9 months old showing signs of autism?!

[FTM242023]

Hi

Ftm here and just looking for some advice or similar experiences... I'm very concerned my 9 month (8 months corrected) baby has some signs of autism. Can anyone else relate and if so did you child ever receive a diagnosis? Will list what I have noticed

Does not respond to name

Eye contact can be fleeting

Really hard to get his attention sometimes

Seems to struggles with food textures - sits like a scarecrow in his highchair lol! And constantly tenses his arms and opens/closes his fists

Growls/grunts all the way through eating even though he wants to eat

Does not imitate us - no clapping, waving or pointing & just looks blank or confused when I point at things

No back & forth games

Will literally only nap in his room with me, lights off and white noise

Some good points are:

Babbles loads

Does interact with us - laughing when we hide or pull silly faces

Can sit unsupported

Does put his arms out when I reach for him

Reaches & grabs items easily

Just looking to hear similar experiences and their outcomes - did they eventually get
diagnosed with autism?

Thank you

I'd do this very simple SLT progress checker as it covers speech and understanding.

If he needs some extra support it will tell you and you can book a free appointment with one of their SLTs.

I would say that most of what you describe is within the range of typical baby behaviour and development, although perhaps at the slower end (or just the trickier end, e.g., with regards to sleep). For example, some babies are waving or clapping at 9 months, some aren't. Relatively few are pointing by that point.

You could try this questionnaire to get an overview of his development: https://www.oxfordpediatric.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/asq9.pdf. Do check the scoring sheet at the back – it never needs six 'yeses' in a section to reach 'development appears on track'. A section or two in the grey is fairly common, and usually sorts itself out. If you're getting scores in the black or a lot of grey, then I'd get in touch with your HV or GP and ask for a review.

My son sits like a scarecrow too, he’s 7.5 months. ATM it’s the only thing he does that I’m concerned about. He sitting just about but he’s not trying to crawl but from what I’ve read that’s in range. It’s just the arms, it’s constant 🤔

Normal. Enjoy him, don't stress.

How are you both now @FTM242023?

@CadyEastman he is doing okay thanks, he's shown some improvement:
Sometimes responds to name now
Babbling dadada, mama and nanana all the time - very vocal with us
Eye contact has slightly improved however still hard to get his attention
Noticed him copying us tapping things

No gestures yet and still very sensitive with food textures. We are trying to get the HV out as we notice he doesn't keep his head up for long when on tummy and has never pushed up with arms so GP wants HV to do a milestone check with him as physiotherapy might be needed.
All in all, there's nothing more I can really do at the moment apart from enjoy him and see where's he's at after 12 months. Hopefully he keeps improving and he is a premie so maybe going to take him longer

We are trying to get the HV out as we notice he doesn't keep his head up for long when on tummy and has never pushed up with arms so GP wants HV to do a milestone check with him as physiotherapy might be needed.

My best tip would be to get DH to make a call to here asking her when she's coming. First some reason HCPs seem to take much more notice of the Dad.

I would download and fill in the 10 month Ages & Stagess* and also the 12 month Social & Emotional Ages & Stages.

She can then mark them both and have a look at DS and decide if any support is needed.

If she want to adopt the "wait and see" approach that my HV was always so keen on, get her to book an appoint with you again for the week of his first birthday so that you're not struggling to get an appointment with her again.

Hi, my son is the exact same and I am worried sick also, although he cannot sit unaided so far and he’s just turned 9 months today, stares off into space giggles at nothing, clench’s fists when frustrated or excited ect, he doesn’t lift his head very far when on his tummy either and doesn’t push up, he wants to try and crawl but his body won’t let him..

@Shaz300 have you spoke to your HV?

There's no way they'll even consider referring you for diagnosis at this age.
BUT, I will say I knew at 9 months that my eldest had autism, she also didn't give much eye contact, respond to her name, clap, wave, point, look where I was pointing and she would pretty much only ever eat toast because she hated everything else.
She's 6 in May and we just got her diagnosis the other day after 4 years of me fighting for it, and they really didn't even listen to me after she was 2 either. I told the pediatrician I wouldn't leave his office until I'd seen that he made the referral, and that was when my DD wasn't talking at 3, had intense meltdowns all the time, was actually licking the floor in his office. And we'd already had HV, portage, speech and language and nursery write something to support that she probably has autism and he still refused until it had been over a year of me trying to get him to do it and then refusing to leave.
So I don't think your feelings are invalid because your LO is so young, or that he's too young for you to tell. I'd 100% recommend you start keeping a diary of different behaviors you notice though, and at what age your LO is and isn't doing certain things because it'll really help you later on if you still think he's got autism a bit later on. But he sounds exactly how my DD was at that age.

Not yet but she is due to come out soon for him 9 month check, my family keep telling me he’s fine and he will sit when he is ready, don’t get me wrong he is making progress day by day but I do think he has low muscle tone in his upper body. He does respond to his name, but doesn’t clap. I know you shouldn’t compare to other babies but it’s so hard when you see other babies clap and hold more eye contact ect

@Shaz300 aw it's so hard isn't it when you're constantly worrying about your LO's development. I would definitely speak to HV or GP about your concerns with his upper body strength and get their opinion. I had the HV come out last week and she wasn't too concerned about my LO with regards to not being able to lift his head for long on his tummy as he is sitting etc she did say she would expect him to be at least cruising around the room or bum shuffling by 14 months, so if nothing changes she will refer him then.
She said he gave her good eye contact, perhaps a bit on the late side with his milestones but to be expected with being premature. We have his 9-12m chevk up on Thursday so will be interesting to see what they think...
Hope all goes well with you LO x

@Lafoosa gosh that is crazy she has only just been diagnosed and what a horrible experience for you with that pediatrician! Really hope things improve for your girl now, can I ask if she is still non verbal and does she go to mainstream school?
My LO showing improvement sometimes and then other days it feels worse! He has got slightly better with food, he eats a variety of veg/shares meals with us but will only really self feed himself melt puffs, toast or wafers etc so I have to bring finger foods to his mouth but he will eat them!
He has started to follow where I'm pointing.
The other day I copied Ms Rachel and asked if the shoe belonged on my head and he shook his head no twicr but hasn't done it since.
My husband and family keep brushing me when I bring up the subject of autism, I understand it's too early but I spend 24/7 with him and Im trusting my gut instinct on this. I really hope I'm wrong and I eat my words but I guess we will see.

Hi just wondering how your LO is doing? Have similar concerns x

Hi @FTM242023. I’m wondering how is your son doing now?

@FTM242023 she’s 7 now and verbal, you’d never know she wasn’t. But I did absolutely everything, speech therapy became uninvolved when she was almost 5, not due to a huge improvement but we moved areas.
I did makaton, which she couldn’t do easily because she didn’t have the coordination, pecs cards, which again she just didn’t engage with. I started simplifying my sentences and repeating myself a lot, trying to engage her with choice every opportunity, what food does she want, this or this, which item of clothing, which shoes, etc. My middle daughter (almost 6) actually started talking at a similar time to my eldest, and I think weirdly she helped her sister talk more.
She’s still behind mentally in some areas, she doesn’t do a full conversation like a typical 7 year old as she trips over herself constantly and repeats the same thing all day long. (As in telling me she’s done PE at school, and recounting every single thing she did all day)
but she does go to a standard mainstream school, and does pretty well in class and gets along with her peers well. I think unless you got her really talking to you for a bit most people wouldn’t know she’s autistic.

I’m now on square one again with my middle daughter though, she’s showing clear signs of ADHD and autism, but more in a behavioural sense than delays. I’m hoping the process doesn’t take so long this time because she could really do with extra support in class.

I definitely understand your frustration with other people feeling like it’s too early. But honestly sometimes you just know, and can tell very young. I knew with my eldest when she was 9 months ish, but I just got branded one of those mums who wants their kid to be autistic.

I am actually AuADHD too, but undiagnosed until adulthood. My sister was diagnosed as a child, and another sister not into adulthood, her dad was also diagnosed recently. So it’s highly genetic in my family too.

I’d say the best thing to do is to keep written and video record of anything you notice, like a food journal of what he will and won’t eat, if he’s then gone off it, etc. Any behavioural things, or milestones he might be delayed with. Take videos of play so it’s clear and can be seen when he does or doesn’t engage.
it might not help you immediately, but it certainly helps when you get to a paediatrician to have a clear visual over a period of time. I think videos of my eldest throwing herself on the floor and banging her head was what finally got me a referral. That was after already having portage, speech and language, hearing tests, health visitors, and the whole 9 yards of professionals involved and still not having a referral. I’ve got a video of my 7yo at 3 trying to say apple but she sounds like a 12 month old.
miles different from my now 3yo who isn’t ND and can say absolutely anything and has been speaking full sentences since 2.