Worried about SEN/Autism

[PotatoBread1990]

Hi All,

I know this is ridiculous because he is so young, and I know that it cannot be diagnosed until gone 2years +, but I was wondering if anyone out there could calm a worried mummy with your experience.

my LO is 6 months old and has always been a little bit aloof. He didn’t show any interest in faces etc as a newborn and preferred lights, smiled at 8 weeks and is slightly behind on motor skills (hasn’t rolled either way yet). I cannot stop thinking that he is different, and it’s mainly his eye contact that worries me.

He does socially smile at EVERYONE, he laughs, plays with toys (even if it’s just shaking them), doesn’t like being left alone for long periods of time, sleeps well overnight (cat naps during day), he is babbling (dadada, nanana, gagaga) and weaning is going well so far. I am worried that he doesn’t maintain eye contact though. he will make eye contact but not if you are too close to him, laying beside him or if you are holding him, and when he does it will be for a few seconds OR he is looking at your mouth. He has also started this weird thing with his hands where he will repeatedly look at them clasped together and then pull his thumb. Finally, he plays with his mouth almost mouthing without sounds and always has his fists in there too!

I guess I am wondering if your LO did any of the above, and if I am being OTT with the anxiety?

i did the heinous thing of googling and now I can’t stop and literally everything you google about babies is query autism!

xx

My baby does the thumb thing too! How funny! 🤣 Exactly how you’ve described it. We always thought he was copying DH who uses hand gel after changing him?! Never thought it was anything to be concerned by… maybe lots of babies do it, who knows?!

At six months it’s entirely developmentally appropriate for him to look at your mouth when talking - this is because they start to learn about mouth shapes and sound etc. It’s actually a good sign that he’s doing it.

As for the up close lack of eye contact, this is very common. One theory is that at that age they’re not really able to discern separation of themselves from whoever is holding them? So he sees himself and who is holding him as the same person if that makes sense. If his eye contact across the room is good and he social smiles then that’s excellent.

Being attracted to lights is so normal, it’s what baby sensory classes are built on! And fists in mouth again so normal, it’s how he’s learning about his body and the world, or his gums could be a bit sore etc.

I’d never say that something was or wasn’t autism, after all as another poster said on here, babies don’t just wake up with autism at three years old. That said, I don’t see any glaring cause for concern here, he sounds lovely! Come back in a couple of months and see how he’s doing.

Also babbling is a really excellent milestone at this age too.

He sounds great to me! Mine with ASD was a horrendous sleeper and a nightmare to wean.

Thank you so so much! This has made me feel better. I posted similar in an Autism parent group on Facebook and one came back and that her LO was completely normal, really smiley and engaged and then massively regressed at 12 months. It absolutely terrifies me. I know I would find a way to cope for sure, but it that think where the unknown terrifies me! it doesn’t help that now all my socials algorithms are now ASD from my manic googling. It seems every little thing can be signs.

today he has started raspberries (delightful) and we had him out there and his eye contact was great. We are with peds tomorrow for an unrelated issue so I’ll bring it up with them, but it calms me hearing that yours also does the hand thing! Babies are weird!

Oh gosh really? I have heard a few people say bad sleeping and aversion to taste and texture was a clear sign to them!