How did you know your toddler/young child had autism before being diagnosed?

[Picklemuncher123]

Hey , so I just would like a bit of advice. What were the early telltale signs that you child had autism before being diagnosed? My 20 month old is amazing , he walks he listens to what I say he reacts to sounds around him he waves goodbye and blows kisses and gives kisses and I believe he is developing well. But I do have some concerns.. he will hit himself out of frustration , he walks on his toes alot, he says around 2-3 words. He doesn't copy anything I say. I spend a lot of time reading with him and to him and do a lot of talking to him. He reacts but he just isn't saying many more than 3 words. I may be over reacting and thinking too much into things. But just really want some advice on what next steps I can take , or is this just normal? Thank you x

None of your concerns are really linked to autism and don't feature in any of the criteria for autism diagnosis, for example, toe walking at 20M is actually a milestone not a concern, it would be a concern in older children. Speech delays are also very common at this age, so 2-3 words at 20M is not a concern.

Reliable autism markers at 20M would include lack of pointing to request, lack of pointing to share experiences, general lack in joint attention, deficits in social referencing, lack of imaginative play, no interests in other children, excessive ritualistic/repetitive behaviours, etc.

If you have autism concerns I would take the MCHAT questionnaire online, it only takes five minutes to complete and is considered the gold standard in autism screening between the ages of 18-24M.

Thanks so much