Help, please, does this sound familiar?

by Monica Hanson
(Canada)

My son has always been a sweet happy boy, but I always felt something was a little off, like he couldn't hear me properly... kind of spacey, but then he would respond to the sounds just fine. He was always on the edge of normal development, crawling, walking, he didn't start babbling until 8 months and 1 day. At 12 months the babbling wasn't turning into words, at 18 months the Dr. finally said get his hearing checked, seemed fine but he didn't respond to his name or to the music like a "typical child" but he was also only 18 months old. He would say a lot of letters, but couldn't sing the abc song, sounded jumbled. He started getting more spacey and wasn't responding to his name... instantly thought Autism, went to a paediatrician (she didn't even say hi to my son) she told us to see a Speech and Language therapist, this is at 19 months. She said he had a 4-5 month delay and would catch up, now he is 23 months, still very few words, spacey likes to spin, stomp and jump. He shakes and bangs things to hear the noise.

I think the Dr.s and pediatricians only have one focus, Autism but he is so happy, laughs has moments when he seems like he is "typical" and then he goes in a shell, it is either too quiet or too noisy for him. He really doesn't "Freak Out" he just retreats. He gets upset when he is frustrated because I can tell he so badly wants to say something, but he can't get it out, or when he doesn't get his way.

Now that I look back, I realize he has always been a sensory seeker, banging toys, loved tv, loved screeching in hallways to hear his echo, loves to have his back scratched or head rubbed and could sleep through ANYTHING!!!

Please let me know if this sounds familiar and what I can do to get the Drs to listen to me!!

Thank you,
Monica and my baby boy Jaden