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Does this sound like my son is autistic? 19 months old! Help please.

89 replies

momof3boys5 · 26/05/2021 21:38

My son is 19 months old. He says around 10 words right now, but he does babble all day long. I’m slightly concerned at the lack of speech but he’s my first born so unsure how speech develops in this age, but by what I’ve read it seems ok to have around 10 words right now. I’ve been on the Mchat screening for autism as I’ve seen a few people recommend it and after answering all the questions he scored a 0 which is the lowest risk. He points to show me things, to what he wants, he gives me eye contact, he’s affectionate, he’ll role play answering a phone, or he’ll watch me hoover and grab his little hoover and clean to. He’s smily, expressive. Loves other children.

⁃	Lays on the floor sometimes to push cars around. I’ve read somewhere this can mean autism? Something about the way a child views a toy. He only does this occasionally. But will move onto his front and says brum as he pushes them.
⁃	Last few days he randomly walks on his tip toes, happens for about 5 seconds and then he won’t do it again. He’s never done it before? Don’t know why he’s doing it now all of a sudden. He’s been walking since 11 months. 
⁃	Has started to line things up. Is this a schema that all children go through, or is lining things up a link to autism? He lines his  cars and dinosaurs up the most.
⁃	At nursery he will join in with the other kids but plays along side the other children/alone a lot of the time, but apparently children his age play along side each other. He only goes 1 day a week, so it’s still all new for him. He was 6 months old when lockdown began so didn’t have a lot of socialising and he’s almost 2 now, he does brilliantly with how little he was able to socialise with other children. 

Is he just a toddler being a toddler or is it something I should be concerned about? Members of my family keep making comments and it makes me so anxious. Advice please, feeling super worried and just need some advice.

OP posts:
LIZS · 26/05/2021 21:40

Sounds like a typical toddler to me.

sbhydrogen · 26/05/2021 21:40

No, it doesn't.

DarcyLewis · 26/05/2021 21:41

None of that sounds like autism.

Pieinthesky11 · 26/05/2021 21:43

Speech sounds fine as does everything thing else...maybe your anxiety could do with a bit of "work" /relaxing xx

WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 26/05/2021 21:43

Sounds like a typical toddler to me.

Youdoyoutoday · 26/05/2021 21:43

Sorry but you sound like you are purposely going out of your way to freak out thinking there is something wrong when there really isn't, he sounds fine, happy, content, healthy, stop freaking out over nothing.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 26/05/2021 21:43

Sounds exactly like a toddler being a toddler :)

KatherineOfGaunt · 26/05/2021 21:44

My 2 1/2 year old does all these things. I would not say he's autistic in the slightest.

Step away from Google!

Duploisthebest · 26/05/2021 21:44

No he sounds perfectly typical foe his age.

BarbarianMum · 26/05/2021 21:46

Yeah, you need to calm down. If those things were important signs of autism dont you think they'd be included on the MCHAT?

fishonabicycle · 26/05/2021 21:47

I'm struggling to see how you possibly be seeing autism? All sounds completely normal.

LostArcher · 26/05/2021 21:48

Nope. He sounds neurotypical. Lack of pointing would be my prompt. You can diagnose anything on google if you believe it enough. Enjoy your boy.

Rathmobhaile · 26/05/2021 21:48

The parallel and associative play types he's doing are perfect for his age.

The tip toe walking at the amount he does wouldn't raise a concern for me.

The lining up stuff is normal and isn't exclusive to children on the ASD spectrum.

His language seems fine - it's a very variable skill at that age.

His play of watching cars is fine too - I'd be more concerned if he did no other type of play but he is.

Honestly - he sounds lovely.

(I'm a play therapist and I've a degree in early childhood studies).

Immaback · 26/05/2021 21:48

Sounds so very very normal to me!

momof3boys5 · 26/05/2021 21:49

I presumed lining things up was an sign of autism, same as tip toe walking and playing alone rather than with company. Are they not symptoms then?

OP posts:
momof3boys5 · 26/05/2021 21:51

Autism runs in the family so it's something that's in the back of my mind. I think everything is fine and then family members make comments and it makes me second guess things and then I think well maybe something is amiss if they keep making comments about him and the way he is. It's hard not to question things.

OP posts:
KatherineOfGaunt · 26/05/2021 21:52

My toddler loves to line up his trucks in a row or his bath toys on the edge of the bath. I really don't think he's autistic and I'm not concerned.

Moonshine11 · 26/05/2021 21:53

Tip toe walking would need to be 24/7 to be flagged. My HV said this to me last week!
He sounds great op

beepbeepbonk · 26/05/2021 21:54

Neither of mine scored 0 on the Mchat. Eldest I have concerns but GP won't refer, youngest is almost certainly NT.

Happycat1212 · 26/05/2021 21:56

Neither of my autistic children line things up

SnarkyBag · 26/05/2021 21:56

My son has ASD and doesn’t tip toe walk or line things up. The lining things up thing is a bit more complex than that in ASD and If it were related to autism you would probably be seeing a lot more repetitive play styles of behaviour and other issues.
Nothing you’ve posted would raise a flag IMO for ASD. What your describing can be associated traits but also when seen in isolation are quite typical developmentally appropriate behaviours.

partofyoupoursoutofme · 26/05/2021 21:59

Ah love I know what it's like to feel so anxious about development, it's awful and all consuming. I think you might benefit from a chat with your gp about anxiety, because nothing you have listed should be of concern. Your child sounds happy and healthy.

It sounds like you have fixated on autism as the scariest thing that can happen. There are many other conditions that affect children, do you look for signs of them or do you just worry about autism?

Try and access some professional help, to get reassurance that your son is doing well. You don't want to miss these precious months and years worrying unnecessarily Flowers

Wolfiefan · 26/05/2021 21:59

My eldest was an obsessive liner up of things. Not autistic. It’s just something he liked doing.
At that age playing next to instead of with is very normal.
I was a tip toe walker. Because I get cold feet!

orangejuicer · 26/05/2021 22:01

Sounds like a typical toddler to me. Try not to fret.

Sh05 · 26/05/2021 22:02

Yup sounds normal. My DD is 19 months and besides the fact that she's picked up loads more words sounds pretty much the same as your little one. She is the youngest of 5 though so has alot of people to learn from. She's started pulling herself onto her tippy toes as well, likes to follow older sister around but also likes to just get on with her own playing alongside her.