Social Skills Development Begins in Early Childhood.

Answer these questions about how your child usually behaves. If you have only seen the behaviour one or two times, check no.

Does your child usually do the following?

If you answered “No” to 2 or more of these questions, contact your pediatrician for a more thorough social / developmental evaluation.

EAP Malaysia also conducts Diagnostic Evaluations to determine if a child fits the criteria of an autism spectrum disorder.

About early social delays

• Parents may be concerned that there is “something different” by the age of two
• Language development is usually, but not always, behind that of peers
• The child likes to do his own thing. He/She may watch others but usually does not interact
• Plays with toys in unusual or repetitive ways; pretend play is limited
• Some children seem aloof and are difficult to engage; others are affectionate, even clingy
• Some children engage in odd mannerisms but many children under three do not

Help is available

Children with social and language difficulties share some similarities with those with attention problems, learning problems, developmental language problems, and autism spectrum disorders.

Before the 1990′s, these children did not receive much help and many of them did not get much better. Now, research shows that about half of even the more severely affected children can improve enough to be like their friends and succeed in school.

During the toddler and preschool years, children are able to learn rapidly. For this reason, children with social and language difficulties show much greater improvement if they begin treatment before age five and receive intensive treatment (35 to 40 hours per week).

For more information about Diagnostic Evaluations, click here

For more information about Developmental Assessments, click here