To think my baby has autism?

[CanStopWillStop]

I've asked DH and DM but they've shut me down pretty quickly, need a second (third,fourth etc) opinion.

DD (11mths) has been reaching milestones as far as I knew, early crawler, early walker, sitting up etc.

However I got my 1 year check survey and was surprised by a few of the questions, namely: does your child respond to your voice/when you call their name.

DD hardly does either. She also doesn't make great eye contact like other babies. I go to play groups, so I see how other babies look me in eye, DD doesn't really do that often. DH and DM don't see other babies, so they don't really get what i mean.

I'm going to the doctors check up next week but I've been doing research an apparently 'answering to name' should be an early milestone (6-8months) and now I'm worried I missed the red flags and feeling pretty shit about it tbh as I know early intervention helps with autism.

Anyones LOs similar to mine? AIBU to think it's probably autism?

@MariaVT65 How about you 'give it a rest'? Why are my messages bothering you that much? Whether I've messaged once, twice or thrice, why has that affected you to the degree that you've actively put in the effort to message 'give it a rest'? It's a platform for anyone to comment on for whatever reason they like, however many times they like.

I don't see any rules on Mumsnet or restrictions from preventing me from commenting on older threads? If she MAY not be active then she won't reply, why do you feel the need to come and be an unpaid moderator have you not got anything better to do?

However from one mother to another, I sincerely hope and pray that if you're ever going through such a worrying time in your life that you do find yourself on forums during sleepless nights messaging the same thread three times, that you'll find messages of support rather than pathetic ones like 'give it a rest'.

In conclusion, I will not 'give it a rest' for you, Maria.

@Morph22010 No one comes on here looking for a diagnosis and neither am I. I purely want a follow up from a mother who has a child displaying pretty much exactly the same behaviours as mine.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis from her nor am I silly enough to think that anyone could give a diagnosis.

These forums are for mothers to share their concerns, get opinions, read other threads and have the right to comment for follow up.

Thanks for your helpful comment though.

Using your analogy no one should come on mumsnet and comment anything about their children's symptoms, concerns etc regarding ANY illness or problem as no two children are the same and if one child is displaying any kind of symptoms or behaviours doesn't mean that another child is.

Right?

Or actually, everyone can. Cause no one is looking for a diagnosis from another mother, and I'm sure everyone knows that no two children are the same but it becomes somewhat more likely, even if just a little, that if children are displaying EXACTLY the same behaviours that the outcome MAY be similar.

Again thanks for your very helpful comment though. Have a nice day!

Hi OP,
I have two autistic kids.
Both met most milestones early but by 18 months both made limited eye contact/stopped answering to their names consistently. Around this time their sensory needs and differences in language development became apparent.
I think you'll know a bit more by this stage.
No one believed me with DD either - she's just turned 2 and I'm still fighting to get her on the appropriate pathway, although my partner and my dad do now recognise that she's autistic.

What does his MMR vaccine have to do with anything? You can't seriously still believe that one discredited paper from decades ago over all thw research that's been done since?

Yeah that's not how autism works.
My children also met most milestones early, they are verbal, made social gestures etc, then around 18 months their development shifted and sensory needs, gestalt language processing etc became more apparent, and their social communication skills/interest changed a lot. This is very typical in autistic development and has nothing to do with vaccines.

I’m sorry you have taken this the wrong way but I was trying to be helpful. if you make your own post you get lots of comments and you can evaluate them and take on board what is said overall. So if you post asking about something and 100% of a lot of answers are in line with what you think it gives you a clearer picture.

If you ask one person and she says her child turned out to be autistic that doesn’t mean yours is or isn’t, it is no help whatsoever to you. For info my child is autistic although he’s now a teen and I asked lots of questions on mumsnet was he was younger

I agree and its such a broad spectrum even when a child does get a diagnosis ,no two people with autism are the same.

DS met all his milestones - just, tended to be at the latter end of the window. Don't remember issues with him responding to his name.

What he had from birth was a dislike of being undressed/having his clothes changed and having a bath. All of which have carried on and are now clearly sensory issues, but we didn't think anything of them at the time.

Point being it's very hard to tell anything at an early age unless their are very obvious signs that something isn't right. However I don't think there is any harm in mentioning it to a HCP - it could be a hearing issue, could be autism, it could be something else, might be nothing but its worrying you and we're given lists of milestones so if they're not met questions can be asked in case there is an issue.

@Morph22010 Thanks for your response.

I did start my own thread but got 2 replies only.

I haven't just asked one person on Mumsnet and I'm not basing my child's possible future prognosis off this. I'm in touch with my HV, have read/ commented on lots of posts on Mumsnet and the likes of these parent forums to get opinions and discuss things. I do understand what autism is, and that it's a spectrum and no two children are the same. I wanted to comment on this forum to get an update on OP's child, which sounds exactly like my child currently at 11 months, to gather more information and possibilities.

@MariaVT65 As I'm replying to another commenter so yet again back on this thread, I thought id comment again to say, give it a rest!

Most likely you'll definitely see the comments as you're active now in 2024 and not years earlier like OP.

@x2boys Hey, sorry I forgot to tag you seeing as you quoted my message above I thought I'd reply.

I don't know how much clearer I can be but I'm NOT 'looking' for a diagnosis.

Telling me to speak to my health visitor or peads like you genuinely think that hasn't popped into my head already when I have major concerns regarding my baby is so strange. Of course I'm in touch with my HV and seeking help and opinions where I can. Parent forums are supplementary and are here for discussions with other parents. In this case, the thread, regardless of how old it is, directly relates to my child in that he's displaying the same behaviours so I've commented to get an update. YES I KNOW that my child may or may not have autism, may or may not have the same outcome as any children displaying the same symptoms at this age but I CAN ASK for my own knowledge and information.

Regardless of the outcome of this OP's child, it WOULD be helpful to know to ME, irrespective of anyone else's opinion.

Thanks for reading