14-month old slower than peers?

If this is all correct, yes, she should be check for developmental delays. I really don't like it when people automatically start saying Autism with situations like this, because there are SO many other things it could be, like Hearing Impairment that has not been diagnosed......Speech Apraxia, etc....I work with developmentally delayed children and also have my own special needs child, so I know for a fact that the answer of Autism isn't the case for everyone.

Concerns definitely need to brought up to a pediatrician and ask for referrals to a local Early Intervention program.

Oh Lord, here come the Autism Nazis again. First, autism is a VERY complex diagnosis; only a professional can even suggest it. Secondly, teething is not a true developmental milestone. Three teeth at 14 months is perfectly fine.

That said, your niece may have some type of developmental delay. Was she born early at all? That may be the cause. I would suggest that her parents contact their local Early Intervention program. Every state has an EI program, which provides free, in - home evaluations and therapy for children ages birth to three who have a developmental delay. Her parents can get the number from their pediatrician.

Remember, 1 in 5 children under age 5 has some type of delay. That statistic isn't nearly as high in the older population. Quite simply, children with delays have a great chance of catching up to their peers with the right intervention. The earlier the delay is caught and treated, the better the outcome. Good luck.

You know, it could have something to do with the fact she's an only child.

My daughter and my cousins son are 6 weeks apart, and it always seems like he's reaching milestones so much faster than my daughter. Then I sat and thought about it, and they have a 12 and a 7 year old helping him out on a daily basis, playing, showing him new things and teaching him, My daughter is an only child, and while I do work with her, I know if she had a sibling, she'd be picking things up a lot faster.

As long as the child is reaching SOME milestones around the time when they should, they're doing alright. All children are different.

If they thing something else is wrong, the doctor will be able to diagnose it if there's something there.

Everyone is different and we all develope at different levels. It could be serious, but I wouldnt worry about it too much yet. As long as their Dr is aware of what she is and isnt doing. It can take some kids 5 years to catch up to the developmental level of their peers.

If they are not happy with the response from their Dr get a second opinion. If it is something more serious than delay - she can be put in an 'early intervention' class to help her develop skills to cope in life.

Yes, normally pediatricians do measure normal or not. Autism is on the rise, and even in children this young she could get an evaluation if you found out local resources of where to go. Its tricky because all kids are different, and differently abled. Personality can also play a role. Just because a child is behind their peers developmentally doesn't mean something is definately wrong. It may be cause for concern, and I feel at this level should merit further evaluation just to be on the safe side. The benefits of finding out sooner than later are great since they can intervene and get her up to date. There are a lot of great programs out there to even help kids who have nothing wrong but are developing much slower than other children.

I know my doctor checked for milestones at regular check-ups...if your worried than make sure to bring it up at your next doctors appt. and MAKE them check. But, all kids develop differently and she might hit all her milestones at once very soon.

Sounds like she could be autistic. I would kindly suggest to your husband's niece to get her evaulated ASAP.

Doctors are suppose to check for this at check ups. Perhaps they need to switch doctors....