Little T on Thurday: Need A New Bike II

Our Little T has grown so much in the last few months! TB and I didn't realize just how much until we went outside to play a few days ago. He got onto his little trike and we realized: hey, look how long his legs have gotten! The boy needs a new bicylcle, one with training wheels!

If this is the first time you're reading my blog, just wanted to say that Little T isn't ignoring us. He has pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), which is on the autistic spectrum.

How can you tell if a child has PDD-NOS?

You can't. Only a professional can make the diagnosis but some red flags to look for:

The child has a serious language delay and doesn't speak, just makes noises, grunts and squeals

There's little or no eye contact or it's "off" somehow

The child plays by him or herself and ignores other kids or stands by and watches; doesn't seem interested in socializing and it's not from shyness

The child doesn't respond to verbal cues, like smiling back or saying "hello"

Most kids, if they can't hear or speak, will try to communicate their needs somehow--like by pointing to their mouths or to the fridge. A child with PDD-NOS doesn't usually try to communicate.

The child has repetitive play instead of imaginative and gets upset if you interrupt it or try something different. With Tomas, it's playing "automatic doors". He'll take any toy and turn them into sliding doors like the ones you see at a supermarket

Here is a pretty good and understandable list of the symptoms or signs of PDD-NOS.