Hi
Sensitive post, i am extremely anxious and worried. Please read all.
My son turned 14m old yesterday. I love him with all my heart.
His cousin is austistic, for this reason i feel i am constantly analysing his behaviour and milestones, its getting me really down. Im finding myself constantly on google which is never good!
I would appreciate some advice and kind words .
My main worry is that he isnt responding to his name. Not pointing either. He used to wave bye bye at 10m but stopped randomly at 11m and has only waved once since.
The positives are that :
His gross motor skills are fabulous and he is walking confidently . his eye contact seems ok - he gives noticeably amazing eye contact during songs. If he is playing and i sing nursery rhyme , he will immediately look at me. He doesnt do this when i call his name.
He is interacting with nursery rhymes and will clap his hands instinctively if i sing 'if youre happy and you know it', he will scream at the end of 'row row row your boat' and will open and close his hand for twinkle twinkle.
I am confused as to what is meant by imitating. If i bang his drum, he will most of the time copy me. Is this imitating? Or Sometimes he will take my hand and bang the drum .
If i blow a raspberry, he will copy me. If i cough, sometimes he will copy this. But when i babble to him , he doesnt seem to babble back? (He has before but doesnt do it often)
sometimes he will take my hand to a toy. Is this considered 'showing behaviour'? He will come and push my hands together when he wants to sing 'if youre happy and you know it'.
He will sometimes feed me his food or put his dummy in my mouth. Is this considered showing behaviour? Or when he finds my sunglasses and tries to put them on my face? (More recently he found a face mask used for travel during lockdown and pushed it onto my face lol)
He doesnt seem to actually bring me toys which is another concern, he has only once or twiced placed an object in my hand . he is not pointing but will use his index finger to press buttons/ at pictures in books
He finger feeds himself and is learning how to use a spoon
I feel he doesn't understand language but understands sounds (is this possible?).. for example, if i say RAAAGGHH he will look towards his dinosaur (and sometimes will walk to it, but never brings it to me).
Or if i say 'MEOW' or 'WOOF WOOF' he looks towards his book of animal sounds.
Another concern is he seems to be interested in spinning things. He doesnt obsess over it but he enjoys spinning wheels of cars and other things. He doesnt have any obsessions but does love his dummy. He doesnt seem to have any sensory or routine / sleep issues except that he still wakes in the night for milk a few times
He babbles and will say mamama and dadada and gagaga etc but with no meaning yet. If i say 'wheres dada' he doesnt look towards him .
We constantly have the TV on in the house which i know needs to stop but my partner isn't great when it comes to that.
He has also begun rubbing his face/ head against things. Floor/ mattress/ wall... he doesnt do it all day but a few times throughout the day. I know babies are all exploring their bodies and things but im literally questioning everything. Its awful having anxiety like this.
He is starting nursery tomorrow and im worried sick.
I would really appreciate it if you would let me know if you think i need further intervention or if my anxiety is getting the best of me.
I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read and reply. Thank you so much.
Kay x