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HELP!!! 7 month old displaying signs of autism or not?!!

62 replies

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 15:50

Hi,

This is my first post on here, always reading others posts, but I feel like I need some answers about my DS milestones/progress.

i’lll start with the positives so he’s 7 months and ten days and can-

Sit up unaided but only when I put him into the sitting position.

eye contact is okay will look at you but not great.

can reach out arms when I go to pick him
up.

Sleeps relatively well always, but cannot roll over only has a handful of times from belly to back, never back to belly.

Can track objects and follows people if they leave or come into the room.

Will smile at us and occasionally laugh but not a great deal. Enjoys peekaboo.

can shuffle on his tummy but backwards.
lifts feet and brings to mouth.

babbling/screeching sometimes started grunting more and tensing his whole body when laying down on back which is worrying.

OKAYYYY NOW THE NEGATIVES:

hasn’t rolled back to belly

no interest in toys won’t reach out for them himself when he’s sitting up or on tummy time, will reach out for them when on his playmat on his back and if we hand him a toy he reaches for it but goes straight into his mouth.

constantly wants to put everything into mouth.

opens and closes hand throughout the day and stares at it for a few seconds each time.

doesnt really look when we call him think he turns more to the sound not his name.

scratches surfaces not constantly but does.

when sitting on sofa or floor constantly kicking his legs like rubbing his feet together.

arms and legs always moving

wont imitate or copy sounds or if we sing to him he won’t babble along.

not clapping
won’t really cry if he’s hungry
constantly looking up at lights or ceiling even when outside looks up at trees.
has no separation anxiety.
doesn’t cry when he wakes up.
no babbling mama or dada
will look everywhere but me when he’s outside in his pram

wont attempt to hold his own bottle

looking for any help and advice please?

one very concerned mum!

OP posts:
Mumof3bb1 · 30/04/2024 17:23

Thanks all for the reassurance I’m a mess atm @LauderSyme do you remember any things that stood out to you at 7/8 months?

OP posts:
LauderSyme · 30/04/2024 15:10

My son is diagnosed with high functioning autism, people agree he is severely affected. Absolutely nothing on your list resonates with me from his babyhood.

Joleyne · 30/04/2024 15:06

Way too early to be talking about autism! Truly!
Please don't worry overmuch about those checklists. They're meant as indicators, not examinations and your baby boy sounds a darling!

hookiewookie29 · 30/04/2024 07:47

He's only 7 months and everything he does sounds absolutely normal!
My daughter ( now 21 ) only ever rolled over once. She scared herself so much doing it,she cried for ages and never did it again! She was nearly 19 months before she walked. Not autistic, just did things differently!

Mumof3bb1 · 28/04/2024 13:23

@Katela18 thank you. I hope that is the case too, as he’s not clapping, pointing or even imitating anything we do. I read the 9 month checklist and it says if he can bang objects and he doesn’t they just go straight in his mouth and if he knocks things off his high chair by accident he doesn’t even care or realise 😞

OP posts:
Mumof3bb1 · 28/04/2024 13:20

@Blondeshavemorefun thank you for your reply. He turns to sound and looks so I think sight and hearing is fine, as when I dangle something infront of him he follows it and tries to take it from me, but when say he’s on the floor on tummy time he won’t reach for his toys or when he’s sitting up and they are infront of him he won’t reach for them.

he also doesn’t care at looking at himself in the mirror will just look up and around I find he looks at the ceilings in each room/light fixtures maybe doesn’t help my house has a lot of black lights🙈

OP posts:
Katela18 · 28/04/2024 08:05

ZoChan · 27/04/2024 22:15

Your baby also has four big people around him, doing stuff for him. Whereas your girls didn't. He has been born into a different family than your firstborn was, so he will react and develop differently too. If you're very concerned, contact your healthy child practitioner

This is like what it is....
My little brother was 'lazy' into terms of hitting milestones - but he had 3 older siblings who talked for him, gave him toys, held his bottle etc so he had no need to do it himself

Also, I myself had an older girl then a boy, I'd say my boy was way more 'physical' in terms of moving around lots but babbling, responding to name etc came later than with my girls. 7 months is way too early to be worrying about this

Blondeshavemorefun · 27/04/2024 23:55

I'm a mn /was a nanny for 20yrs and many of the babies I've looked after haven't rolled

Mini blondes went backwards crawling for think 2w. Drove me insane as she kept getting stuck in corners 😂

Babies always put things on their mouths. How they explore

Agree with the poster who said about 4 older people around him

Are you worried about his sight or hearing ?

mondaytosunday · 27/04/2024 22:29

My son never crawled. He eventually figured out rolling and that's what he did and he didn't walk independently til he was 18 months (he's a fitness instructor now so obviously didn't affect his physical abilities). All babies are fascinated by their hands - it's like 'what's that? Wow I can make it move'! As stated above putting things in their mouths is totally normal -.it's why you never leave small things around. Waggling their arms and legs also totally normal.
I don't think you should ever consider a baby 'lazy'.
My DD didn't like toys much. A couple stuffed animals.
Don't compare one child with the next. There going to be a very wide range when kids hit certain milestones. If concerned go to a clinic if you don't have a HV. Ask them.

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 22:18

ZoChan · 27/04/2024 22:15

Your baby also has four big people around him, doing stuff for him. Whereas your girls didn't. He has been born into a different family than your firstborn was, so he will react and develop differently too. If you're very concerned, contact your healthy child practitioner

This actually makes a lot of sense, thank you!

OP posts:
ZoChan · 27/04/2024 22:15

Your baby also has four big people around him, doing stuff for him. Whereas your girls didn't. He has been born into a different family than your firstborn was, so he will react and develop differently too. If you're very concerned, contact your healthy child practitioner

jannier · 27/04/2024 21:51

All sounds pretty normal so far

LifeWithADHD · 27/04/2024 20:03

These are all very normal things

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 20:01

@KathieFerrars That's amazing how your sons progressed. Do you remember any signs looking back? I think I get so worked up thinking of it as you just don’t know!

OP posts:
KathieFerrars · 27/04/2024 19:05

Mine rolled at four months.
He loved moving trees
He had good eye contact with us
He loved peekaboo
He laughed and engaged well
He was diagnosed with autism aged four
He is sitting next to me now, an adult. He has just driven his father to buy a new tv and has set it up
He is cooking lunch for us tomorrow.
No one could have told anything from him at 7 months as to any form of diagnosis.
Your baby is lovely. Enjoy him. It may be something or it may be him. You will deal with it whatever happens and there isn't anything you can do about it now.

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 18:02

@Perfect28 it’s not the fact he’s putting things in his mouth it’s more how frequent and it’s everything from toys to clothes to his own hands/feet like it’s non stop!

@Ellie525 thank you, Google and tiktok videos of ‘7 month olds hitting milestones etc’ are what I need to steer away from 🙈

@Singleandproud thank you, and you are right he could just be the more active type of baby but just atm he’s acting like a potato a fidgety potato may I add 🫢

OP posts:
Perfect28 · 27/04/2024 17:43

It's kind of worrying you think a baby putting things in their mouth is a negative? You know OP that 7 months is way too early to know and what difference does it make anyway? If your child is autistic you can't change that.

Ellie525 · 27/04/2024 17:26

@Mumof3bb1 Please dont lose sleep over it, sleep is precious enough when they are that age 😅
Its easy to compare to others but the same mums are also comparing their baby to yours in other ways too where yours might do something earlier.. and even if your DS is the last one to fo absolutely everything (unlikely!!) He will do it when hes good and ready dont worry 💕💕💕

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 17:08

Hi @Ellie525

i totally understand you in terms of forgetting timelines but I was reading through the girls record books which has dates they hit milestones etc 🙈

I think as a mum I just don’t want anything to be wrong and when I Google stuff it comes back with autism etc hence the constant worry I was never like this with the girls so I am aware that it could be health anxiety playing a part too!
its just when you see others the same age reaching out and crawling, clapping and rolling you just panic!

Thanks for all the responses it means a lot getting others opinions of reassurance I might get some sleep tonight!

OP posts:
Singleandproud · 27/04/2024 16:52

@Mumof3bb1 but that's what babies do. He is just different to your other children and he isn't even old enough to be 'behind'. You may have a very active child so investing in things like the £££ Montessori / Pikler triangle climbing thing and associated slides and ramps, balls, scoot along toys. Lots of active activities when he is old enough etc he may prefer a tots gymnastics session perhaps more than a messy play but that's just his personality - be a bit rubbish if we were all the same.

Ellie525 · 27/04/2024 16:50

Sounds like a 7 month old to me! 😬🙈
And dont take this the wrong way but as its 9 and 13yrs since you had the girls you may be remembering exactly when they did things a little hazy? I dont mean that in a rude way but I know all my friends with much older kids wiuld struggle to name the exact month that young that they did stuff... 💕

Mouldyfoot · 27/04/2024 16:44

You could always reach out to your health visitor

underscorer · 27/04/2024 16:44

Good grief. He's seven months old.

Mumof3bb1 · 27/04/2024 16:42

Hi all,

thanks for the responses, so a bit of background no there is no autism in my family, I do have 2 older girls one 13 and the other 9, both were quite advanced at this age could crawl and played and reached for toys, they babbled and were early talkers, hence my worry!

I keep saying it could be just a boy thing and he might be lazy, it’s just my other friends have babies and they seem to be hitting all the milestones, so very hard not to compare.

it’s just the constant oh he’s so wriggly and fidgety comments even when sitting he’s constantly kicking legs or when he’s in my lap it’s like he’s trying to escape!

OP posts:
Vault4 · 27/04/2024 16:38

Sounds completely normal to me.

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