Frequently asked questions for developmental disorders
How can I be sure that my son suffers from autism disorder? I suspect that he has a problem, but I do not know what it is?
- Does your child make eye contact with you? Does your child speak even simple words?
- Does your child respond to simple commands?
- Does your child accept hugs?
- Does your child suffer from specific behaviors that he constantly repeats?
- Does your child refuse routine?
When most of the answers confirm the presence of this trait, this means that your son has a deficiency that requires a comprehensive diagnosis by specialists.
My child suffers from autism spectrum disorder, but I recently noticed that he sleeps less than five hours a day. Is there a solution to this problem?
Establish a sleep routine; Although it is difficult at first, over time it works.
Ensure that the child does not consume stimulants, such as candy and caffeine, at least three hours before bedtime.
Make sure to provide a suitable environment for sleeping, in terms of lighting and calm, and make the bedroom soundproof by closing the windows.
My child was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was three years old, and this year he turned 6 years old. He received early intervention sessions to change his behavior for the better. Is it possible to be diagnosed again and get a different diagnosis?
- It is possible to re-diagnose and evaluate him, and the intervention and treatment plan can be modified accordingly.
My child has turned two years old, but he has not spoken a word even though he started the babbling stage at the age of 4 months. He uses his finger to indicate his needs, and he also communicates well with me visually. What should I do?
Other causes of delayed speech in children:
Decrease in mental ability
There is a correlation between intelligence and linguistic development, and this is not necessary in all cases, as some mentally retarded children may not be like that.
Lack of hearing
A child who loses his sense of hearing, or whose sense of hearing is extremely weak, cannot speak. Because he does not hear the pronunciation of letters and sounds, and therefore he cannot imitate them, and therefore he cannot pronounce as others pronounce. There are many symptoms of hearing loss, including:
- Constantly moving the head towards the direction of the sound.
- Change in the movement and contraction of the facial muscles while listening to sound.
- Failure to comply with instructions and respond to calls.
- Glue material appears from the ear from time to time.
- Confusion in the pronunciation of some words, and failure to participate in children’s group activities.
A child suffering from a chronic disease in the first months of his life:
The child may become severely ill for a long time, and after recovery he remains emaciated; Which leads to a weakness in his body’s resistance to diseases, and this may lead to the child’s speech motor centers being affected, especially in the case of a continuous high temperature during the illness.
The presence of a defect or disease in some organ structures that affect speech:
- Such as a cleft palate, and if this cleft is treated in a timely manner, the child’s speech will not be affected in any way.
- Malocclusion also affects speech, especially if it is accompanied by a small condition in the lower jaw.
Inappropriate social conditions:
These circumstances mean that the linguistic model provided to the child is insufficient; Which makes him lose the opportunity for correct linguistic simulation, including the lack of general experiences that the child goes through, such as:
- Not having other children to talk to.
- The family’s ignorance of proper upbringing methods, so you see them forcing the child to speak and scolding him severely when he fails. Which instills fear or stubbornness in a person, so he refrains from trying again (for fear or stubbornness).
- Parents are busy and leave the child with a nanny who does not speak the child’s language.
- The language of the parents differs, one may be Arabic and the other is foreign.
- Difference in the language of early education (nursery), for those whose children study in foreign schools or nurseries.
What is my role as a parent towards my deaf child?
- The father's care for the child is no less important than the mother's care. Especially after she played an active role in the field of work and participated in the social and economic development of her community.
- The father's influence must be understood within the framework of family unity and interaction, through his continuous moral support for the mother, which in turn is reflected in the mother's relationship with the child. The positive, saturated interaction between the spouses makes the father’s participation and interest in the child have a great impact on their children’s constructive view of the world around them.
- The father's concern and preoccupation with regard to his hearing-impaired son is based primarily on the future of this child and his ability to face his requirements and his belief in his constant need for someone to care for him. This trend is considered a psychological disability for the child in itself, and its negative effects may outweigh the disability of deafness itself, because children often resort to Excessive interest in their child, that interest is linked to feelings of anxiety and fear of the future, which greatly limits the child’s psychological development and leads to a disturbance in his self-image, a feeling of inferiority, and a low level of ambition in him, which is linked to a weakening of his ability to achieve independence as his physical development and chronological age advance.
How do I know if my child stutters?
- Repetition of sounds, syllables, words or sentences.
- Hesitation or pause in speaking.
- Lack of aerodynamics and smooth talk.
- This condition occurs more frequently when the child is tired, agitated, or stressed.
- Fear of speaking.
- Its incidence in boys is four times greater than in girls.
- Natural stuttering in speech occurs in 90% of children, unlike true stuttering, which occurs in 1% of children.
