never automatically think Autism when you see your child is not meeting the typical developmental milestones because sometimes it could just be a delay and with services, they may overcome these challenges if done early.
So, what are some of the early delays to look for in a child? Here’s a list below.
*Always speak to your child’s pediatrician and ask all the questions you need during their care for your child because these ages don’t have to be exact to the day your child turns that age.
Does not maintain sitting up on own by 6 months
Does not laugh or squeal by 6 months
Does not respond to sounds by 7 months
Does not say “mama” or “dada” by 1 years
Does not respond to name being called by 1 years
Does not understand ‘bye bye” or “no” by 1 years
Does not crawl by 1 years
Does not walk by 16-18 months
Does not speak simple two word phrases such as “bye-bye” by 2 years
Does not follow simple instructions by 2 years
Does not imitate movements/actions or words by 2 years
Below are a few resources with more information
https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/growth/red-flags-to-watch-for/
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned.html
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/recognizing-developmental-delays-birth-age-2
Also, the fields of Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Therapy, and Physical Therapist are always in need of more dedicated people to service our children as well as other populations.
Thanks for shedding some light. I have a friend that was diagnosed as being on the spectrum as an adult. In our community many aren’t aware of what to look for or will sometimes be in denial. This information will help families be more aware of what to look for.