Developmentally Delayed?

[Anonymous]

A lot of people think that I am just crazy, but I worry half to death about my son. I feel like his GERD has put me on edge with his care in general. Many of you know the facts about Jackson, but just in case you do not, here is a brief summary-

He had GERD since 3 weeks and has recently shown dramatic improvement. Has had at least 4 ear infections and fluid in his ears off and on. Very early crawler (6 months), stander (6.5 months) and walker (9.5 months). Slow in the communication department. Did not babble until 10.5 months (now does babababa, mamamama, dadadada, deedeedee, nanananana- but not everyday). Before his last ear infection, I thought that he was trying to imitate duck, but he was not saying when he saw a duck. Has not really spoken a word. Does not call my husband Dada or me Mama. He does not point and has only rarely waved when we wave at him (maybe 3 or 4 times over the course of a few months). When he wants something he just throws a fit and sometimes even puts his fists in the air and screams at me. He seems frustrated that he cannot communicate with me.

He loves to play. He smiles a lot and giggles. He laughs at silly facial expressions. He loves to be chased and loves it when he thinks he is chasing us. He cries when Daddy leaves for work and cries briefly when left in the church nursery. He has tried to feed us his finger foods a few times. He is VERY slow to feed himself finger foods, but has self fed from a bottle and sippy for a long time.

My main concern is his lack of verbal and non-verbal communication. He is social, but seems delayed in communication. I am always driving myself insane trying to internet diagnose him. It does not seem like autism since he likes to play, has formed attachments with people and he is joyful. Still, his lack of verbal and non-verbal communication scares me. I see other babies his age pointing and saying words. I read that he should be pointing and saying one word in addition to mama, dada. Should I be worried? Were any of your babies late pointers/talkers, but still social like Jackson?

klmccart2008-09-12 10:17:22

[Anonymous]

It is so hard not to stress and self-diagnose our children! I am SO guilty of that!! I think for your sanity you should have him evaluated by your state’s Early Intervention program. Evaluations are completely free and it’ll probably put your mind at ease. I’m not saying he should be tested because I think anything is wrong…I worked in Early Intervention and so I think it’s an all around wonderful program. I had my daughter tested when she was a baby because I knew I COULD!

HUGS!!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks Amy. Were you concerned about your daughter or did you just do it for additional peace of mind? Our early intervention program in NC seems to have strict criteria about who they will evaluate. I am not sure if Jackson is “delayed enough” to qualify and I do not like the wait and see approach. We have a few private practice places in town that do such evaluations. I am not sure what the wait is like, but I think that I am going to call tomorrow. I do not want to worry anymore and if needs any therapy at all, I want to be sure that I am proactive.
klmccart2008-09-10 22:41:31

[Anonymous]

Katie – my son Ben is on the autistic spectrum, so I’ve done a lot of research on this. The recurrent ear infections and fluid in the ear make me worry about milk intolerance. And the delayed communication skills are something to keep an eye on. It could certainly be worthwile to have him evaluated. Perhaps there is nothing significant to worry about, but just in case, I would look into it. Nothing is more important than finding issues early and addressing them.

I have just a couple questions:

How is his eye contact?

Does he notice when someone enters the room?

Does he seem aware of his surroundings most of the time?

How is his eating (is he a picky eater, or only like to eat certain types of foods)?

Does he seem to seek sensory input (wanting pillows/blankets on him, wanting to hold something very soft, wanting to touch and play with items of a unique texture repeatedly, like to squeal and make loud noises)?

Does he shy away from sensory input (not want to be touched/held, cry at loud noises, not like clothes against his skin, not want to be wet)?

Does he spin objects around and around, or spin himself in circles, or watch something that spins for a long time?

Does he flap his hands if he is very excited or very upset?

Does he line toys up end to end?

How are his bowel movements (always loose, always constipated, extremely foul smelling, undigested food, unusual color)?

Is his belly bloated (budda belly, or pregnant looking belly)?

Does he have allergic shiners (purplish color under his eyes)?

Does he have eczema or other rashes?

Does he seek belly pressure (leaning over furniture, pressing against the floor, etc.)?

Does he ever bang his head?

Is he overall happy?

Sorry for the million quesions, but these are all things that could help you determine if there could be a problem, or if he’s just a little slower in the communication department. I hope I can help…

MFPIx22008-09-10 22:53:32

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for all of the questions! I will answer each one:

How is his eye contact? Good, but does sometimes stares into space. I can easily get his attention when he stares. He does make regular eye contact.

Does he notice when someone enters the room? Yes

Does he seem aware of his surroundings most of the time? Yes

How is his eating (is he a picky eater, or only like to eat certain types of foods)? Not a picky spoon fed eater (will eat any stage of baby food), is picky with finger foods. He will pick things up, play with them, put them in mouth, often spit food out, etc. He sometimes refuses to eat any finger foods and other times will eat them. Finicky in this area.

Does he seem to seek sensory input (wanting pillows/blankets on
him, wanting to hold something very soft, wanting to touch and play
with items of a unique texture repeatedly, like to squeal and make loud
noises)? He does not seem strangely obsessed with blankets or anything. He likes to be touched and he cuddles with a blanket in his crib and when I rock him. He does not really squeal anymore- he did that a lot when he was younger. He does make loud noises. He yells sometimes. He does a lot of jibber jabber, but no real words.

Does he shy away from sensory input (not want to be touched/held,
cry at loud noises, not like clothes against his skin, not want to be
wet)? He loves to be touched and cuddles when rocked to sleep, he does not seem sensitive to loud noises, but he does freak out when we wash his hair (likes water otherwise- just not in face). He loves the beach- sand, water, etc. Just no water in face. No problem with clothing.

Does he spin objects around and around, or spin himself in circles, or watch something that spins for a long time? He does not spin himself, although I am not sure if he is coordinated enough to do that yet. He does shake his head back and forth as if he were saying no, but he keeps doing it over and over. He is often smiling when he does it though and it seems to amuse him for some reason. He does spin objects like wheels, but I would not say that it is for a really long time. He moves on to other things pretty quickly.

Does he flap his hands if he is very excited or very upset? Not really. He will kick or hit me, but no real hand flapping.

Does he line toys up end to end? No lining of toys, but he is only 12.5 months

How are his bowel movements (always loose, always constipated, extremely foul smelling, undigested food, unusual color)? No real issues with BMs. They are foul smelling, and sometimes I think that they are more than the average baby, but not usually constipated or loose. Colors vary, but are usually standard.

Is his belly bloated (budda belly, or pregnant looking belly)? He does have a bloated looking belly.

Does he have allergic shiners (purplish color under his eyes)? No.

Does he have eczema or other rashes? Very rare diaper rash, but no eczema. I would say less rashes than most babies. If he is sick with a cold or ear infection, he might get a mild diaper rash.

Does he seek belly pressure (leaning over furniture, pressing against the floor, etc.)? No, not that I have ever noticed.

Does he ever bang his head? No, just sways it from side to side sometimes. The doctor thinks he does this for amusement, but it freaks me out.

Is he overall happy? Yes, he is a VERY happy baby. He is always giggling and smiling. He loves to play games (peekaboo, chasing games, etc.)

Thanks again for all of the question. This site has the best mommies ever!

klmccart2008-09-10 23:12:56

[Anonymous]

That’s good Katie, not really much for “red flags” there! Maybe your little guy is just a bit of a slow talker.

For the bloated looking belly and foul smelling BMs, he could benefit from probiotics to help balance the gut flora. Does he take any? If he does already, I would maybe increase the dose a bit and see if these things improve.

As for shaking his head from side to side, I would only consider it a red flag if he did this repeatedly (numerous times a day, every day) or if he likes to do it to the point of getting dizzy, and even then do it some more. Otherwise, it is likely just something he’s found that he can do that is entertaining.

If you are still concerned in a few months, perhaps re-read this list of things and see if there are any changes to your answers.

[Anonymous]

I am confused because on the one hand he is very social (smiling, peekaboo, playing games, giggling at silly faces, etc.) and happy, he has always been s good sleeper, but he does not communicate with me verbally or non-verbally. Are some babies simply delayed in all forms of communication and there is not a more global problem? Would you still have him checked out if you were me?

I just started him on probiotics a few days ago. I am giving him 1/4 tsp a day of Baby’s Jarro-Dophilus. Have you heard of it? It says that it has 3 billion strains per gram. Not sure if that means anything to you. I just got it at the local health food store. Should I be giving him more than the recommended dose of 1/4 tsp/ day?

[Anonymous]

Just a thought & the only reason I’m bringing it up is b/c I have family history of it… Do you know if he has any problems w/his hearing? I have 2 siblings that are deaf and my little sister (now 17) wasn’t diagnosed until she was almost 3yrs old. My younger brother was diagnosed around 2, I believe. I was the only one who knew he couldn’t hear. I don’t think my parents wanted to accept it. Anyways, when I was reading your post it was the first thing my mind went to. Sometimes it’s not something you’re looking for & so you don’t notice it. And maybe he just has a slight hearing impairment that could be enough to delay his speech. I agree w/the other ladies about contacting EI. Good Luck to you!

[Anonymous]

I have gotten his hearing checked at an ENT. They said that his hearing was fine, and his newborn hearing test was good too. Still, it seemed difficult to tell in a baby of only 9 months. He has had fluid in his ears off and on, and I have wondered if that is the reason. The fluid does clear eventually, but even few weeks of fluid could have an impact. May be a silly question, but would fluid impact his pointing as well?

[Anonymous]

When you went to the ENT, how did they test his hearing? Did they do the hearing test and measure the level of fluid in the ear?

Hailey had a few delays from her reflux. We got her evaluated by EI- they sent in physio (to get her crawling), OT (for her sensory issues), SLP (for her feeding issues), and we also saw psych for the feeding as well. She progressed in all areas but her speech was still slow I thought. She didn’t say any words, and was very late in starting to babble, and even then didn’t do it much, from what I remember. She also didn’t wave, and just seemed to cry a lot as her way of communicating. I asked the ped, and asked to have her hearing tested, he said she was fine. At a year, I pushed my concerns about speech delays when she had 4 ear infections in 6 months. We had a hearing test that indicated impaired hearing due to severe amounts of fluid in the ear. At our ENT appointment, he found the same thing, but also found that she had another ear infection at that exact time we were there. We had tubes put in when she was 18 months. She went into the surgery hardly talking at all for her age, she did say a few words but not much from what I can remember. When I brought her home afterwards I put her in her crib and she slept off the anaesthesia. She woke up crying and I called up “I’m coming”, to which I was shocked to hear her echoing back to me “I comeeee”, as if she’s never really heard me before. It was amazing.

I understand you being concerned about your son. Behaviourally and developmentally he sounds good from what you say. Maybe he has a speech delay, or maybe he’s just slow to talk and not a big gesturer. If he’s getting a lot of ear infections which is common with reflux, I’d ask the ENT to evaluate the hearing and fluid again, and also about tubes. It was a miracle for us. She started to talk and drink better as well. But I’m also a big believer in EI. If you’re concerned, then there’s no harm in getting evaluated. Good luck.

s&h’s mum2008-09-11 09:36:12

[Anonymous]

Lori, when she had fluid, did she point?

When Jackson went to the ENT, he did not have fluid and they had an audiologist do a hearing test. It consisted of soft noises and lights to see if Jackson would turn his head towards the sounds. The audiologist said he was fine. When I took him, he had not had a recent ear infection. I do know that after his first ear infection, he had fluid 5-6 weeks after it. I think that his fluid comes and goes. He had another infection a couple of weeks ago and we are going to the ENT today. I am going to push for tubes. He has never escaped a cold without getting an ear infection. He has a cold right now and I am just awaiting the inevitable ear infection, which will be #5. Who knows- he may have one already! I will find out today.

I am so excited. I called EI today and it was so easy to get started! They are coming to the house next Tuesday. The coordinator was so helpful and really thought that, although I was being very cautious, that I was doing the right thing.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It’s definitely possible that the fluids in his ears have affected his speech. Have you tried baby sign to see if he’s receptive to that? I used sign language w/my DS when he was an infant and that’s what he used to communicate w/me for a LONG time before he started babbling. Also, it’ll help w/tantrums b/c he’s frustrated that you don’t know what he’s wanting. As far as the pointing goes…The only thing I can think of is maybe w/the fluids in his ears it has thrown off his equilibrium and therefore not pointing accurately?!

Also, from what I heard about probiotics it is best to start off w/the reccommended dose and work your way up slowly that way you don’t have an abundance of yeast die off. If I read it correctly.

Back to the hearing… Have you tried walking into a room when he doesn’t know you’re there and call his name w/o him seeing you? To see if he can hear you? I used to do that w/my brother and that’s how I realized he was also deaf. Like I said before, it doesn’t necessarily mean he is deaf, just maybe the fluids are clogging up his hearing.

Yes, I would still have him looked at & let them know your concerns. They may know what to look for given his communication delays. Let me know how things go…

edited to add: LOL, I’m always delayed…Just saw Lori’s & your last posts. I agree w/Lori & that’s great that you already have an appt! Good Luck!

valentine4mommy2008-09-11 10:02:03

[Anonymous]

klmccart wrote: Lori, when she had fluid, did she point?

When Jackson went to the ENT, he did not have fluid and they had an audiologist do a hearing test. It consisted of soft noises and lights to see if Jackson would turn his head towards the sounds. The audiologist said he was fine. When I took him, he had not had a recent ear infection. I do know that after his first ear infection, he had fluid 5-6 weeks after it. I think that his fluid comes and goes. He had another infection a couple of weeks ago and we are going to the ENT today. I am going to push for tubes. He has never escaped a cold without getting an ear infection. He has a cold right now and I am just awaiting the inevitable ear infection, which will be #5. Who knows- he may have one already! I will find out today.

I am so excited. I called EI today and it was so easy to get started! They are coming to the house next Tuesday. The coordinator was so helpful and really thought that, although I was being very cautious, that I was doing the right thing.

Thanks!

Glad you called EI, just for peace of mind! I am sure he is fine, but an eval never hurts. FYI- Landen was delayed in babbling until he had ear tubes put in. Once he got ear tubes put in he started babbling and repeating words he heard and very LOUDLY. I was told that he was loud b/c it was the first time he could hear HIMSELF in a long time b/c of standing fluid in his ears. Just a thought. HUGS.

[Anonymous]

Katie,

I’m glad to hear that you got an appointment so quickly with EI. I always figure that it can never hurt, and they may be able to give you some simple tips to help progress his speech.

About Hailey- I really can’t remember if she pointed or not. I don’t think either of my kids did much pointing from what I can remember. It was such a relief when we finally got tubes and she didn’t have to deal with the ear infections and antibiotics.

I hope that your appointment goes well. Keep us posted.

[Anonymous]

Great to hear you got started with Early Intervention so easily! Hopefully that will give you peace of mind, and perhaps help address any speech issues. Let us know how things go with the ENT and hearing testing. I hope everything goes well and you have some answers soon.

[Author]

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