If your DC was later diagnosed autistic…

[Ponderingthemeaningoflife]

…did they point as babies/toddlers, and play peekaboo? I find those questions so strange on the questionnaire (DC referred for assessment). DC did both but that doesn’t mean they are not autistic!

Yes, DC did both. They were diagnosed at secondary school but it was a struggle at first to get that diagnosis because they didn't perfectly fit all the categories on the diagnostic list.

It's only one question among many to build a bigger picture. DD was diagnosed age 12 and yes, she loved peekaboo.

Yes and they were dx with Asperger’s at 12

I was useless at those questionnaires - couldn't really remember which child did what when. The psychologist was concerned about only crawling at >12 months and walking at >18 months - but the child she was diagnosing was now 13 years old so a bit late. Health visitor and nursery didn't say anything at the time.

Yes, DS did all of that. Masses of interactive and imaginative play, really engaged.

Yes he did both. Diagnosed aged 12 but on a list for assessment since age 8.

Yes, did both. Diagnosed at secondary school after battling for years with professionals who dismissed other issues on the basis. 'they make good eye contact' or 'they seem socially motivated'. The level of ignorance in primary care and schools is a scandal.

Yes both mine did. Loved peekaboo!

Yes dd met all her milestones. Diagnosed at 11.

Yep. Talked early, smiled all the time, eye contact with everyone, wasn’t nervous or shy, had friends, played.

She’s 16 now. Has massive sensory issues and some hierarchical speaking problems. Her main areas are sensory and anxiety.

My dd didn’t match any of the normal markers in early childhood.

Just wouldn’t wear buttons (?!) and had massive meltdowns especially after school. That and inability to tolerate loud noises were the only indications.

My nephew never pointed or played peek a boo. He was diagnosed at 3

Thank you for all the responses. Sounds like many were diagnosed later in childhood which if DC is, he will be too.

Yes, absolutely. Diagnosed at 12 (on waiting list for 2 years). Like pps, he doesn't present 'typically' but is definitely on the spectrum.

Mine rarely pointed but loved peekaboo.
Diagnosed age 6.

My DD was diagnosed at 8 and she didn't do either as a baby but I never really noticed I only realised when they asked.
A good clinical team will be aware that presentation is complex.
For example DD does make eye contact and mirrors so at first glance can appear NT.

Yes mine definitely doesn’t present “typically” @weebarra .

Didn't point me ch but loved peekaboo. Diagnosed at 5.

Yes. But I feel I missed a lot of signs because I wasn’t looking for them, for example eye contact has always been fine with me, I didn’t notice he didn’t look at other people.

My son loved peek a boo.

I thought he had great eye contact but it turns out it was only with me.

Definitely - really socially engaged, and people would comment on great eye contact from when he was a baby. Loved peekaboo. We have always had people dismissing concerns because he's just so sociable.

Diagnosed at 11 after years on waiting list. Main issues were around things like sensory, emotional dysregulation/overwhelm, understanding of social cues and expectations, communication of needs/feelings, demand avoidance, rigid thinking, transitions, anxiety...

But always very motivated to seek out people and can be extremely outgoing and engaging.

There is a Tony Attwood video I watched on YouTube where he talks about a particular subset of aspie kids who rather than retreating, kind of barge into stuff, talk too much, try and take over games. This was a lightbulb moment for me.

Yes, DD2 did all that 'normal' stuff. Diagnosed at 19. We've had suspicions since she was about 14, which coincided with a lot more work on how autism manifests in females. She's so incredibly good at masking.

It's much better now she's allowed to be herself.

DD diagnosed at 11 with Aspergers. I suspected she was autistic at around 3/4 but we didn't get diagnosis then. She had eating disorder which was not picked up as pointer towards diagnosis. She hated clothes with buttons, which made school uniform a big problem. She had sensory issues and hated loud noises. The school was actively hostile towards her and us during the dx process and very unsupportive. We were glad to get her out of that toxic environment.

DS suspected autistic at 4, finally diagnosed 4 years later.

DD copes much better now at college, aged 16. Still struggling to get DS into a special school, he isn't coping well at all.

Yes ds played peekaboo and pointed, did the usual milestone things

but we noticed at around 2 or 3 that he didn’t imaginatively play, really struggled socially in playgroup and later in school, had really poor sleep and awful meltdowns that could go on for hours. Also obsessed with cars

I of course was told it was in my head, I was an over anxious mother (hospital psych wrote that on my sons notes) I was a crap parent etc.

diagnosed with adhd at six and then after completely falling apart in school and becoming very violent and aggressive towards me he was finally diagnosed with autism at 13.

dd1 the opposite. Hit every milestone, spoke early, read early, was on the g and t register at school and was no problem until she got to about 8 and then started struggling socially and mentally.

it got to the point in school where her anxiety was so bad she ended up in hospital in the middle of her gcse after a suicide attempt. She hated change, had no social life, felt like she didn’t fit, had many intense obsessions (still does)

finally diagnosed at 15. She’s 20 now and struggles hugely. She masks a lot and her meltdowns take the form of going very still and quiet for hours, days and lying in bed

Your DS sounds like mine. We are waiting for the report back with results but yes while they were doing the questionnaire I felt like I was saying "no problems there" (eye contact fine, early speaker/reader, can be sociable) so often I began to doubt myself and wonder what I was even doing. Similar difficulties to your case.
Then I think about the three autistic children in my class and how totally different they all are from each other. I'm not even sure I could find one thing in common with all three apart from "a diagnosis of autism"
I will look for that video.