I think you've gotten some great advice so far.
I also second not to write off finding a good Pedi and/or make a requirement that they are from top tier schools. I know lots of bright people (Dr included) that for whatever reason did not attend top tiered schools and/or went into professions that are viewed as 'standard' and not speciality or highly selective. ( though a pedi is specialized! Lots of extra training to care for and treat young people- in many ways they are more complex than an adult) ) There are highly intelligent people in all fields of work.
We had a wonderful pedi that we had from age o-4.5. He advised us wisely but respectfully in all areas. I didn't feel rushed and he absolutely noted both areas of concern and areas my kids exceeded normal development.
I also agree that Potty Training is not related to GT. And readiness signs may lead to early training or may just be part of a personality trait & awareness of being dry if a child is sensitive to wet/dry/messy. The knowledge of sensation and controlling them are two different bodily functions/skills. One is a self-awareness and the other is a physical muscular control. It is similar to a child that might be able to cognitively spell out loud & read but has not yet mastered the physical fine motor skill required to make circles/lines for writing the same words/letters.
As a parent of a now 10 yr old, one of my kids was very quirky as a toddler and is likely both on the spectrum of ASD and is gifted. She was provided support for ASD spectrum from ages 18 m to 5. She had very asynchronous skills (not walking at 18 m) but could read 1st/2nd grade level at 3.
I would completely base your reaching out for support dependent on your DS frustration level and how his behavior impact his daily skills. I work with preschool/toddlers and some behaviors are typical (tantrums, repetitive actions, intense focus/listening,etc). It is the level, intensity,and frequency that would separate typical behaviors and not typical.
As for the developmental scales ( such as ASQ, Dial, Lollipop), they are for flagging skills not mastered or making sure a child is meeting milestones on a typical trajectory. They are not great at identifying/quantifying kids ahead of developmental skills. If a child has not mastered a skill for an age category- it is reason to further explore. Usually basic checklists are composed of skills mastered by x age for 90% or so of kids.
If you have concerns on ASD/OCD I would seek out a therapeutic center or Early Intervension. They can parse out skills and give a vague idea if Intervension is beneficial at that time. If OCD/ASD behaviors are interfering with his ability to interact with his environment, seek out support in the form of Occupational Therapy or Social Skills.
At 18 m, you will not find many places to address if he is GT and/or If he has OCD/ASD unless it is severe but rather they may identify if he would benefit from supports due to behaviors out of typical range that might impact future development . For example, sensory aversions (not getting dirty, messy) is not unusual but if intense can result in avoidance of textures/clothing/activities and/or cause a child to avoid doing things beneficial to growth (refusal to go in loud places, extreme distress to textures or sounds,etc).
We used our child's strengths to help her more difficult areas. For example: provided written schedules for her to help her transition activities, allowed her to engage in repetitive behaviors when she seemed stressed (sorting/organizing toys) , put shoes on to reduce toe walking on sensory averse flooring, organized her spaces (bed/room) to fit her needs, which have evolved over time but included items of whatever obsession she had at the time and kept room dim with soothing wall colors. We also provided tons of books and sensory toys since that is what appealed to her. She's had lots of labels,over the years and certain times or environments appears more GT or more ASD...it changes and really is complex. Kids don't fit into tidy boxes or checkmarks that are so often listed on developmental scales. That's OK.
A snapshot online of a very young child is tough, but I fully agree on finding health providers that support your concerns! I would also suggest not only a written list but also video clips of anything you think is important to make the Dr or provider aware of. It can be really helpful to visualize an action in a home environment vs describing it. It also will allow other people to see skills your child has mastered in a more objective way.
Last edited by KCMI; 01/02/16 12:17 PM. Reason: Spelling
