21 Dec Have you been told that your child is delayed in his speech and language skills and therefore he as Autism

Did you know that having speech delays DO NOT EQUAL to having Autism

A 2014 study found that 13% of Australian children at primary and secondary schools have a communication disorder. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 164,000 Australians had autism in 2015. This represented an overall prevalence rate of 0.7%, or about 1 in 150 people.

Often children with speech and language delays are often misdiagnosed as having Autism. However, a diagnosis of Autism includes symptoms other than speech and language delay. Misdiagnosing a child as having Autism when they don’t, can lead to devastating consequences for the child’s development and social participation in school.

Recently, at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists met a lovely 4 year old boy who was diagnosed as having speech and language delays as well as Autism. However, it became apparent that the child could understand and speak in Vietnamese only. He did not understand or speak English, as such he was unable to follow instructions in English to complete gross motor tasks like jumping or standing on one leg. However, when demonstrated to him, he was able to copy the actions of jumping to complete tasks. Furthermore, due to poor oral hygiene, all the front teeth on his top and bottom gums were rotten black stumps. He did not open his mouth to speak to anyone except to his family because he was likely shy of his toothless smile. Once he became comfortable with our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists, he was able to copy and say words in English like jump. 
With ongoing Physiotherapy to help his gross motor skills, he now speaks in 2-3 word phrases in English. He does not have autism, but speech delay and gross motor delay.

So if you’re concerned about your child’s development, reach out to My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today! Find out how we can help assess your child to provide the right diagnosis and treatment to help them achieve their best potential!