I need answer to this question because i want to know how to measure my son cognitively. I have 4 years and three months old on spectrum that:
1- express his needs when he wants something. He use 'i want', 'i need' when ask for something.
2- Has no clue about the time. He does not know at all about the time concept.
3- No behavioral issue such as rocking, spinning, head bang...etc.
4- He does not carry on a conversation. He has severe communication problem.
5- He points to request for⦠read more
Our developmental pediatrician told us that 40% of those with a diagnosis of "classic" autism (as under the old diagnostic criteria) have mental retardation. Autism is fairly common in children with Down Syndrome, for example. There is a little girl in my DD's preschool in the "intensive" class who has both Down's and autism. She is a total sweetheart, but she is going to face very different set of challenges as she grows than my DD.
Every kid is different. As a general rule, though, there are a few easy things to look for between four and five:
1. Learning to speak clearly.
2. Speak in grammar-accurate sentences.
3. Count ten or more objects
4. Correctly name most colors and shapes.
5. Recognize some letters and possibly write with prompting.
6. Start to understand the concept of time and the order of daily activities, like breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner at night
7. Have enough attention span to watch a TV show.
8. Follow two- to three-part commands. For example, "Put your book away, brush your teeth, and then get in bed." (hahahaha. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. That is more of a milestone for typical kids, I hope.)
9. Recognize and respond to familiar requests, such as "STOP"
10. Respond to questions such as "What is your mommy's name?"
I don't place much reliance in the online IQ tests for four-year olds, because they tend to focus on pattern recognition, which is only one dimension of the cognitive skills needed to attend school and learn from it.
I think if a child has ASD - certain level of cognitive impairment is implied (whether delayed or not) but it varies significantly from one child to another. The good news is that cognitive skills can improve over time. One can do a formal neuropsychological assessment. We haven't done one yet for our 4 year old on the spectrum, but we are very aware of his strengths and weaknesses.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/10...
Yes, he is 4 years old.
I wonder the same about my sweet K. I wish there was a way to know! He's only 4, though, right?