But still don't feel 100% sure about it!! At Jack's last appt we were asked to consider an MRI scan but refused as we felt we needed a better explaination as to why it would be done other than 'we would like to do it'. Today at his follow up assessment we got more info because we pushed for it but still feel there's a bit of the jigsaw missing. We know it's the best thing to do to help rule things out or identify anything that can explain his delays but the Paed isn't rushing it through or anything but said she would keep asking us to consider it if we kept refusing! So we know it's not urgent and am still a bit confused by the request to have it done.

Can anyone help or put my mind at rest? I'm already doing the normal worry bit about the general anaesthetic and it won't happen till January next year!!

We also left the appt feeling very deflated - all the progress we've seen in Jack and all the positives we've focussed on over the past year and everything his other support professionals have worked on and been happy with we feel the Paed kind of trashed today! She kept saying 'Well I think it's obvious he's on the autism spectrum (like we didn't know) but we need to find out why he's delayed with his speech and he's obviously very delayed!'

I kept saying 'Yes we know' 'We agree we know he has delays' but it was like she felt she was telling us something new. I now can't decide whether I'm angry, upset or just deflated by the whole appointment.

Is it just me -Am I being daft about this? Maybe I'm over reacting - I just don't know. Out little man tries so hard all the time and only sees this Paed twice a year and she was bleating on like she knew him really well - aaarggghhh!

Sorry for the moan - and if you've just read all this - thank you. xx

hiya
not to sure why they are doing the mri, if its just because of his delayed speech then surely his autism would explain that? and at 2 1/2 i wouldnt say that is worryingly delayed, my brother didnt speak until he was 3 because he didnt need to as i did all the talking for him or so i was told hehe. Matt is autistic and has only started to talk in last few years and he is now 17 though if he had has support from speech and language he might not have been so long. Autistic children are like all Children but more stubborn in that they learn when they are ready and not before and that includes speech.
hope you get your answers hun
corinne

Thanks Corinne. We've always said Jack will only do what he wants to do when he wants to do it!! He's 3 now and we haven't been overly worried about his speech delay as we know he can talk (actually he sings better than he can talk) and we've been pleased that he copies what we say but later uses it in context without prompting.

The Paed made us feel that he should now be maybe reciting poetry or something - perhaps public speaking would please her!! I know you understand what I mean. It just feels so condescending when she goes on about it as if we hadn't noticed it.

We wonder if it's because Jack isn't obviously autistic (he loves cuddles and his eye contact is great, he's not phased by noise and he's quite sociable when it suits him) that she's looking to put him under a different diagnosis - one with a name we can't pronounce probably.

It just feels that you finally get to a stage you can cope with and you know where you are that someone has to come along, blindfold you, spin you round 100 times then push you into the unknown!! Honestly, I could scream - well I had a good cry this afternoon anyway - somehow that helped me put things into perspective a bit - don't know why it works but it kind of does doesn't it. xx

i know what you mean, if i tell anyone that matt is autistic i would get "oh he is too sociable" but what is worse now he is older he is manipulative and female escorts baby him and he allows it as it gets him extra hugs and he even once put his head on an escorts knee and she thought it was cute not sexual. they think because he has limited speech then he doesnt really understand whats going on, its like i am the only one that see's the sly grin hehe. i gave up long ago trying to force matt to learn something he didnt want to he toilet trained himself and now he has decided he is going to talk i dont doubt with some help that he will master that too, we can understand him to a degree but ppl that dont know him cant (especially when he goes up to attractive blondes to say hello

if your son can talk but just doesnt it could be selective mutism, he decides who he wants to talk to and nothing will change that, he prob a good judge of character hehe. every autistic child is unique they cant just put them in a neat box and professionals dont like that some give eye contact some dont, some flap and others dont, some obsessional talk only while others dont talk much but when they do its appropriate speech. at the end of the day you were right when you said you know your son better than anybody everyone else is just guessing
corinne

i just to let you know make sure they give you all the results and not half of them as my daughter has to go back and have another one as they found something in her brain 2years ago now and only told us this july on 27th 2010 so 2years later and they tell us because they want to do another one to see if it has move or changed in anyway so that is the only reason i am say xx hope all go well x