Considering evaluation

[confustication]

I have a 19 month old who is, and has been, the easiest kid ever! He has been a very laid back little guy throughout his life, he didn't really sit until about 10 months, he walked at 16months. He'll say a couple words, and mimics what he hears well.

He's a happy little guy- when he's with us at home. Anywhere else, he's a very stoic little guy. He doesn't smile at other people- and he never has really. I took him with me to work yesterday afternoon, and he stood perfectly still for 30 minutes while I collected information at the courthouse, and again for about an hour while I worked at my office for a bit. He had no interest in exploring his surroundings.

I don't have a good guage of 'normal' to go with here. I have an older daughter who was precociously verbal, so by 18 months she was holding full conversations and telling me all the letters and numbers on the fridge magnets. She was reading not long after. I certainly don't expect that of my son- (DD has since been diagnosed with Aspergers) but I'm not sure I have a good grasp of normal. Because I do have one child 'identified' I feel like I'm looking for things that aren't there, or making something that is right, feel wrong.

I'm driving myself batty.

[PikkuMyy]

Having spent a lot of time caring for toddlers both with SN and without, my initial thought is that it's very atypical for a child of that age to stand still for even 5 minutes, let alone 30. Did he have anything to do - book, toy, etc. or was he just waiting for you?

[~cassie~]

My youngest is 18 mths and he would never stay still that long. He is either digging through drawers, pulling everything off a desk, climbing up whatever he can climb, or trying to run off. All of my boys have been like that, I think most kids are like that until 3-4, if not longer lol.

[confustication]

Originally Posted by PikkuMyy

Having spent a lot of time caring for toddlers both with SN and without, my initial thought is that it's very atypical for a child of that age to stand still for even 5 minutes, let alone 30. Did he have anything to do - book, toy, etc. or was he just waiting for you?

I had a couple toys along, but he wasn't interested. He was watching things going on around him, but not getting into things as most toddlers do. He's very much our 'observer'.

I think that's what worries me, oddly enough.

[IowaAngela]

It could just be his own unique personality - and "normal" for him, but certainly not at all typical of children his age.

I will share with you that your description caught my eye. It very much reminds me of my nephew. He was considered to be an extremely "easy" child and very stoic as a toddler. It took a lot of work to get him to smile or giggle, and he only did that around those he knew very well. He could sit and play with one toy for an hour or more, completely content. He never ever got into drawers or cubboards. He seemed to have little interest in his surroundings. His speech was very delayed and he rarely made eye contact. He hated loud noises and was very sensitive to that... but he rarely cried, even when he fell down and really hurt himself. He was just "different".

Now he is almost six. His speech is still very delayed - around that of a 3 year old I would guess. He's also be labeled as delayed in fine motor skills and social skills. He seems to connect more readily with others now, though, and even has a few friends in the neighborhood. He just can't really sustain much of a conversation, and he gets hung up on specific routines and gets obsessed with certain narrow interests (like hockey). Many of us have suspected autism, but there hasn't been such a diagnosis yet.

Where will he go from here? Who knows. He could very well catch up in a lot of areas in the next few years. We just don't know.

Of course, I am not saying this is the future for your DS. He is so very very young, there is no way to know. Like I said, it could just be his own very laid back personality. It sounds like he is much more advanced verbally than my nephew was at that age.

[Linda on the move]

I think there are some yellow flags and I'd ask for an evaluation. It might not be anything, and he might have some quirky things going on that early therapies might help with.

It's hard to say, which is why I would see an expert.