At just 9 mo we saw differances from other babies. He started services at 19 mo and diagnosed @ age 3 with moderate Autism. He had no language, not potty trainable, his only interrest was cartoons. After many hours of DTT and ABA theropy he has gone from Severely Handicapped classes to regular Ed Kindergarden. At 6 ys old received an Academic Achievement Award. He talks your ear off and uses the restroom. His Autism is unrecognisable to the untrained eye, in the past people asked us all the time if he was MR when we were in the public... What a miracal ealy intervention has done for our little guy...I would encourage you to never give up and even when the crocodial tears or tantrums are given keep it up because this will help bring them out of the shell and into our wold where they will be more functional. The first time he said mom-mom spontainiously was a heart waming moment... We started with sign language then moved to pics and one day he echoed a word spoken by a theropist, we knew then he would speak. It was a long journey with 40 or more hours a day spent on teaching with the help of in home ABA, pre school and my hours spent reinforcing all he was being taught... I am sure the journey has just begun but the battle is won through this part and the remainder is to be seen.
RobinAntelope Valley, CA