Having dealt with my son’s simple language delay for the past year, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know a number of other parents (mostly mothers) in a similar situation, including some whose children are autistic and others whose children were hastily (over)diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or PDD-NOS. I’d like to pass on a little of what I’ve learned from their experiences.

If a child is autistic (and I’m not trying to imply the diagnosis of the LW’s niece was either right or wrong), the parents usually recognize the truth of the diagnosis in their gut, even if they may not immediately be able to accept it in their heart. These kids do need intensive therapy, and the sooner the better. In addition to the wonderful work of Dr. Stanley Greenspan that’s already been cited, I’d like to mention Dr. Jim MacDonald, who has developed a set of methods for improving communication with developmentally-delayed children (see http://www.jamesdmacdonald.org/ - and he also has a Yahoo Group that is full of support and advice). Neither of these guys is hawking a miracle cure. What they offer are proven, gentle techniques to enter into the child’s world and build a truly social, loving relationship.

However, I’m skeptical whenever I hear that a child was “cured” of autism. Some professionals and paraprofessionals are quick to diagnose virtually any late talker as being on the “autistic spectrum.” Some of these kids are simply late talkers, like my own little pumpkin. Speech and language delays often go hand-in-hand with quirky behaviors that resolve once language begins to take off. That’s why for some kids, two years may well be too young for a firm autism diagnosis. Severe autism is often clearly apparent by then. “High-functioning” autism, Asperger’s, and PDD-NOS cannot always be distinguished from language delays at that tender age.

Similarly, intelligence cannot be accurately assessed in a preverbal or language-delayed child unless a nonverbal intelligence test is used, but evaluators quite commonly assess cognitive capacities with language-based tests. This can result in normal, bright, and even gifted children erroneously being labeled as mentally retarded.

Getting an accurate diagnosis matters, because children with simple language delays do not need the same kinds of therapies that may be appropriate for autistic children. The most common approach to treating autism, applied behavioral analysis (ABA), can be a godsend for an autistic child with significant behavioral problems; it can be disastrous for a late talker without other issues. By contrast, Greenspan and MacDonald’s techniques can benefit all of these kids, because they not only build social and communicative skills, they enhance the parent-child relationship. Similarly, child-led, play-based naturalistic speech therapy can only help, regardless of the child’s underlying issues. (See for example http://www.geocities.com/speppera/Speechenrichment.htm)

Parents usually have sound instincts. If you’re facing a developmental delay, of course you’ll need to find professionals you trust, and learn from the experts – but never forget that you are the world’s best expert on your own child. If a label or diagnosis doesn’t fit, question it; seek a second or third opinion. If your child is sociable, making good eye contact with you and trying to communicate, you can be pretty confident that he or she is not autistic. If that’s not the case, then pursue the most effective intervention you can find, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek additional opinions if an intervention doesn’t seem to be working. Get support for yourself, in real life and virtually. And most important, don’t let worry crowd out the joy. The most effective “techniques” in helping my little boy talk have been love, humor, and music.

Yes, this site is obviously financed and packaged by well-heeled anti-abortion activists who're a few years (minimum!) beyond high school.

But there are also some genuine teen voices represented, too. Case in point: the sections of the forum where girls express their desire to become pregnant! Judging by their wretched grammar and spelling, I'm willing to bet a lot of these girls see early motherhood as their best option. And at Standupgirl they've found others who'll validate this choice.

I'm not condemning women who have their babies very young - many do an admirable job of raising their kids - but I'm horrified at this site's romanticization and positive encouragement of teenage motherhood.

At first I thought this didn't quite compute. After all, these girls seeking to become pregnant are violating a basic fundie tenet: no sex out of wedlock. But I guess they're conforming to an even more important one: women should be financially dependent and so burdened with childcare that they lack the wherewithal to question authority, be it their god, father, or eventual husband. Maybe that's why the site's backers are willing to tolerate their behavior.

This article does a nice job of diagnosing the current system's many shortfalls. I especially appreciated the analysis of the spoiler problem.

But if we're going to amend the Constitution anyway - as any of these proposed voting methods would presumable require - why not go for the whole enchilada?

Proportional representation has worked pretty well for the Europeans. (Even Italy, according to the Italians I've known, though you might not guess it from the outside.) It protects minority rights, prevents spoiler effects and strategic voting, and forces competing interests and their representatives to negotiate in good faith. The potential problem of splinter groups can be neutralized by requiring parties to meet a certain threshold (usually five percent of the vote) in order to be represented.

I know it's un-American to suggest that Europeans might've gotten something right. But for you skeptics: Consider than this would pave the way for an American Green Party to gain influence. Or, if you prefer, the Party of Hot Internet Babes (I'm not a sorority girl but I could be its first party leader).