18 Month Check and ASQ3 Questionnaire?

[sailorcherries]

We got our appointment through for DS 18 month review and enclosed with it was the ASQ3 questionnaire to be filled in at home.

I googled the test in order to learn more about it and actually came across the full test with the 'answer/scoring' sheet at the bottom.
DS is developing normally in 3 out of 5 of the categories - communication, gross motor and problem solving.
He is in the grey area for fine motor skills.
He is quite a bit under and firmly in the black for personal and social skills.

For a while I've had fears that DS1 (8) has ASD but quite high functioning. I went to the gp and they refused to pursue anything because DS1 is fine at school.
Through work I've done a lot of research and insight in to ASD and how it can present (working in education). I've touched on ASD in babies and toddlers as an introduction to ASD in early years.

Due to my worries about DS1 I've noticed a few things about DS2 that I've noted on his ASQ3 as concernings.

1. If he is annoyed or upset he will slap his head or hit it ofd of furniture. He can go from 0-100 in terms of frustration or how upset he is with little to no warning.
2. He has recently become exceptionally picky over food and is living off of little more than ketchup dipped nuggets, toast, cereal and fruit/yogurt pouches. He was a fab eater until the last few weeks.
3. He fixates on toys/objects such as car wheels, the hoover and fans.
4. He stims, a lot. Constant hand flapping, quite vigorously, when happy or excited. Rocks back and forth when angry or excited. Shakes his head violently from side to side for similar reasons.
5. He was a later walker and still toe walks or walks in circles.

Individually these don't seem much to be worried about but combined with the lowe ASQ3 score it's worrying.
Research suggests that a low personal social score can be indicative of an ASD.
Knowing that some of the flags I've raised can be present in an ASD diagnosis isn't helping my concerns.

Has anyone had experience with similar traits/low scores and had their chile develop without any further issues?

I can’t answer this for you as I don’t have much expertise in this area. I can tell you my DS also does the head slapping thing when he’s annoyed and he has no signs of autism at all. Our paediatric nurse told me it’s very common in children this age.
Have you looked at the m-chat questionnaire?

I can’t remember ever having to do the questionnaire OP but given your concerns, it might be worth doing the M-Chat.

Thank you both. I had a looked at the M-Chat and found a modified one for babies and toddlers.
His score was a 7, which isn't apparently great.

Again, I may just be looking too much in to things given my own knowledge if asd and how it can present in young children (and my worries about DS1) but who knows. I'd rather voice the concerns and know, than stay silent because I feel daft and worry x

Could you take the results of the modified M- hat to the GP and insist on an assessment?

I might be wrong here but I thought ASQ3 was used at a 24 month check? there can be a huge difference in those 6 months, especially on the personal and social section and for a boy. my son would have been nowhere at 18m but at 21m doing quite a bit of it from a look online.

going from 0-100 in terms of frustration - sounds like a lot of toddlers as does the suddenly being a picky eater, i know tons of toddlers like this and tbh you are doing well if he's still eating nuggets, toast, cereal, fruit & yoghurt... you're hitting a lot of food groups there

if you are worried it doesn't hurt to chat to your GP but I wouldn't stress too much about it. Lots of behaviours which are considered indicative of autism in older children don't seem to be considered worrying in toddlers.

does your little one point? bring you toys or want to involve you in play? if they are doing well on the communication section it sounds like speech is ok which is a really positive sign.