Autism in babies…

[PillowTrout]

My DC is diagnosed autistic and ADHD. Since then, I’ve become very interested in researching neurodiversity and have made friends with many parents of SEN children.

One thing I find interesting is symptoms in infancy. Most health professionals agree that you cannot reliably recognise or diagnose ASD or ADHD until around age 2. I have always maintained that I didn’t notice any symptoms until my DC started primary school, however, since talking to many parents I have found that most of our children exhibited one of the following extremes as babies:

• Extreme passivity as infants. Being too ‘good’. Happy to be left alone for long periods, not crying much, often sleeping through the night from an early age. Appearing very content, but with hindsight, a symptom of not being particularly bothered about interaction. Not particularly bothered about being left with new people, just generally appears very laid back.

OR

• Extremely unsettled as infants. Crying excessively, very clingy, not sleeping well or at all, sensory issues clear since birth. Often not feeding well. Just being generally very hard work. Often described as being very difficult to pacify.

I haven’t met many SEN parents that report average development or behaviours in infancy. It always seems to be extremes of behaviour, although at the time, it wouldn’t be recognised as too abnormal - just a particularly difficult or easy baby. It’s only with hindsight that these are noticed.

Another observation is milestones reached late, or too early. The too early group I find especially interesting as I feel this is under reported. Those in the early group put this down to their DC just being ahead, or strong, or intelligent. It’s certainly true for my DC - they were crawling by 5 months, walking by 11 months, and talking fluently by 18 months. I always assumed that because they didn’t meet milestones late, they were fine and couldn’t possibly be autistic… but this extreme of being so early on certain milestones I see in hindsight could also indicate ‘abnormal’ development.

Interested how many people identify with anything I have observed.

I’m sure there are patterns and signs which are common in babies who later are recognised as autistic, but the problem is a lot of babies display those regardless of neurodivergence, so you couldn’t really determine if they were early indicators or just babies being babies.

Oh - and when I say my DC was walking at 11 months - I mean confident walking, not wobbly steps.

My son has ASD, he is 3 now but he was extremely unsettled as a baby, it was actually horrific and I hate thinking back to that time, autism first entered my mind at around 7/8 months!

He was within the average ranges for meeting all the physical milestones though

I have 4 dc with autism. Dc1 would happily go to anyone and wasn't bothered if I was there or not. He never slept. Dc2 didn't have any symptoms until he was one, and he used to shake his head repeatedly. Dc3 didn't have symptoms until he was 2. Dc5 I knew from birth as he used to scream all the time and he didn't smile until he was 5 months old.

@Sparklesocks I do understand that. Many autistic behaviours can be exhibited by babies who later grow out of it. However, I haven’t met many parents of NT children who describe their babies as being either ‘extremely good / passive’ or ‘extremely hard work’. It normally always falls somewhere in the middle. I’m wondering if these extremes of behaviour could indicate neurodiversity in these infants.

My DS was in the 'passive' camp. I remember he didn't cry for first heel-prick test or vaccination, which should have been a red flag as it turns out he lacks tactile sensitivity due to poor sensory processing. He also showed signs of light sensitivity very early - would stare at ceiling lights for hours as a baby and couldn't sleep at all unless the room was as black as a cave.

Slightly late (but not alarmingly so) with other milestones - crawling at 12 months, walking at 15 months.

I started suspecting autism at about a year. He was diagnosed at 3.

DS was diagnosed at 3 with global delay, ASD.

He was a terrible sleeper, wouldn't settle, night terrors, couldn't sleep more than a few hours.
Walking at 10 month.
Refused to crawl
Very large head circumference in relation to body,
No speech but babbled.
Very clingy.

mine was walking down the street by 10 months. Talking abstract concepts with complete sentences by the time her brother was born, so, by 17 months. excelled academically but didn't really have friends, significant mental health crisis by 13, diagnosed ASD 14. So, yes, early milestones in our house.

My friend works in an ASD service and assesses children day in day out and when we were chatting about it in babies she said in her experience it's VERY rare for there to be no symptoms before the age of two-it's only the occasional child who doesn't show anything until 2. Interestingly she said exactly the same as you, that as babies they're either really chilled (which is about them essentially not communicating their needs) or really really fussy xx

My DD didn’t sleep for more than 2 hours. I literally didn’t get a sleep for 5 years. Apparently very common in young autistic children. I wish someone had told me!

My child and nephew are both autistic. When they were babies we would have described them as challenging and too good respectively. Other family members commented on it loads at the time.
Definitely agree, my son was impossible to settle and has real sensory issues now. The too good baby struggles with speech, was non verbal until 3 .

I have three DC, and two of them displayed some of the signs mentioned in your OP (DD was a very laid back baby and DS1 met milestones v early). All three are NT.

I'm not saying you're wrong that ND babies are like this, but it's just too difficult to differentiate at this age.

I told my HV that my DD had autism at her 9 month check.

I was told there was no chance.

I do think she will eventually be diagnosed with autism.

DS1 was extremely unsettled and cried all the time, took years to sleep through the night. He was an exceptionally early talker, but not physically advanced.

DS2 was fairly chilled (not passive), physically strong and an early talker (but a couple of months behind his brother).

Yep. Spot on. My eldest was the easiest baby. Slept incredibly well, early on. Met all milestones early. I remember on his first birthday (walking well at 11 months) he ran out ( I mean ran ) the back door and jumped over five steps to land in the paddling pool which was full because it was a lovely day. Good birthday outfit soaked. Diagnosed at 9 after knowing there was something different but not what it was.

DS was a perfectly average baby, met all milestones at an average age ie walked the day before he turned 1, speech patterns were perfectly normal then at 2yrs his speech regressed massively and i started to notice other behaviours that suggested he was Autistic. He is diagnosed with a whole host of things including ASD.

DD crawled at 4mths, walked at 8mths and was having full blown conversations at 11mths. She is NT

DD was delayed in everything apart from speech, the most chilled baby ive ever met and she has been refered for an asd diagnoses.

@KalaMush I suppose it is the extreme element of the behaviours I am referring to. You mention your DD was a very laid back baby. I can only remember my DC crying once. I just assumed I was a brilliant parent who was super attentive. They slept well pretty much from day 1 and would have naps during the day of 3 hours at a time. They would happily lie on their play mat for a long time without seeking me out. I could take them anywhere and there was never any fussing. I remember we went abroad at 18 months old and they simply continued with the routine they had at home. There was no recognition of the cot / room / climate being different. Just seemed completely unbothered. Nursery was also a doddle - they simply walked in and never looked back.

When I mean passive and easy, this is what I mean. I would say this is pretty extreme.

My DD14 was a nightmare baby, didn't sleep day or night, very unsettled, cried non stop, couldn't put her down, very difficult. She didn't sleep through the night until she was 3.

My DS12 never woke for a night feed, never cried, the most laid back, placid baby and child you could wish for.

Neither are autistic or have any SEN.

Mine was the second one- a literal leech! I love him to bits and he's a bit better now but he needed constant touch/contact as a baby and constant stimulation. He smashed his milestones. We've had a recent assessment for ASD and he didn't pass the ADOS because he's so ahead of others. They didn't care about how highly strung he is at home and how much we have to ensure everything is just right for him at home after school or the meltdowns we have to endure. They've asked us to come back in the futures if anything changes. Bastards. That's 3 years wasted. I'm a Psychologist who works in the field and I can't believe how bad our assessment experience was.

Ps. I knew between 6-8 months there was some neurodiversity present when DC would refuse to make eye contact with me and look into the middle distance when I'd try to interact with them.

My DS was an extremely fussy, unsettled, high needs baby. He’s 5 now and doesn’t have ASD.

Interesting theory OP. I wonder what the research says?

Anecdotally, most of the autistic children I know have very spiky profiles. Nobody ever seems to sit ‘in the middle’ of any trait. For example, one might be completely tone deaf whilst another has perfect pitch. Or one might have hypotonia whereas another has overly-tight muscles. Some autistic children I know never stop speaking whereas others are situationally mute. I guess this links in with your theory.

This is of interest to me as my HV has suggested my baby has ASD based on observing him bouncing in his rocker once. She said the need to self stimulate to the extent it almost falls over and makes a racket means he could be autistic. I said that made no sense to me and was a baby being a baby.

Mine didnt cry when he was a newborn for about 2 weeks. Not even when changing his nappy. nothing. And he would just sit in his bouncy chair, quite content....

I thought it strange at the time and have since wondered if it was an early sign.

My oldest was an incredibly high needs baby - recognised as such by the health professionals BEFORE 6 weeks of age. He was part of a programme of cranial sacral therapy they were offering to young babies who were "angry". He has very severe ADHD and a diagnosis of ASD. Late to talk but other milestones were within average
My second was definitely easier but has more severe ASD and ADHD to a lesser degree. Milestones met as expected except he crawled at 5 months!
Youngest actually slept, not much obviously but as he gets older (15 now) traits are becoming more apparent.

Strangely when people tell me about their early achieving infant it always gets my spider senses pricking. Children that hit milestones early be they physical or intellectual sometimes mean just that - that they hit that milestone early and will average out soon or that its indicative of "an issue". Its rarely the indication of a genius, sadly