Before I start I'll just say, I'm not cross with my friend at all, it comes from a very good place without malice. Her DS is autistic, but it took them a LONG time to get in the system and get a diagnosis because signs weren't picked up on til much later on.
So she's genuinely well intentioned and trying to help.
However she has only seen DS over Zoom calls since the first lockdown started, and despite a few things she's raised I'm not overly worried - however I AM a bit worried that perhaps I am being too laid back and I should heed her advice more hence me posting on here.
He's ten and a half months and I think I should give it time as it's too young to isolate any red flag behaviours, but I accept I could be wrong and not wanting to see these things.
Things she's flagged:
- He twirls his wrists. He's done this since about seven months like he's conducting a mini orchestra.
- He doesn't point at the moment. He sometimes follows my point if he's not distracted but not all the times.
- He wasn't waving - but I think he's just started, he was opening and closing his hand at a worker in Tesco yesterday when she was waving at him. He also 'high fives' and if you say 'kisses' and kiss his palm, then say 'again' he will hold his palm up for more.
- He doesn't mimic as such. However he will smile back at you if you smile at him, and we do a little goldfish mouth thing at him which he will do back. But those are the only other things he'll copy at the moment.
- He doesn't spoon feed himself - he used to but won't now, he will guide the spoon in
- He doesn't hand toys to me or follow an instruction to get a particular toy - we haven't really practised this, I'm going to start
- He doesn't really have stranger danger, he's a very smiley and sociable little boy and is happy to go to other people. BUT if I'm in the room he will grumble and try to get to me, even if it's DH holding him.
- He doesn't really gesture, aside from lifting his arms and bouncing to be picked up.
- He loves toys that have flaps or doors you can open and close
- He's not saying any words yet but does a lot of mama, baba and sounds and is very vocal with these.
*He's fascinated by a particular light in our house and grins at it whenever it's turned on or off - only that light though (I think this is pretty normal for babies, he's done it since he was tiny and isn't bothered by other lights).
I'm not worried as:
He's easily distracted
He responds to his name
He will find a toy if I hide it under a muslin (providing he hasn't got lots of other toys within reach and isn't distracted
He places things inside a pot and takes them out
He's very smiley and sociable
Although he loves the light he doesn't sit staring at it
He's constantly looking for me and will be playing, then crawl over and look at me, will check I'm watching when he's playing, looks to us when he's done something he's pleased with
He's developing in other areas really well so I think he's focused on physical rather than communication at the moment - he's pulling up, cruising, trying to stand, crawling, sitting (clumisly) from standing and sitting from crawling.
His pincer grip is good and he feeds himself with his hand, is a good eater and not fussed by different textures
Nothing he's doing seems to be a huge red flag to me, especially when I think about the things he's grown out of previously, or how quickly he's progressed, but I don't know if I'm being willfully blinkard?