Answer #4: If my young child does not talk by the time s/he is 2 or 3, does that mean s/he has autism?
Many young children are late to begin speaking. In fact, failure to begin talking is the most common presenting complaint for preschool children suspected of developmental disabilities. Although lack of speech at the expected time is typical of children with autism, there are many other developmental disabilities in which children are also late to start talking. In fact, 10-15% of otherwise normal children do not reach language milestones at the expected time. Not talking at the normal time, then, does does not necessarily mean that a child has autism. If there are other worrisome signs, however, such as failure to respond to the child’s own name, lack of pointing and other gestures to indicate things to parents, difficulty making eye contact with others at appropriate times, or obsessive interest in unusual objects or activities, parents may suspect autism, even in a child under three years old. When autism is suspected in a young child, parents should contact a local agency that serv
