Could my 9mo be showing early signs of autism or am I being overly anxious?

[February2021]

I’m just after some advice from mums in a similar position re my 9mo possibly showing signs of autism OR if I’m just being overly anxious.

My littlest guy was born in Feb and he’s had a real run of the mill. Tongue tie, allergy, delayed weaning due to allergy & broken sleep because of the above.
I have a 2.5yo and he had none of the above and sleeps amazingly.

I often find myself looking back on his videos/pictures to see where he was at/what he was doing at the same time as my little man to make sure my DS isn’t “behind”.

With his tongue ties and allergies, we had to stop weaning at 6.5 months and resumed at 7.5 months but very slowly. We’re now 9mo and he doesn’t like some textures (mainly cold fruits like strawberries and melon) and gags at swallowing them.
I know he could just not like these fruits/tastes/textures but I Google it and they throw autism out there.

He doesn’t respond to his name all the time but will sometimes.
He’s always watching his brother.
He smiles and laughs a lot. Is crawling already and was fine with his earlier milestones (ie sitting, teeth, clapping etc).

He doesn’t flap his hands but he says bye bye with a flap and sometimes does this at other times when we’re interacting and I can’t tell if it’s something to worry about (is it flapping?) or is it just a gesture he’s learnt?

He says “baba” and blows raspberries. He is practicing the “tttt” sound atm and loves to babble and sometimes screech.
He will look at us if we enter the room, he plays and loves playing with you. Im trying to point things out for him and I’ve read in previous threads that he should follow my gaze? So I’ll try that.

Please note, I am not saying an autism diagnosis is a negative thing. I’m just worried he may be showing me signs but I’m distressed whether I’m picking them up or whether I’m making them up.

I’ve been so worried that his lack of sleep is affecting his development that I’m just tying myself into a knot.

It’s worth noting, without sounding horrible, my 2.5yo was talking sentences by 16mo (though late in walking etc) but everyone tells us how “clever & smart” he is and I guess I’m worried I’m comparing them too much.
Im also worried that because my oldest seems so big and we can have full conversations etc, I can’t remember what he was doing at my youngests age and how he was responding to things etc.

My oldest slept through from 9 weeks (I know, very lucky) and never had allergies or food aversions. So I’m just worrying.

If anyone could shed light on what to look out for or whether they thought the same but ended up fine?

I also believe mums have a 6th sense and can tell when somethings up but at this stage, I can’t differentiate between having a feeling or just over-panicking.

Any advice/experience/help/reassurance appreciated.

I would consult your GP but 9 months is to early for a Autism diagnosis. Every child is unique and so the way they develop is different to their peers.

I would also say, you should speak to your child Key Person if they are in childcare! They are trained in all areas of development and SEND and will help you identify the areas of ASD if they are present.

I hope this helps!

Many Thanks
Joshua

He sounds wonderful

Nothing you've said should raise alarm bells.

Name response emerges at 7-9 months but nowhere near consistent until around a year (and even then it's totally typical for them to ignore you if engaged in something else - they have single channel attention).

Following a gaze and following a point won't come until later.

Saying bye bye and flapping his arm is advanced! Flapping at all is totally typical and something most babies do. Only an autism red flag if continues in older children (not babies) and even then only in conjunction with other concerns.

Sensory stuff with food is also very typical. My first DS was the same. He didn't get into solid food properly until around 1. He also woke every 45-90 minutes all night until around the age of 15 months. He doesn't have autism and it never effected his development (I went a bit barmy though!)

Honestly there is no way of knowing for sure either way at 9 months but nothing you've said is remotely concerning. Lack of gestures (pointing, waving, reaching to be picked up), lack of imitation (if you bang a block on a table will they copy you etc) and lack of shared attention (eg they see a new toy and look at you to see if you've seen it too) are the best predictors but your baby isn't expected to be doing any of these things yet anyway!

I agree with @Foreverbaffled – nothing you've mentioned sounds concerning, and he sounds like he's coming along just fine, despite the rough start.

I think most of the early signs are things that start to emerge between 12 and 24 months or so. Besides the lack of gestures, imitation, and shared attention, other signs might be sensory difficulties (food, clothing, noises, lights, etc.) – but again, some element of this is common in many neurotypical toddlers. Disliking the noise of hand dryers is very common, for example, and by itself probably doesn't mean much. Getting very dependent on a routine, struggling with new places or experiences, basic imaginary play not developing (very simple, feeding teddy or putting dolly to bed type stuff), predominantly playing with toys in atypical ways (e.g., spending lots of time spinning the wheels of a toy car, but seldom or never 'driving' it along the floor). It all has to be part of a bigger picture, though – lots of toddlers do better with a clear routine, and spinning tops wouldn't be a classic toy if a great many people didn't enjoy watching things spin around for a bit.

I know we my son was autistic when he was 5 months old. In fact, I didn't know, his grandparents told me and asked me to get him under services ASAP.

You can have a pretty good idea at 9 months. My son's presentation was much more clear cut. Like I have a DD who is 12 months and I have questions at the back of my mind about her, but I can't argue the toss about them like I could my son.

Personal, I would ask for the HV to go through the ASQ 9 month check with you. If anything flags up on there then at least you can start making a record.

Nothing in your description makes me think that there is a clear cut problem here. Xxx

Hey hope you're well

Please can I ask what the signs were at 9 months for you if you remember?

Would really appreciate a response

Many thanks