Hi guys,
I have a rather big “feeling” that my nearly 21 month old daughter really does not like people very much! Obviously that’s not a very nice thing to say but I observe this everyday.
I have 2 other children that were nothing like her but I do get that all kids are different etc.
I remember my now 4 year old daughter being very fond of people, smiling, interacting, giving them eye contact. She loved socially communicating with people. My eldest child became more of a social butterfly around 1 and a half and has blossomed since then, he’s 7 now.
So back to my youngest the 20 month old.
She basically refuses to interact or even acknowledge other human beings. I see other kids staring at other people and find other people so interesting. Months back she used to look at anyone new who comes in or new faces but all that has diminished. I’m talking grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins that she sees weekly and at one point we all lived together so these people are not strangers to her at all. It’s like they are pieces of furniture to her. She will not respond to them if they call her name maybe a slight glance. She walks right past them and they have to physically grab her for them to even getting an opportunity to look at her as again like I said she won’t acknowledge them. She does not socially smile to them neither. She appears to do her own things and go into her “own world” when she’s around a lot of people. She did used to acknowledge and smile at people when she was younger around the age of 1 liked to be played with and smile and all of that social stuff. She basically shutsdown when taken around other people. But as soon as we are back at home she opens up more but only with me and seems happier.
It’s to the point that family and others don’t bother acknowledging her or even try to smile or speak to her because they know they will get nothing back. It’s creates an awkward situation for us all.
The only person she communicates and gets her needs met with is me her mother. She responds to her name, she shows me things, gives me things, comes for help, gives me kisses, cuddles, points for things and says a few functional words but this is only with me. I would say she has a speech delay in comparison to her sister that was talking in sentences at this age. I know it’s not good to compare but I have my kids to go off in terms of development.
The only other person she communicates with IF IM NOT there is her dad but that’s just basic things such as giving her cup if she wants more milk/juice or help with something. She doesn’t interact with her dad socially neither and again it’s not like he’s a stranger to her.
Shes only recently started enjoying running around with her siblings and watching what their doing and sometimes goes to them when they are say building blocks or driving toy cars.
She plays fine but usually all by herself, she pushes toy cars, sweeps with brush, stacks blocks, checks in with me when she’s playing. She has what I would describe is an unhealthy attachment to me. If I get up just for a second she will drop whatever she’s doing and follow me around. She doesn’t do this with her dad like ever. She follows me everywhere in the house to the point I walk into her often or sometimes even fall over her.
I guess what I’m worried about is Autism/ASD