Worried DS has learning difficulties

[Oldi]

Hi, wonder if anyone could advise?
My son is nearly 10 months and I have had concerns since he was about 2 months. My concerns are:

• he only recently started moving around, and it is like a commando crawl but he drags one of his legs rather than using it (asymmetrical crawling I think it is called?) He does not pull to stand yet, unless I hold my hands out for him to pull against
• he smiles loads at me, DH, gran and gramps but is wary with other people (at least for 1st half hour or so)... he just stares at them, although there are exceptions who he seems to take to straight away and smiles at
• he is scared of babies his own age if they make lots of noise right next to him but sometimes seems interested in other children
• he has severe constipation issues since weaning started, recently worsening despite medication (we have a paedeatrician appt soon which Doc is trying to bring forward following two trips to A&E) - this is despite being fed only organic homemade food
• he has never really lifted his arms to be picked up, doesn't really gesture yet with his hands, and doesn't point yet at all.
• I first became concerned when he was 2 months and didn't seem to want to make eye contact at all. This lasted for about 2 weeks then stopped, since and now he makes brilliant eye contact.

On the plus side, and things which make me worry less, are:

• he is very interactive with people he knows, playing games, laughing, playing 'rolling the ball to each other', loves peepo and singing songs where he anticipates his fave bits and laughs in anticipation
• he has been initiating peekaboo games for ages since 4 months, where he hides his face and laughs whilst we pretend to wonder where he is, then pops up laughing, For the last 2 months he has accompanied this game with saying 'boo'
• like I said, great eye contact
• very nosey, loves the supermarket
• claps lots, waves and has recently started saying 'eyo' ('hello') when waving. He waves to strangers and people who greet him
• fine motor skills good, finger feeds but will not drink water and rarely uses cup himself
• babbles plenty

I think my main concerns are lack of pointing and gestures, the constipation and the strange crawling where he just drags one leg. He uses both hands all the time but only drinks with his left hand holding the cup, and the leg he uses is his left one, so seems overly reliant on the left side of his body?
Any comments? Sorry for the long post, just worrying lots.

Have you shared your concerns with HV or GP?

"he has been initiating peekaboo games for ages since 4 months" - this is very advanced! so the main problem he has is that he is over reliant on the left side of his body, or in fact has difficulty using the right side. Which sounds more physical (even though the problem may be neurological) than being a learning difficulty.

He sounds, over all quite bright.

many of your plus side points are things my DS was certainly not doing at 10 months. And my son didn't gesture or point until he was at least 13 months. I don't think the things you have listed necessarily point to learning difficulties.
As lynette suggests the slight weakness on one side sounds more physical, if anything. I had a friend whose baby comando crawled and he was diagnosed as having a slight weakness in his right leg. The GP referred them to a physio and they got some exercises to do with him. He is now 17 months and walking fine so the exercises obviously worked.
Ask your HV if you are concerned. But push them and push them until you get an answer you are satisfied with.

I know the answer to the pointing and gesture thing - here you go...

"By 18 months a child should be warmly engaged and capable of initiative and two-way communication. She should also be able to use complex gestures to communicate what she wants - taking her mother's hand and leading her to the door or toy chest, or pointing, for example. Without the use of words, she should be communicating with her parents, clearly understanding much of what they say to her, and communicating many of her own wishes back. If by 18 months the child can do these things, her gestural communicaction is developing on track and the building blocks of symbolic expression and language are present. .......The child who has a circumscribed language problem that will take care of itself will be mastering these preverbal gestural communication patterns."

["The Child with Special Needs", Greenspan, page 386]

so that isn't a problem at 10 months .

I have absolutely no idea about the physical stuff! (though my eldest crawled like that - it's adorable but strange isn't it?)

My DS crawled like that too and was a late walker. Apart from wearing out one knee of all his trousers it wasn't a problem! He's now three and has no probs at all.

From what you've listed I wouldn't worry, he sounds adorable. Talk to your HV or GP if worried. They all do things at different times and any books etc will be very general.

My DD is 10 months and crawls backwards very badly, I wouldn't even call it commando crawling. She doesn't point or gesture to be picked up, apart from whinging or sometimes flapping her hands slightly. She's also very smiley with us but much more wary of strangers. Not pulling up to standing at all, never even seen her try it.

I honestly think it sounds normal!

my dd did same commando thing&was late walker.
she has hypermobility tho&had physio2help her.she walked a wk b4her2nd birthday.
the constipation could be a symptom of hypermobility syndrome as i know the2can go along2gether
it would be worth getting gp2see her&perhaps mentioning it all2paediatrician
everything else sounds normal though
hth

Sounds normal to me, but instincts are best and if you have concerns you should follow up.

Re the constipation- this is pretty normal, not severe of course, but lots of babies under a year get constipation as their systems get used to solid food. I would give him lots of water, fruit- bits of apple etc and tweak what you feed him to see what works- sorry if you have tried this already. I remember both children getting constipated between 6 and 12 months then as they cut back on milk and ate more fruit and drank more water/squash etc it got better.

Re the being scared, this sounds just like my DD she was very anxious of new people- sign of intelligence I think! She's a very normal 2 year old now and more confident than her older brother!

Re the crawling, well at least he's moving! Mine both didn't do anything until 11 months and DD didn't pull herself up until 17 months. Do not judge your baby by others the same age- there is a wide spectrum that is normal!

Hope you feel reassured, but do follow up concerns, instinct is best

Thanks so much for your replies, they have really helped me. Really, thank you.

Can't comment on the constipation, but lots of the things you list as possible concerns apply to 9.5 mo DD.

She can't crawl (either forwards or backwards!), only pulls herself up when you hold her hands, hardly ever rolls over, can often be sensitive to noise, she doesn't lift her arms to be picked up, but flaps and whinges!
Like your DS she engages well with people she knows and has a very strong defined personality. Try not to worry.

I have a friend whose DS crawled on one knee and one foot, which looked really odd. He was completely fine and shows no imbalance now.

don't worry I have 3 DS's and all very different...number 1 was walking at 10 months...number 2 draged one leg behind when walking...number 3 is 13 months and still just sits on his big fat bottom!! HV said it was ok so I am not worried...
Just enjoy him...you will only know if he has problems when he is a little older anyway xxx

Oldi - the thing about smiling at family faces, surely that shows he is starting to recognise familiar faces which is exactly as it should be. He's probaly not reacting to strangers as he does not recognise them. Don't worry about the crawling - friend of mines child did exactly the same, they all find different ways of moving some of which look more bizarre than others. My DD didn't pull up until well into her second year in fact she wasn't even moving or able to put her feet flat on the ground at a year so he is doing way better than my (now very active and physically normal) DD at that age, in fact I think she had only just sat unsupported at 10 months. All her gross motor skills were way late.- it's just the way she was. Don't know about the constipation so can't advise you. I also seem to remember DD went through a phase where when other babies let out piercing squeals of delight she burst into tears and got really distressed - it just startled her I think and did pass.