I've been asked before if I think that there is truth in the fact that earlier the better for an autism diagnosis. My answer is most definitely!! Do not wait parents! Trust your gut and find out what is going on because if it is autism, the earlier the better. In fact, it can mean the difference between a functional life and a life full of dependency on other people.
The earlier you intervene in your child's life, the more likely you can help your child in the area's of speech, behavior, social, and reduce all autism symptoms.
In neurotypical children the early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health. The experiences children have in early childhood shape the brain and the child’s capacity to learn, to get along with others, and to respond to daily stresses and challenges. The same holds true to children with autism and even more so!
The most information learned occurs between birth and the age of three, during this time humans develop more quickly and rapidly than they would at any other point in their life. Love, affection, encouragement and mental stimulation aid in development. At this time in life, the brain is growing rapidly and it is easier for information to be absorbed; parts of the brain can nearly double in a year. During this stage, children need vital nutrients and personal interaction for their brain to grow properly. Children's brains will expand and become more developed in these early years. Therefore, a child with autism or any other special need, needs early intervention more than any other child.
I often think back to Andrew and when he was going through his regression stage around the age of 20 months to 26 months. I recall conversations with a few people and we were often worried that Andrew's severity would be just as bad as Trenton's. However, Andrew started to blossom as soon as he started therapy. His brain really responded to the early intervention. Trenton's brain had a harder time adjusting to the therapy. However, he has made great strides in his therapy. It is just different than Andrew's.
My point of this post is.....our brains do so much shaping in our early years. The longer a child goes without interventions to help them, the harder it is to change the behavior. If a child is severe, it is going to be extremely hard to change any behavior past the early intervention time but it can happen with hard work.
The earlier the diagnosis, the better. I believe in this so much. I have witnessed it with my own two eyes with my own boys.
I have more to post on this but it'll come later....I am one tired Mommy!