Christine Bryant Times correspondent

Just before her son’s second birthday, Abigail Warneke grew concerned that he still wasn’t speaking many words.

“At the time, we didn’t think he was autistic or had any other conditions, since he interacted with us,” the Orland Park resident said. “Looking back, he did have some sensory issues that probably tied back to being autistic — sensitive to the lawn mower or loud car engines.”

After enrolling him in speech therapy, his speech language pathologist recommended that his parents get him further evaluated by a licensed clinical psychologist since he was approaching preschool age. His official diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, came in March 2024, just before he turned 3.

Now 4, Warneke’s son receives speech, occupational and social t

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