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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

People keep saying my ds has autistic tendencys. advice would be much apreciated

21 replies

Charleesunnysunsun · 23/09/2006 20:09

I didn't know where to put this so sorry if you think it's in the wrong place.

As i said in the title a few people have mentioned that my 2yr old ds has some autistic tendencys. Having never had anything to do with it i have no idea weather he has or not.

I think it's becuase he's is very particular in some thing's he does which people find odd. He will sit for hours with his bricks and line them up along the edge of the rug but they have to be perfect or he get's very upset by perfect i mean in line not wonky. he also does this with cars and shapes ect and again really can't seem to deal with things not being perfectly placed.

I have noticed this but don't know if it's classed as 'normal' or not. He is very repetitive in alot of things he does but i again i don't know if thats a typical toddler thing.

Sorry if this seems a silly thread and sorry if i have offended anyone in my wording but 3 or 4 people have said it and i was wondering what everyone thought. Thanks

OP posts:

dandycandyjellybean · 23/09/2006 20:10

no advice, sorry, but bumping for someone who might...good luck.

Overrun · 23/09/2006 20:14

Hi Charlee, I'm sure there is more to a diganosis of Autism than repetitive behaviour, although that can be part of a presentation. Is his language appropriate to his age?
Whatever any one else thinks it is really whether you and your partner are worried that counts.

Original poster

Charleesunnysunsun · 23/09/2006 20:16

His language seems ok to me but again i am a first time mum (at the moment!) and i only have my 2 nieces to compare him to and people say girls are quicker than boys anyway. He does do alot of just kind of poining with noise rather than words but he does have a big vocabulary so i think that is just lazyness. (god im gonna feel bad if its not!)

OP posts:

Pinotmum · 23/09/2006 20:16

Who has pointed this out to you? Have they any experience of austisic children do you know?

Pinotmum · 23/09/2006 20:18

Posts crossed but if your son points I think this is a good sign.

WideWebWitch · 23/09/2006 20:19

Hiya. My sister (who works with an autistic boy) said the same to me about my ds when he was about 2. He had to line cars up perfectly and was very particular about it. He most definitely is not autistic or anything other than nt though and is now nearly 9. So imo this can be a typical boy/toddler thing. Dd is now nearly 3 and she will carefully build a tower of Jenga bricks, being v particular but I am also sure she's nt.

So, I'm no expert but I do know I had the same thing said to me and it wasn't correct in my case. Does your ds point? Because I think not pointing may be more of an indicator tbh.

Chandra · 23/09/2006 20:20

DS is obsesive with order and used to line up things as a baby, and he is OK.

Dnephew didn't line up things and he is autistic.

Is he pointing?

WideWebWitch · 23/09/2006 20:20

I have seen Jimjams say many times that pointing is a good sign. (She has a ds1 who is autistic)

Overrun · 23/09/2006 20:22

Pointing, interacting and good vocab are all positive. I think Autism is so much in peoples minds/news that it is what every one thinks of if a child doesn't conform. Having said that, he is confirming to what a lot of boys do, they love lining cars and trains up.
I don't want to be so reasuring as to be dismissive, but think you would have probably noticed or been concerned yourself before now if it was a major issue

Original poster

Charleesunnysunsun · 23/09/2006 20:22

He does point but he knows the words for alot of things so sometimes doesnt need to IYKWIM.

The people who have said it are a few family members who i'm not sure have had much experience except my mum who has worked all he life with children with various problems. ( sorry don't want to write problems but cant think of appropriate word)

He had an 18 month check and did everything the health visitor asked him to without any worries.

OP posts:

fattiemumma · 23/09/2006 20:23

pointing is a very good sign that he isn't ASD to be honest.

if the rest of his development is good (or at least your not concerned about it) and the only casue for concern is the fact he is a little particular then i wouldn't let it bother you.

as he gets older if there are more things that you notice then mention them to your HV. she will then be able to put you in touch with other professionals who can do an assesment.

ASD has had a lot of publicity recently and so people have a little info on the subject, its easy to read a list of symptoms and apply some to almost any child.
try not to worry

Olihan · 23/09/2006 20:23

This might help a bit. It's just a basic outline of autistic spectrum disorders but might make things a bit clearer. Autism isn't like other conditions in that the way it affects different children is HUGE so don't panic too much about what other people have said. If you are concerned talk to your HV or GP.

Original poster

Charleesunnysunsun · 23/09/2006 20:26

He does seem to have stronger emotions that other children his age, that may sound wierd but if he;s happy he's extatic, if he;s upset its extreme to the point we have had problems with fits and breath holding.

If he;s scared he's very scared ect ect. I have no idea about linking that with autism or any other issue but i have noticed that behaviour wise that anything else. He is also quite violent to some animals and children but can;t seem to grap that he's hurting it may be becuase he's to young though.

OP posts:

snowleopard · 23/09/2006 20:27

Remember autism is much more in the public consciousness than it used to be, and people will jump on supposed indicators and point them out. But it takes specialists a lot of careful analysis to diagnose it and (if I'm right, Jimjams or someone will correct me if I'm not!) there are three separate types of indicators that all have to be present. So this one behaviour is not enough for anyone to decide - and the pointing suggests he's unlikely to be autistic. FWIW I was also very like this as a child and I'm NT.

snowleopard · 23/09/2006 20:29

Charlee, what you say in that last post sounds very like my DS and most other toddlers I know! Intense emotions and not understanding causing pain to others are both very normal. It just takes a lot of patient reminding, explaining and reinforcing for them to get it.

Original poster

Charleesunnysunsun · 23/09/2006 20:31

Nothing on that link with the spectrum really stands out so thats good except the repetitive thing, we play shape sorter about 8-9 times in a row and he does love to wathc the washing machine but he does also play imaginative games such as cooking and pretends his teddies are porley ect.

so i figure thats pretty good. I think i will tell the people who said it, thanks for there input but im not really worried by it tbh.

Thanks for your guy's views and sorry about my typing! I just got a little worried when more than 1 person said it.

OP posts:

flack · 24/09/2006 11:07

My 2yo also lines things up obsessively, can get extremely upset if anyone intereferes... but then after a while he forgets about it and will kick the line apart himself or let someone else do it. I wonder if an autistic toddler would lose interest like that? Might be a difference.

izzybiz · 24/09/2006 11:24

my son used to be obsessed with things being done a certain way, his cover had to be perfectly flat, up the right way etc. He was very particular about really silly things.

Now hes 13, hes a smelly, messy teenage boy, same as any other!

I do think that some little ones are just that way, Dd is 2 and she is the same about some things.

coppertop · 24/09/2006 11:28

If his ability to communicate is good (and not necessarily with words) then it's a good indicator that he's not on the spectrum. If you google for the CHAT test (Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) and see if you think that your ds would have passed this at 18mths then that too may give you some reassurance that he is fine.

(btw not passing the test doesn't necessarily mean that a child is autistic. It's just an indicator).

Jimjams2 · 24/09/2006 11:31

Does he point (or bring things to you) to show you things he's interested in. Does he say yes and no???

Do the people who have suggested this to you know anything about autism at all?

coppertop · 24/09/2006 11:31

ChAT test

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