3 Year Old - Autism?

[LouieR]

Hi!

First time on here, Apologies if i have posted in the wrong section.

So, my little girl who's turning three next month doesn't talk just yet which is concerning me as im seeing children her age talk etc but i understand every child is different, she has an appointment with a specialist next month to assist with this.

She has meltdowns now and then if shes told no or she cant get her toy to stand up in a certain way, she'll drop to the floor, bang her head off the floor.
She also puts her toys & books in a neat line on the floor also she'll stare at her hands and make noises & run up and down the hallway.

She will look me in the eye, smile, share toys & food with her little brother etc.

Am i over thinking this massively and reading too much online or are these symptoms of Autism? Iv watched her at nursery and she won't really play with the other children, she'll wonder off and do her own thing.

If it is the case she does have autism, what are the next steps in terms of parenting? iv never met anyone with autism (that i know of) so im really unsure what it entails.

hi

my son is 3.2 months and doesn't say a word hes been under the paediatrician and speech therapist yet to be diagnosed with autism but i have a feeling its going that way, my son is also very sociable has very good eye contact etc but i have been told you can be sociable with eye contact and still have autism, my son hasn't got any behavioural problems he just has no speech and behind on his understanding,

has your daughter got any words at all? does she point? have you spoken to anyone like your hv etc as speech therapy and paediatrician appointments can take months and months i brought my sons speech issue up at his two year check its been ongoing from there with no diagnosis

dawn x

sorry also what have nursery said? my son started nursery 6 weeks ago and already they are getting things put in place for him trying to get him a 121 and all the help they can x

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for your reply!

She tries to say words if she wants something she'll grab my hand and take me to where she wants to go or what she wants, Mum heard her trying to say "Chocolate"

The nursery is putting things in place as she is behind on her development.

She's only just started taking notice of little brother, if he's crying she will give him his dummy or blanket.

Round other children she doesnt really interact, she'll go off and do her own thing.

hi

your welcome i know how worrying it can be im going through the exact thing, its the not knowing which is the worse i have got myself in a right state thinking will my son ever speak, my son takes my hand he has been doing that since he was two. just words have never come, he is behind not physical but his understanding is very basic one step commands what about your daughter? hopefully nursery will really push for help and get speech therapy involved, i think most kids at 3 dont play play i would say they play along side still the kids my son age seem to play next to each other when i go to get my son from nursery, my son will run around with the other kids, or at nursery if there all singing he will sit and join in laughing and smiling he wont do the actions though, how is she with people?

dawn x

I think there is some valid autism concerns here. If it was speech alone it would not be concerning as speech delays are very common around 2-3 YRs, but the fact that she is speech delayed with some of the other points you raise is concerning. Lining up or positioning toys or objects in a certain way and them excessively reacting negatively when this order is disrupted would be classified as obsessive and rigid behavior. Taking your hand to where she wants to go, or to what she wants to get could be 'hand leading' which could be concerning. If a child is hand leading then you would expect therm to take you close to what they want, and then either point to what they want while looking at you or hand you the object they need help with (like opening a bottle or giving you their shoes to put them on). What you do not want to see is them first hand leading you to a room where they need help and then using your hand as a 'tool', so putting your hand in the door handle, fridge handle or bottle top while trying to turn your hand without acknowledging you. Obsessively looking at ones hands can also be concerning at 3YRS old.

However, while some of these points can be concerning they are not enough for a autism diagnosis. Autism affects social communication above everything else, so deficits in interacting appropriately with peers would be concerning. Between 2-3YRs old they tend to parallel play (so play and copy other children's games) , from 3-4YRs first friendships are formed (they start referring to one or two other children by name).

Do you remember is she pointed to request and share interests by 2 years old? there is a very strong correlation with deficits in pointing and autism. She is a little too old now, but still, have you taken the MCHAT test? it normally works better for 2 year olds, but it could still be worth taking so to identify areas of strength and weakness.

However, she also does have many strengths, the show of empathy towards his little brother is incredibly positive! :)

Hi just wondering if you have an update on your daughter xx