Is delayed speech in an 1-year-old a sign of autism?
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My 1-year-old son has not started saying any word like mama or dada yet and I am worried. It could be sign of autism, though he turns when his name is mentioned, plays with his siblings, etc.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Even though the child turns when his name is mentioned I would advise you to first get a hearing screening done to rule out hearing issues. Next, about the autism. Generally autism cannot be diagnosed in children below the age of 3 years. So it would be very harsh to label this child as autistic. Not just that, an autistic child generally does not play well with others. If the hearing is normal and other developmental milestones are normal, you need to wait for another 3 to 6 months. Some children are slow. Also, another thing that needs to be evaluated is a tongue tie. Kids with a tongue tie (depending on the extent) have difficulty in creating speech.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
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