關於陽陽和自閉症

今天是5月13日。在二月份的時候，一個親親寶貝的媽媽擔心她5個月的女兒有自閉症

http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=kids&MsgID=1068739

我讓她不要擔心。當時我的回複：

“我家寶寶平時也不跟我視線接觸，除非他自己想跟我玩。5個月的時候從來不會伸手要人抱，直到最近（11個月）才會伸手。叫他名字一般沒反映，自己玩自己的，也是最近幾個禮拜才偶爾回頭看你。本來我以為他不喜歡我呢。上禮拜感冒了，現在忽然變得很粘人，終於學會摟著我脖子了。他11個月了呢。

我覺得你不要太過擔心，老往壞處去想。平時還是多多跟她在一起。 ”

兩個星期前，有個朋友來家住了一個禮拜，有很多時候跟陽陽在一起。她覺得陽陽有些奇怪，因為他躲避視線接觸，而且叫他名字沒反應。當時我用外人的眼光觀察了他一陣，也發覺陽陽真的跟其他小孩不一樣。當時我發了個貼子谘詢：

http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=kids&MsgID=1142246

但是我從來沒想到是自閉症。大家都說正常，可能隻是發育晚一些而已。看了一個媽媽的回複，提到這個症狀，我還沒太在意。昨天晚上跟老公吵架，因為我批評他看寶寶的時候，從來都不理寶寶，讓寶寶一個人玩，我說做爸爸的應該多多 engage 寶寶參與活動，多說話，多一起玩。我說寶寶平時不理人，可能是因為我們和他的互動太少了。為了把問題說嚴重些，我就說可能寶寶有自閉症。我其實連自閉症是什麽也不清楚。

晚上找了些資料看，發現陽陽的症狀太象自閉症了。簡直是晴天霹靂。除了“自虐”之外，其它所有早期症狀陽陽都有。越想越難過，哭得睡不著。他那麽可愛，那麽乖的寶寶，怎麽能承受這樣的人生呢？

今天正好要去看兒醫，就問了她的意見。她也說，現在診斷還早，但推薦我去一間 developmental disability 的中心做檢查。我趕快打電話預約，還沒打通。

下午要去看 occupational therapy，是訓練陽陽用手的。去晚了，但我也問了 therapist 關於自閉症的問題，原因是她給我們的家庭訓練項目，很多我都沒法跟陽陽做，因為陽陽不理我。她說，陽陽的 motor skills 還是比正常慢 2 個月，避免視線接觸，可能有些自閉傾向，應該去那個中心檢查。她說檢查的項目和她這裏的一些項目是一樣的。她還說，陽陽對玩具非常有興趣，玩起來十分集中，是好現象，因為很多自閉兒童對玩具沒有興趣。我聽她的口氣，好像是說陽陽有自閉傾向，但不是特別嚴重。我問她，陽陽的 lack of social skill 和他的 slow development in motor skill 是否有關係。她說，在有的小孩那裏是相連的，是一種 sensory 什麽的 disorder，但要做檢查才知道。她說，如果陽陽到 15 個月還不會走路，就應該檢查這個 sensory 什麽 disorder。

我婆婆是退休的學校老師，曾經做過 special education，給有自閉症的兒童提供教育服務。我立刻寫信問她的意見。我的信：

I am getting more and more worried about Logan. He shows many of the early signs of autism.

He rarely makes eye contacts; he never points at things;

he prefers to play on his own for hours;

he does not respond when his name is called;

he is not learning to talk and he is pronouncing less consonants than before (no "mama" anymore);

he doesn't care if I come in or leave the room;

he is unaware of the surroundings when he is engaged in his activities;

he never shares any activity with me, never shows me toys or books, never look at me when

he has achieved anything;

he does not try to communicate with gesture;

he is still having trouble with waving bye-bye....

I know it is still early to diagnose with autism, but I feel these signs are very worrisome. I have talked with our pediatrician today and she refers me to a developmental center for evaluation. I am waiting to hear back from them.

You mentioned that Mike was a very focused baby. I wonder if Logan is just like Mike, or he is worse in communication skills. I hope everything is fine, but the more I read and the more I see Logan, the more I am alarmed. I'd like to hear your view on this.

婆婆的回信：

As far as autism, there has been a great increase in the ability to diagnose autism earlier in the last few years...it used to be difficult before the age of 2. California has a much higher incidence of autism than any other state....whether it's the diagnostic tools they are using or the concerns that were raised many years ago about the causes of autism in Ca. I worked with families that had moved to Oregon from California with their autistic children....

First of all, any time you have a concern, you should check it out for sure....School districts are required by law to provide the diagnostics at no charge to parents; the place where your Dr. referred you could be a clinic or the state of CA could use that as the facility instead of the public schools. You might want to check that out....you could call the elementary school in Hermosa Beach and ask them about services for preschoolers who may not be progressing as they should....and find out the waiting period for an evaluation.

Your concerns are valid; during an evaluation, they will check his hearing, and motor development; the developmental history with the helmet is going to be most important that they have all the tests/reports, from that. You have his growth/development on tape so that will be invaluable to the team who evaluates him; he had made so much progress with the helmet; it is most evident in your videos; he does react to people's voices, and noises, and certainly he smiles when he is happy. I know what you mean when you say that he isn't making eye contact with you.

I would certainly go through the evaluation. If covered by your insurance, you might want to look into a diagnostic clinic that specializes in early childhood/participating in research of autism in babies. Even if he isn't diagnosed as autistic, they will give you recommendations on activities to do with him, as well as possible preschools that would be better for him.

今天又有一些媽媽給我寫信，鼓勵我，給我講成功的故事。看來還是有不少媽媽相信我的直覺，不象我三個月之前那樣好心地對別的媽媽說些“不要太過擔心”這樣沒用地話。

我覺得我忽然有了很多動力，很多更加疼愛陽陽、珍惜陽陽的決心。可能是因為我平時照顧他不夠精心，過於大意，這次讓我重新考慮我做媽媽的角色。陽陽是那麽一個招人疼愛的寶寶，眼光是那麽清澈明亮，那麽充滿信任，那麽單純和無邪，他真的應該享受所有最美好的人生經驗。

我決定要開始好好記載他的成長故事。