I’m Guest Posting at WhattoExpect.com

I’m guest posting at What to Expect again.  If you’ve been with me a while, you might have read this one before.  It’s “So You’re Wondering If Your Child Might Be Autistic”, which I would describe as a starting place for someone worried about autism in a small child.  This post is one I get the most email correspondance from concerned parents.  I hope it helps someone in those first days of wondering and worrying.  🙂

So you’re wondering if your child might be autistic. I know. I’ve been where you are sitting right now. Searching the Internet for signs of autism spectrum disorders. Going back up to the search bar to enter a different set of keywords, hoping to find some other site that will assure you that these strange behaviors your child has been evidencing are perfectly normal. Telling yourself he is just a little behind. Sharing your worries with a friend or family member, calming down for a day or two after being reassured by them that, no, it isn’t autism. And now you are wondering if you are just being paranoid. You’re worried that you might be borrowing trouble that you don’t need and possibly stigmatizing your child with a label that will follow him around for life. Yep, I’ve been there — and quite recently.  (Continued…)