Q: My son is 2 years old. He is our first child. He was born through a caesarean. All his milestones were delayed. He started rolling over by 9 months, started sitting by end of 1 year and started walking on his own by 18 months. Currently he is going to a playschool. His teachers say that he is participating in group activities like singing rhymes and but he is not interested in individual activities like story telling, etc. He hasn't started speaking yet. He was blabbering ma, tha, sometime back but has stopped that now. We did a hearing test, which was OK. We also did metabolic errors testing and there were no abnormalities found as per the specialist. Some of the paediatricians are suspecting him to be autistic and asking us to consult some special schools. Recently he started responding to his name and he started obeying single commands like come here, give it to me, sit, stand, clap etc. What should we do now?

A:There is perhaps a marginal delay in some of the developments of your child, but he does seem to be going in the right direction. I think you must be more patient and not press the Fast Forward button! There is no specific indication of Autism. Just provide him with toys and picture books and blocks and soft balls. Let him play with them and learn to have fun. Let him listen to music; the kind meant for children as well as classical music. Instead of going to more experts for more tests, spend time with him and enrich his experiences in every way. Be tender and affectionate with him, rather than expecting tangible achievements. If you feel that there is a problem in six months, write to us again then.