How to help 2.5 year old with autistic traits? What worked for you?

[ToddlerMumma21]

Hi!
I’m really trying to best support my little one. 2.5 - difficulties with understanding, expressive skills, social skills.

She is undiagnosed and also ENT issues - so she may not have ASD I know. But I still don’t see any harm on working on these areas.

Her Interaction is coming along with us, she requests help with things by giving them to us, some hand leading. She points in books, sometimes looks back at me as I label the items. She’s got great play skills / role play etc. she’s also a little copy cat with actions and gestures. When she wants to : )
she doesn’t take much notice of other people or children and plays with toys pretty well too. Physically and cognitively her skills are on track.

Accessing private speech - not finding it overly helpful.

what did you do to help Little ones with Difficulties In these areas? Thank you - worried mum ☹️

@ToddlerMumma21 you might get some more responses if you post on the SN Children section. There are some pretty wise and helpful MNers in there

Have you been referred to portage, they can give advice on activities for their development? Intensive interaction and accepting all forms of communication as equal to encourage him to interact with us has help with my 3.5 year old with suspected autism a bit. Other things like objects of references and visuals in general could be beneficial for understanding. It sounds good that they're gesturing and has those copying skills, so their joint attention sounds positive.

@1995senndmum

Thank you - we sadly don’t meet the criteria for portage here. Need to have delays in more areas. Do you access portage? They sound great!

I’m hoping the copying is a good sign! Seems to be taking a little more interest in me when out and about too. Just hard to know we are doing the right things.

Yes - I think the intensive interaction is what triggered a boost in imitation!

how is your little one doing? It’s requesting help that I’d like to help them with, pointing to request etc. I think that’ll help the most.

@CadyEastman
thank you 🤩

We had portage when he was younger (he is delayed in most areas) , he's 3.5 now and we re expecting an autism diagnosis in the next few months. He can't point but he does hand lead to request everything so we normally manage to figure it out. Sounds like you re doing the right things, progress just isn't always quick or linear, you can only keep at it really.

@1995SENNDMUM

Thank you. Trying to be kind to myself but always think I could do more to help and then end in a state of overwhelm.

finger pointing in books started for us but sometimes uses our finger to point for her if that makes sense. Hand leading here too.

Hope your little one is doing okay! It’s a lonely road. 🛣️ it seems!

You could do everything in the world to improve communication and if they do have ASD they have a different brain structure which you couldn't completely change. It's hard but I ve found just focusing on knowing you are doing your best and that is enough helps.

@1995SENNDMUM thank you so much! Hope in time I can feel more like that 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻