4yo behaviour concerns?

[JimmyJam2019]

Hi, my just turned 4yo (started reception this week, has been in nursery since 1yo and over lockdown) is demonstrating some behaviours that I can't work out if they are just a phase or are something to be of concern. I thought the simplest thing to do would be to list them and see what others thought/had experiences of...

-parallel play - has been noted by nursery that she either plays on her own or alongside other children but never with them

-when she speaks she is often just reciting phrases from her favourite tv shows and does this alot. Will also just shout out random words and then giggle to herself. When I ask her to be quiet (for example getting ready for bed while her baby sister is sleeping) she continues to shout but it feels like she isn;t listening to me because her brain is busy rather than being naughty or ignoring me.

-masturbates through her clothes at almost any opportunity (raised with HV who was not concerned, but she does it at nursery and now worried about school)

-when she starts a sentence, often its articulate but it turns to mumble at the end

-in her own little world sometimes and will not respond to you even when next to her after asking multiple times (her hearing is fine)

-she is a sponge for knowledge, loves books and mostly educational tv programmes and then obsesses about the topics wanting me to look things up on the computer or find youtube clips eg space rocket launches, trains, planes

-wakes in the night and is restless and moaning and groaning or chatting to herself for 2-3 hours some times. sleeps late to compensate. we cut screen time after dinner some time ago but still continues. (raised with GP, not concerned unless actually making her ill)

Thanks in advance, paranoid mum x

It sounds like you need to see about having her assessed OP...the repeating phrases reminds me of my nephew who is autistic. I don't want to alarm you...but combined with the parallel play and the being in her own world...it does sound quite like it.

You can get her assessed by making an appointment with an educational psychologist...your GP might help with that but sometimes the school can arrange it.

Agree with the previous poster, it may not be autism but there are quite a few traits that can be associated with it.

Do you remember how her development was in the early years? was she meeting major milestones then? (walking by 14M, showing/giving you toys or interesting things by 16M, pointing to request and share interests by 18M, etc..) - the biggest signs would have been around those ages.

Will take all this on board, thanks. Will see if the school have any concerns at parents evening but maybe push them a bit on these behaviours. I know kids can sometimes be very different at school!

@AladdinMum early years all fine, on the later end of normal (16m) for walking but no concerns. All of this has maybe been in the last year or a bit longer.

Hi there,

It’s possible these could be signs your daughter sits somewhere on the spectrum, but we all have some traits that could potentially ‘fit’. For example I prefer quiet nights in than being loud and sociable and I can’t stand the texture of mashed potato- do I have ASD? No.
Girls are known to be harder to diagnose too because they can mask a lot easier. That being said it’s worth that you raise your concerns as diagnosis can take a while (especially if she is high functioning- as in talking/ interested in education/ understanding some social concepts etc).