Patient's question:
Hello doctor, is there a relationship between my child not speaking and autism? My child is two and a half years old and still doesn't speak, even not calling "Mom" or "Dad." When he wants something, he will wave his hands, and he can pour water for himself to drink. The hospital check showed normal hearing and intelligence, but there is autism. Is it the autism that caused him not to speak, or will he start speaking if the autism is cured?Doctor's answer:
If there is truly autism leading to speechlessness, as long as the autism is treated, the child will start talking. But it is essential to actively carry out rehabilitation training and treatment to give the child a chance to improve. The age of six is the critical period for treating autism, and the effectiveness of treatment may not be as ideal if started after this age.If the child uses their index finger to point to what they want, it may be because the parents always guess correctly, allowing the child to solve problems through gestures rather than language. In this case, parents need to pretend not to understand and stop guessing the child's intentions, forcing the child to be willing to use language to express themselves.