I suspect my 18 month old son is Autistic

[flowertot]

Hi,

I've been a member for a couple of years but i've not posted for a while.

Anyway, i've been worried about my son since he was about 13/14 months old when he suddenly stopped waving and clapping his hands and also lost the couple of words he used to say. family told me not to worry and it sometimes happens.

physically his development has been quite fast. he crawled at 5 months, walked at 9.5 months. also he has always been a very giggly baby (laughed out loud a 7 weeks old).

over the past 4 months ive noticed more an more things that are causing concern:

walks on his toes a lot.
Very obbsessive (especially opening and closing doors, drawers ect. and light switches).
Doesn't point to objects or look at objects being pointed to.
doesn't seem to understand emotion (except happyness).
does not enjoy sitting on someones knee.
doesn't understand pretend play.
Has never brought a toy and anything else to show me.
there are more but i wont go on...

on the plus side:

He enjoys kisses and cuddles sometimes.
he makes a good amound of eye contact.
doesn't seem bothered by change.
enjoys peek-a-boo (a lot!)

His health visitor has referred him to a pead. as she is concerned but she said she legally isnt allowed to give he opinions as to what she thinks but did say "trust your instincts" and also "its a good job you don't work because when treatment starts it will take up a lot of my time".

We have to wait at least 2 months before an appointment and also 9 months waiting for speach therapy.

i hear a lot of stories about regression. he's has a small regression already but i'm worried sick he will regress further as the stories seem to document regression at 2-2.5 years.

i would love to get some of your thoughts. i feel like ive been left alone with no support at all apart from my lovely hubby.

 

[fairywings]

Hi. My nephew has autistic spectrum disorder and my OH has ADHD. To be honest my daughter does some of that and she has a chance of having ADHD because of OH.

Some of what your son does sounds like my nephew and some sounds like my OH. So it could be a spectrum thing.

I know that my OH and my nephew only got diagnosed at 7 years old ( and now I think about it a friends son only got diagnosed at 7, too), so when the health visitor said it will keep you busy she was right. There are lots of specialists to see, but if he does have anything there is a lot of support you can get.

Children with ADHD, autism or the spectrum disorder just need more understanding and patience. I am not explaining it very well but there should be designated forums where people can help better. xxxxxxxx

 

[velvetina]

Hi lovely,

Gut instinct is def to be listened to, I knew something wasnt right despite 4 health visitors saying otherwise, and that was 14 years ago with my eldest.

Yes, quite a bit of what you are listing together are found in asd individuals.

To help you look in detail at those areas where asd traits are visible and to help awareness, I have attached a link for the Mchat which is a checklist for autism in toddlers, it should give you a good idea of what to look for. I would suggest making notes on all these, noting the date and his age, it will be a good marker for when you see the salt and any other health professsionals. Keep notes of what he is doing and his age, even now at the age of 15 I still need to refer to my extensive notes I kept for my eldest.

https://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html

Early intervention as previously mentioned is also a must, and don't be afraid to get on the phone and chase for those appointments. Sadly, you sometimes need to be pushy and fight for any therapy or help, don't be afraid to chase people and make a nuisance of yourself.

Enough of the negative, what about the things he is doing? What you list are really positive things, it is wonderful to hug your child. My son didn't speak or really want to interact but was happy to be cuddled no end by us and his grandparents (who we lived with when he was young). It gave me a way of being close to him where I had nothing else. The eye contact you can use when you talk to him to show him things even if you dont get an answer or response.

I talked to my son constantly and despite getting nothing back for years, eventually it paid off and when he started to speak I felt the constant repeating of everything and keeping it very simple so he could learn and retain it, helped.

Personally hun, and this is a controversial topic, but I would hold back on any further vaccinations for the moment. There is a lot in this, that you should google to make your own mind up, but just in case you hadn't thought about it.

If there is anything else I can help with, please feel free to ask me, I am a long way along the line, and have a ten year gap between my eldest and my middle so we have been on quite a long journey.

x

 

[flowertot]

Thank you very much for the replies ladies and thanks for the info Velvetina.

i went to an Autism Support Group today. Even though my son has not been diagnosed as Autistic as of yet, they welcomed me with open arms. if he does get a diagnosis then i've gained all the information i need to help prepare me and if he doesn't then.....hurray!

it was strange, but good! My DS walked straight into the room, picked up a toy and brought it over to me! i nearly fell off my chair i was so happy. of course i can't let myself get too excited but all the small things count now. Also earlier tonight i sang him a nursery rhyme and he clapped when i finished : ). hes not done that for a long time either.

some days i think to myself what if i'm wrong and others he does so many 'autistic' things i'm convinced that he is autistic.

What happens if he shows 'some' but not 'all' of the main autism symptoms?

 

[flowertot]

Hi lovely,

Gut instinct is def to be listened to, I knew something wasnt right despite 4 health visitors saying otherwise, and that was 14 years ago with my eldest.

Yes, quite a bit of what you are listing together are found in asd individuals.

To help you look in detail at those areas where asd traits are visible and to help awareness, I have attached a link for the Mchat which is a checklist for autism in toddlers, it should give you a good idea of what to look for. I would suggest making notes on all these, noting the date and his age, it will be a good marker for when you see the salt and any other health professsionals. Keep notes of what he is doing and his age, even now at the age of 15 I still need to refer to my extensive notes I kept for my eldest.

https://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html

Early intervention as previously mentioned is also a must, and don't be afraid to get on the phone and chase for those appointments. Sadly, you sometimes need to be pushy and fight for any therapy or help, don't be afraid to chase people and make a nuisance of yourself.

Enough of the negative, what about the things he is doing? What you list are really positive things, it is wonderful to hug your child. My son didn't speak or really want to interact but was happy to be cuddled no end by us and his grandparents (who we lived with when he was young). It gave me a way of being close to him where I had nothing else. The eye contact you can use when you talk to him to show him things even if you dont get an answer or response.

I talked to my son constantly and despite getting nothing back for years, eventually it paid off and when he started to speak I felt the constant repeating of everything and keeping it very simple so he could learn and retain it, helped.

Personally hun, and this is a controversial topic, but I would hold back on any further vaccinations for the moment. There is a lot in this, that you should google to make your own mind up, but just in case you hadn't thought about it.

If there is anything else I can help with, please feel free to ask me, I am a long way along the line, and have a ten year gap between my eldest and my middle so we have been on quite a long journey.

x

VELVITINA - i did the questionnaire and it says his score is 99 which may mean he has Mild PDD. of course i understand that its just a questionnaire but it was interesting to fill it in.

thanks

 

[velvetina]

Hi hun,

The spectrum is very wide and even when I talk to mums and we compare toddler traits, some of them will be different. Overall though there will be impairments in a triad of development, that will be communication, imagination and social skills.

Hun the small things are massive, I remember these to be the things that lifted my heart and gave me hope. They are positive things, make a note of them, keep it all logged.

On the topic of regression, I could feel my son litterally drifting away from me and I can remember spending the entire summer doing something with him every day (he was my first so I had the time) to try and pull him back. I didn't stop talking to him, showing him things, stimulating him and taking him places. Try not to panic, it may be because at this age development can be quite rapid and you are noticing the difference.

Remember, he is still very young, you may find as his speech comes the traits can change or disappear, especially if he not on the spectrum.

Hope some of that helps hun. x

 

[JASMAK]

My daughter has PDD NOS and we noticed probably around the 12 month mark there was something 'wrong' and by 18 months we brought her in, but she also had severe anemia, so they said it was that..which gave me hope...and they signed her up for speech therapy where she was referred to the Child Development Centre. They came once a week for a year, where she was also seen by three pediatricians, another speech path, an occupational therapist, and a childrens neuro-psychologist. She was then diagnosed as ASD. That was when she was 2 (nearly 3) years old. She is now 6. Her symptoms at 18 months was NO communication. Only eye conact with hubby and I. It took ALOT to make her smile, and I rarely heard her laugh. She NEVER showed us anything. She NEVER pointed, ever. She still doesn't. BUT....she has always loved cuddles. She loves being with us. I would say that she didn't understand toys at that age...and Christmas was always heartbreaking as she had no desire to open presents (she now does). If you feel there is something 'wrong', just make sure that even if you don't get a diagnosis, that you get the help your child needs. The sooner the better. Makena has come a looooong way. She is at grade level (going into grade 1), she does require a full time aid in school, but she is able to do most things now. Just today she read a book to me. Her communication is still behind, as well as things as self-care, and she has memory issues and behaviour issues (temper tantrums), but there is HOPE. No matter what...your child will always be your little baby, no matter what the diagnosis.

 

[MUMOF5]

Your story sounds a lot like how I noticed changes in my son, apart from the eye contact bit, when he 'lost' his words at 14 months he also lost his ability to look at people, and my son doesnt walk on his toes, but autism symptoms can vary greatly, as Ive found out over time. My son is 4 and a half, things are ok and he can say two words now . Its a long process going through the diagnostic process but if it does turn out he has autism then getting him a diagnosis will open a lot of doors for him when it comes to getting help, assistance etc. If you need anyone to talk to or ask about anything, thats been through what you are experiencing then just give me a shout. xx

 

[flowertot]

Thank you so much again for all the input.

i've got a few more things to ask.

Can early closure of baby's soft spot have anything to do with autism? Leo's closed up when he was 8/9 months old. i took him to the doctors and they just said some do close up earlier and its nothing to worry about.

He passed out a couple of times as a baby when he was really upset. it was like he would breath in and forget to breathe out when he cried. it only lasted a second or two and hes not done it for a long time now.

When he had the MMR vaccine he seemed to have a reaction to it. he had a huge raised red area that spread from his thigh almost down to his knee area. apparently this can be normal though??

He has a Hydrocele that was noticed when he was about 5 months old but the docs want to wait until he is two before they do anything about it as they say it will probably go away on its own (don't think thats relevant but though i'd mention it).

ok so here are some positive things he has done over the past few days:

he shared a buscuit with me and took turns biting it.
he clapped his hands spontaniously after i'd finished "row row row your boat"
he brought his bag of building block over for me to open it for him.
kissed a baby (who he didnt know) at the play centre.
i think he said "no" and "hiya" (only repeating it though)
he has also started to look at me for praise when playing. eg. if hes kicking a ball he will look at me so i say "well done" then he will smile and carry on.
he has started to understand instructions such as "bring mummy the keys" or "shut the door"
He almost always responds to his name.
Understands some hand gestures such as "high 5" and if i hold my arms out to him he will come running.

these are all improvements but other things are starting to become more noticable like

odd mannerisms (holding hand at strange angle) (leaning forward when walking)
stims (rocking, smacking own face, staring at lights)

He Doesn't stack or line things up though.

we are still waiting for an appointment. it feels like FOREVER!

are there any things i have mentioned that point away from Autism? if so what would happen if he was said to have autistic traits but not autism. would he not get any help?

this whole thing is so stressful. i just want whats best for my son and i want him to get whatever help he might need.

sorry to go on.

 

[MUMOF5]

Autism is on a very wide spectrum, some children will only display a few of the 'typical' traints, whilst others will display a lot more. Some of the traits show themselves in 'phases' whilst others will be constant. It really does vary from child to child.

Some of the things you have said do sound positive developmental steps, I would try not to speculate though, just see what the docs say. Its good that you are 'open' to the suggestion of autism, many mums that I have met along the way have almost rejected or denied their childrens diagnosis' making it hard for them to access assistance and therapies for their children.

 

[LoveleeB]

Hi Flowertot,

I was just wondering how you and your DS are getting on? Has he had anymore positive developments?

I hope you will get some answers soon, it's so hard always wondering what the diagnosis will be.

 

[QuintinsMommy]

my son has a speech and understand delay
only has 2 words mmm and uh oh , hes very outgoing tho, but i worry about autism sometimes because he lines things up
he use to wave but doesnt now and he use to clap around 1yr and stopped and recently started
anyway I heard its normal for them to drop some things they learned as they find it "boring"
good luck to you and your son

 

[Piyush]

Can you share what was the outcome?

Hi,

I've been a member for a couple of years but i've not posted for a while.

Anyway, i've been worried about my son since he was about 13/14 months old when he suddenly stopped waving and clapping his hands and also lost the couple of words he used to say. family told me not to worry and it sometimes happens.

physically his development has been quite fast. he crawled at 5 months, walked at 9.5 months. also he has always been a very giggly baby (laughed out loud a 7 weeks old).

over the past 4 months ive noticed more an more things that are causing concern:

walks on his toes a lot.
Very obbsessive (especially opening and closing doors, drawers ect. and light switches).
Doesn't point to objects or look at objects being pointed to.
doesn't seem to understand emotion (except happyness).
does not enjoy sitting on someones knee.
doesn't understand pretend play.
Has never brought a toy and anything else to show me.
there are more but i wont go on...

on the plus side:

He enjoys kisses and cuddles sometimes.
he makes a good amound of eye contact.
doesn't seem bothered by change.
enjoys peek-a-boo (a lot!)

His health visitor has referred him to a pead. as she is concerned but she said she legally isnt allowed to give he opinions as to what she thinks but did say "trust your instincts" and also "its a good job you don't work because when treatment starts it will take up a lot of my time".

We have to wait at least 2 months before an appointment and also 9 months waiting for speach therapy.

i hear a lot of stories about regression. he's has a small regression already but i'm worried sick he will regress further as the stories seem to document regression at 2-2.5 years.

i would love to get some of your thoughts. i feel like ive been left alone with no support at all apart from my lovely hubby.