what where yoyr childs early signs of autism?

[ditsydoll]

I posted here yesterday about Ds not reacting when I call his name (he's 11 months)
No other red flags, he did look at me a couple of times but wondering if this may just be coincidence really..
He's babbling mummy, Dada, iya (whilst waving if there's someone there)
He will wag his finger side to side if I say tick tock (like a clock)
He loves peek a boo and other interactiva games, he has good eye contact and is thrilled and wants loads of attention if someone enters a room.
He's not that interested in toys although he will play with them, he would rather climb all over the furniture and play with me.
He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth.
He bites his hand if he's frustrated.
Can anyone tell me about early autism signs?
I don't know why but my instincts tell me there's something wrong.

[ditsydoll]

Oh he also claps his hands if I ask him too or if I sing a certain song.

[stillenacht1]

With my DS it was not pointing by 12 months, no interest in shared activities, not responding to his name (appearing deaf)... However he was also having petit mal epilepsy (although undiagnosed at the time) then . He was dxd with autism at 28 months.

Other things...grabbing my hand and throwing it in the direction of something he wanted, not much babbling, v v v v interested in the washing machine, watching spinning things (wheels of cars and buggies).

[ditsydoll]

I just have an instinctive feeling that Ds is autistic. Anyone I have even mentioned it to in RL thinks I'm being rediculous because Ds craves attention and is very interactive and lives songs and games etc but it's really niggling at me.
There's hardly any resonse to his name no matter how loud or often I call him.

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

I think your son sounds perfectly normal to me. Not responding when you call his name could be because he's engrossed in something else. You say he has good eye contact, interacts with you, puts things in his mouth, bites his hand when frustrated, all perfectly normal. Do you find yourself an anxious mother generally? Why do you feel something isnt right?

[Doinmummy]

He sounds fine to me too. Does he respond to any sound? Is it just his name he ignores?

[stillenacht1]

The interactive part makes him sound fine to me too...my DS couldn't have cared less about interacting, only using me for things he wanted.

[stillenacht1]

(He is still like that at nearly 11!)

[coppertop]

I'm trying to think back to when my two boys were that age (both have autism).

Ds1 had no real interest in people at all. He much preferred to be left to do his own thing. He didn't sleep very much at all. He had no interest in toys at that age. I think the first thing he showed an interest in was a Bob the Builder telephone a couple of moths before his 2nd birthday. He didn't babble and didn't understand instructions.

Ds2 was a small whirlwind. He was obsessed with the colour red and any circles he could find. He had a few words at 10mths but lost them all within weeks. He was more interactive than his brother, but mainly if it involved movement (being bounced up and down or anything physical).

[ditsydoll]

He responds to other noises yes, if he's been with dh and he hears my voice but can't see me he looks for me, but when I say his name there's just nothing. I could be 2 feet away repeating his name and he just carries on with what he's doing.

Yes I'm an anxious mother if I'm honest but this is just something that is really bothering me.

[ditsydoll]

Ds doesn't sleep much, we co sleep and he wakes a lot just to be comforted during the night. He has great eye contact and seeks eye contact and engagement from anyone he comes into contact with, just the not answering his name that's concerning me.

[coppertop]

There's an online test you could look at but it's not usually used until a child is a little older (around 18mths or so):

www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/diagnosis/screen-your-child

Your ds wouldn't, for example, be expected to point at 11mths old.

[CinnabarRed]

I don't have any basis to advise you - but if it's bothering you perhaps book an appointment with your GP?

[BuzzardBird]

He sounds fine. The not answering is something I have noticed with all children tbh.

[karatekimmi]

At 11 months Toby would respond to random words (we hilariously called him different names to see which he's respond to - crapbag, fluffy, etc!!) he didn't respond to his name any more than any other word. His friends seemed to have similar abilities at recognising their names.

This isn't to make a comment about whether he has autism or not, but everything you've written I could have said, and now at almost 2 I have no reason to think he has any autistic traits.

[ditsydoll]

He does point, and he follows my finger if I point at something.

[ditsydoll]

Thanks karate, he has answered to his name before although I can't recall because I wasn't looking for it, but iv noticed since he's been getting round that if I call his he doesn't turn to look at me.

[coppertop]

The pointing is a really positive sign. My ds1 had no concept of pointing or what it was supposed to mean. Ds2 had to be taught what it meant, and even now (age 11yrs) will still usually point with his middle finger - which can lead to misunderstandings from passers-by........

[ditsydoll]

coppertop I love the middle finger pointing Haha! He points mostly at me or at his sister but has pointed at objects too.
He also holds his hands up to be picked up and always has eye contact when doing so.
If not autism then why isn't he responding?

[Canus]

Screaming.

It started at about 18 months. He'd been the world's easiest baby until then,but from 18 months to 3.5 years I was in constant fear of the neighbours calling the police.

He screamed at being changed, being fed, if he couldn't find a Lego piece, if his brothers looked at him, if his reading book was lost, if he had to get dressed, putting his pyjamas on, when brushing his teeth, washing his hair, bathing, going anywhere, coming home.

He screamed on the bus, on the train, getting in and out of the car...

At about four years old, he found his voice. He is now extrordinarily eloquent, but the first four years of his life really impacted upon his siblings.

We lived in a state of constant anxiety.

[ditsydoll]

That sounds really hard canus, he does scream, particularly when I try to change his nappy but not so much that I'd be concerned, he just hates being restricted now that he can get around well.

[RubyrooUK]

Ditsy, he doesn't sound like he is displaying autistic signs and it would be too early to tell anyway. Hope the comments here are setting your mind at rest a bit.

Could it be that he just doesn't know his name? DS1 didn't seem to know his name for ages which may have been because we called him banana or sausage the whole time. DS2 has known his since very early on but mainly ignores it (he is 13mo) as he isn't interested in paying attention as he's too busy.

[kinkytoes]

Have you had his hearing tested lately? Could be glue ear and he's just not hearing you.

[stillenacht1]

Copper top my DS learnt to point (with middle finger) at 8. At nearly 11 still uses middle finger too!

[ditsydoll]

He's just gotton over a really bad case of chicken pox and had an infection in his pox and eyes so was put on anti bs.
Could this have caused glue ear?

[stillenacht1]

Ah yes the high pitched autie scream...yup, all he did until 3.3 years I think I have tried to block that out