Lorel,
I believe that early detection is key for helping autistic children and when parents wait for the schools to point out the red flags the window of opportunity can be missed. But even the m-chat I posted makes it clear that children under 18 months should not take the test b/c a lot of what will be seen can be typical toddler things.
Also I have asked doctors about the spoon issue before (and I won't get into the details of why.) Yes it can be a red flag for autism but it also is a sign of our society today. Toddlers are more likely to be given finger foods instead of something that requires a spoon.
As for this particular case with Anna's son... her eyes have been opened up to the possibility of being on the spectrum. She and her husband are talking about it and monitoring it and I have a feeling that she will ask her pediatrician during the next visit. BUT I do agree that her latest post makes sense for the lost words and is why you should not jump to the conclusion of the spectrum when a toddler before age 2 loses words. There can be many a reason for the loss.
Also Anna ... I have no idea if your doctor's office will do this but the offices in our area provided a survey at the 18 mth appointment that is looking to screen for autism. If I remember correctly, the lose of words were not on that survey but the spoon and climbing upstairs as well as loud noises were.
