Autism signs?

[hol92]

Hi everyone my 17 month old is a bit behind and just wondered if anyone has experienced any similar delays and if it ended up being asd or just late development

• he's doesn't say any words really he babbles and will say mamama and dadad but not with any context
• he's very affectionate and loves a cuddle
• when he's exited he claps and straightens his legs and arms and shakes while blowing raspberries
• he can put all hoops onto his stacker and other little problem solving games
• he's very smiley and happy
• great sleeper
• good eater
• he can't walk yet but cruises all the time
• his eye contact is okay unless he distracted then it's a bit like you don't exist
• he's recently started shaking his head a lot
• not phased by change in routine or

Loud places, he's very go with a flow

• he points and claps but doesn't wave or use any other gestures
• he didn't crawl until 12 months

I guess it's more the stimming and speech delay that make me wonder

Just looking to see if anyone else has experienced this , I saw my HV a few weeks back and she just said it's too early to tell

I guess I'm just worried because I'm due with my second in 4 weeks and everything is a bit heitened worry wise anyway with knowing I will have to split my time

Thanks so much x

Forgot to add he's doesn't respond to his name very often but if I turn somthing like coco melon on he will turn and look (selective hearing)

Hi @hol92 any update ? Sounds like my ds. Thanks :)

@Mizzymiz how old is your little one? :) so we are not on a waiting list for ASD diagnosis, he's the most happiest content little boy, he loves cuddles and play fighting but has his little quirks (stimming) still doesn't say any words or respond to his name but is great with fine and gross motor skills now :)

If he's not saying any words yet @hol92 has the HV referred you for a hearing test and SLT.

Is she keeping an eye on him and you know when she's seeing him again?

@TinyMouseTheatresorry I meant to say we are now on a waiting list for peadiatrician, he’s already had a hearing test and is in the list for speech and language therapy, to be honest it’s more the stimming and everything else he does that makes us know he’s autistic, it’s very obvious to anyone that meets him x

My eldest which is now 3.5 years old, has Autism, the points which made us really go for a Health Visit and also seek external help was the following:

• He did not respond to his name
• Hyper focus on things he was interested in, at the rough age of yours (he would focus on Cocomelon and forget the world)
• From age of 14-15 months he loved putting his toys in straight line and order
• He had a fascination of wheels more than the cars - now he plays with the cars
• He had delayed speech, and his words would be less than the 50 words by age 2 ( that the HV wanted)
• His eyes-hand coordination was slow
• He is a hyper child - very active and very smart
• He had a phase where when excited he would fumble his hands (which he grew out of) but still gets overly excited
• He used to tip toe when he started walking - a lot of it. Then he started walking just fine.
• There are times to date he does not know how to act around a lot of people (i.e birthdays) which can be overwhelming.
• I have noticed he analyses new people in his surroundings and has a very good character judgement - being the bubbly self if he trusts the person.

There is so much that I could go on. But we figured he might have Autism at 15 months old.

Thankfully, now that we know he has, we took him to portugal for a faster diagnosis, as we stood on the waiting list and still are for 2 years.

But now we are making changes: we talk to him and make sure he looks towards our mouth so he understand more complex words and increase vocabulary, teach him motor skills and also allow him to be the bubbly boy he is.

I have a mindset that, yes he has Autism and ARSA, Autism and ADHD. But that does not make him any less smart and the happy child he is. He is now such an affectionate child and a comedian.

so I would suggest to begin now and so that once starting nursery, you have a head start in informing the nursery and getting the necessary support from the get-go.