Mathis, 2.5 years old
does not speak
Mathis will soon be 2.5 years old. He still does not speak, his mother is preoccupied by this situation and nothing seems to sooth her concerns: the waiting list at the CSSS is 9 months and 12 months at the hospital!
Read moreThe client
Mathis will soon be 2.5 years old. He still does not speak, his mother is preoccupied by this situation and nothing seems to sooth her concerns: the waiting list at the CSSS is 9 months and 12 months at the hospital!
The challenge
His mother is anxious. His physical development is not affected. On the contrary, she would have preferred her son to be less active. Mathis does not speak and has no interest in his family, except for such needs as eating, drinking or for his favorite toy. The pediatrician suggested an audiology examination and an evaluation in a development clinic. His mother did some research and spoke with other parents through online forums, but she still has the same question: Is it too soon to investigate?
The Solution
During a short interview with the neuropsychologist, Mathis’ profile became clear to the parents. In addition to their preoccupations regarding their son’s language development, they also revealed that Mathis is a difficult child. This is even more obvious when they are out of the house. After several evaluation sessions, with Mathis alone, with his parents and also in his child care environment, we noticed that Mathis still has not learned the basics of verbal communication. ADOS and ADI tests confirmed the fact that Mathis has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our cognitive tests have also allowed us to understand Mathis’ great strengths. More specifically, that his reasoning and his non-verbal understanding are intact; he has average intelligence for his age. In cooperation with the pediatrician and the audiologist, our ASD diagnosis was recognized by all Quebec public health institutions. This made it possible for Mathis to have access to support services and specialized interventions at the CSSS and the rehabilitation centre in his area. A waiting list for a simple diagnosis, without any services, went from 12 months at the hospital, to 60 days and full services with the help of Neuropsy Centre.
The result
Mathis is now going to preschool and is progressing as expected. He speaks well, plays and participates in all school activities. Even though his social skills are not exactly like those of his peers, he has been well integrated into school. With our evaluation and recommendations report, school knew how to intervene with Mathis even before having met him. This made them very confident that he will be fully integrated by next year. With the support of an academic shadow, the beginning of his schooling at primary school will certainly be a success. Shortly after the end of our consultations, his parents finally knew what to expect. With the help of our collaborators, they were able to get the support they needed to understand Mathis, his condition, and also to address the situation at home and to stimulate his development for his future success.