19 month old autism signs ..

[kellbelle92]

I’m becoming increasingly worried about my son .. he’s 19 months old 20 months on the 19th oct.
I literally cannot stop my mind going on overdrive I’m worrying myself into depression I can feel it. Here is some of my concerns ..

• no speech, doesn’t really babble normal like dada dada or baba just ahhh and oooo and nothing that seems like he’s directing it towards a person .
  
• doesn’t point , if he wants something he will go and get it himself never indicates he needs help with anything.
  
• doesn’t wave and doesn’t clap- I try and make him clap hand over and but he then just grabs my hands and makes me clap insted of him doing it himself
  
• he flaps his arms a lot when excited
  
• he is obsessed with spinning things doesn’t play with things appropriately at all
  
• puts EVERYTHING in his mouth
  
• runs off , doesn’t really look and panic to see where we are
  
• doesn’t follow instructions
  

Here and some things he can do

• when eating his dinner I give him his spoon and tell him ‘bay do it’ and he will put feed him self then give me the spoon back
  
• he will hold your hand and try and Lead you to go outside or to a door he wants opening
  
• he loves cuddles and gives good eye contact
  
• loves to climb and go down slides
  
• he has started to respond to his name a lot more now
  

I know I can’t have all the answers I’m looking for I would just really appreciate it if someone with any experience of anything like this would give me some insight of what’s to come I’m so scared that he will never talk - feeling pretty hopeless and down to be honest 😔

[wintertravel1980]

Hi OP - unfortunately, it seems you may have valid concerns. Of course, there is still a reasonable chance things will sort themselves out over next few months but there is no harm in trying to get an appointment with a development paediatrician for a proper assessment. Most HVs and GPs have little knowledge of ASD so I would just ask for a straight referral. It may useful to be prepared and have results of M-Chat and the relevant ASQ-3 questionnaire ready.

M-chat: www.autismspeaks.org/screen-your-child

ASQ-3 for 20 months: steeplechasepedi.com/wp-content/uploads/Forms/ASQ/ASQ-3-20-M.pdf
You can find the scoring sheet online by googling for "ASQ-3 20 months scoring sheet".

My friend from the NCT group has just had her DS (2 years 9 months) diagnosed. He is a funny, smart, affectionate boy with advanced speech but a few notable quirks on the social communication side. She is telling me that the confirmation of the diagnosis has given her a huge sense of relief. Most of her family thought her ASD suspicions were completely unfounded (since her DS is such a good talker) and kept repeating standard phrases you hear so often ("you should not compare children", "they grow up at their own speed", "they will all catch up at some point", etc, etc). While these lines may sound reassuring for some concerned parents, in other cases they turn out quite unhelpful. At the end of the day, parents just have to trust their instincts.

Irrespective of the outcome, ASD is not the end of the world. Your LO will always be the same cuddly, smart and funny boy that you know so well and love so much. Going for a diagnosis will simply help you figure out what kind of extra support your DS may need (if any).

[kellbelle92]

Hi there thank you for your reply, my gut instinct is telling me there is something underlying definitely, it’s just a waiting game for appointments ect !
And yes , regardless of whatever the outcome is he will still mean the world to me I am just worrying myself sick that there is a chance he may never talk ,
Do you know if most asd children do learn to talk ?

[wintertravel1980]

Do you know if most asd children do learn to talk ?

Yes, this is what ASD research seems to suggest:

www.autismspeaks.org/science-news/children-nonverbal-autism-overcome-severe-language-delays

The waiting game sounds awful but my friend's paediatrician told her the best time for ASD assessments is the period between 30 and 36 months (of course, her son is 33 months so there is a chance he was also trying to re-assure her). Apparently, it may be difficult to diagnose younger borderline toddlers on the spectrum - usual assessments may result in inconclusive results and require follow ups. I would try to get on the waiting list and, perhaps, use the time to rule out other potential issues (e.g. vision / hearing impairments, etc).

[Dof2A]

@Kellbelle92

I know this post is over a year... I just want to know what progress your son has made as my 18month old daughter is showing all the signs you mentioned.

[kellbelle92]

Hello, my son is 3 next week and doesn’t have a diagnosis yet but they say it’s very likely he’s autistic. He still hasn’t said a word, started to make more sounds but they come and go. Communication wise he’s got a lot better, he tried to tell you why he wants now but hand leading and throwing my hand at stuff and his joint attention has got a lot better also. Progress is slow but it’s there! I do in my heart of hearts believe he will stay non verbal though which has been hard to accept

[Dof2A]

@kellbelle92

Thank you for the quick response. I hope everything goes on well for us ALL..... 🙏🏾

[Lolly2803]

Hi! It sounds very much like ASD. I have twins who have ASD and they are polar opposites. They are 3yrs 8months. My DS is very verbal, doesn’t stop talking but didn’t say a word till he was about 2 and nobody could understand him except me till he was about 2.5. My DD is non verbal. She uses pecs which I highly recommend. Like you I am desperate for her to talk and that’s all I care about but beyond giving them tools to communicate (like pecs for example) there is nothing you can do. I would definitely pursue S&L. Privately if you can afford it as wait times and Covid times makes things very restrictive in my experience. Good Luck! xx