Am I being hysterical again or does my DS really have autism symptoms

[margobambino]

My DS is 2 months, able to make good eye contact, social, initiates communication with people etc. He says quite a lot words and 2-3 words sentences too.
However, since he was 7-8 months he likes to spin objects and enjoys watching spinning objects. He started respondin his name at approximatelly 6 months. However, nowadays, he usually does not respond when we call him. When I tell him something after his name he does it for example brings me something but if I only call his name, he doesn't look at me most of the times. I was reading some information on the internet and then noticed that he sometimes walks on his tiptoes too. Plus he is afraid of vacuum cleaner. I spent all my weekend on the internet reading and searching, and really not sure whether I should be worried or not. Obviously I am worried but is this another depressive/anxious/hysterical state or am I right to feel worried.
Please help.

He had the jab at 13 months and there were no discernible changes in him. Any changes have come much more recently ? apart from him not responding to his name which definitely predated the MMR as we had footage of him at his first birthday party.

Also, and I don?t really want to get into this because I know it is an extremely emotive subject, but there is no medical evidence to suggest that there is a link between the MMR jab and autism. Moreover, at the moment, I don?t have the energy to get involved in such a discussion. Sorry, it that sounds abrupt.

Just to give you guys quick update. HV has seen DS today and said he seemed completely normal. She will assess him again when he is 2 just in case, as I was too worried. Good news, isn't it? I am sure this "feeling better" period is not going to last too long and I will soon start thinking that she could not see the signs, etc. I am already worried about scarring and/or brain damage after the accident 3 weeks ago.
Another development is, I am seeing a psychiatrist on 17th. When I talk about my worries it seems I have a good insight, but actually I really believe that I should be worried. They seem to be so real.

Hi Margobambino - just wanted to say hello as I have been wondering about how you are. I am so pleased about all that your HV said about your DS. Please check back in with this thread, or perhaps write down what your HV said so that you can come back to it and remind yourself of what was said when you next start feeling anxious.

Also good for you that you are seeing someone for yourself - from a completely amateur point of view it does seem that you are very anxious and so hopefully someone professional will be able to help you with your worries.

Re your concerns about the accident, I think from reading your other posts that this was a bump against the wall that your ds had? Please please don't start worrying about this again - you would have known pretty quickly if he had really hurt or damaged himself.

My ds fell off the bed (bouncing on it) and hit the wall and skirting board when he was about 15 months - I felt so bad about it but within a few minutes he was fine though I still remember it several months later, so I do understand that it is something that preys on your mind! On the scarring front - well sometimes that happens - again my ds still has a mark across his nose from a nasty fall against a table when he had just started walking - but it will either fade or not - there is little you can do and it doesn't really matter, it's just part of growing up, being a child and getting into things. Far more restricting for you to wrap your son up and stop him playing and exploring "in case" he hurts himself. Far more stressful for you to sit worrying about something that can't be changed.

Gosh this is long - I want so badly to reassure you and above all for you to stop worrying, it isn't good for you.

Thanks Bocciballs for sharing your accident experience. I don't know whether I am being selfish but I feel better when I heard other mums' experiences with accidents. It feels like I am not alone. At work, a few colleagues who have children mentioned about their accidents and it really made me feel better to know most children have accidents but then anxiety kicks in again after a short period of feeling better. I feel like I have run out of serotonin in my brain so will never be happy and well again.

Hi Margo,
Not sure exactly where you are but if you're near H.W there is a baby/toddler group for mums with PND. Though your anxiety may not be down to that, I'm sure you'd be more than welcome there, I was.

More accidents coming up, Margo, if they make you feel better.

Dd has had a good many falls, being very unstable.

The one time she really did have concussion, it was very obvious: her eyes looked strange, she couldn't focus, she threw up, she lost consciousness. And even then there was no permanent brain damage: she recovered within a day or two and has never had any trouble. A couple of times she has had suspected concussion: headaches, slurred speech, disturbed vision. Again you know, you wouldn't miss it. And again, full recovery without any permanent damage.

So your fears are almost certainly needless. But that won't make them any easier for you. I agree with the others that you do need to seek help: health anxiety is horrible and spoils so much of your enjoyment. CBT sounds like it might well be the right thing for you, but I'd talk to a professional first if I were you.

Thank you very much cushioncover. Yes I live very close to H.W (Hartley Witney, isnt't it?). It is very good to know there is a special group for mums with PND. Do you know how I can reach them?
Thank you very much cory for the reassurance. Hopefully psychiatrist will help, only 4 days to go. I'm seeing her on next Tuesday.

mrsturnip, are you around? I really need to ask a question. The sign you mentioned in one of your posts (running and looking at the objects he is passing from corner of his eyes), is this a typical sign? I think my son has started doing something like that. Would normal children also do that?

Yes, NT children also do this. And that goes for a lot of autistic behaviour actually: it's often things that non--autistic children do too, or some non-autistic children do; the difference is that in an autistic child it is more obsessive, or more constant than just a phase. Autism is a spectrum: at one end, children can be very like NT children, just need a bit of extra help for the bits they find it difficult to cope with.

hi
I have come into this discussion late I know!
I have anxiety problems myself and had PND after the birth of my second (but not my first or third). so I know what its like to question your judgment constantly. to reassure you my daughter showed all of the behaviours your so does and she is a bright happy 4 year old now - my son shows none of them and for some reason i am inundated by people testing him.

for me at the moment its the other way around. everyone is saying my son is "behind" or " needs further assessment" but i am totally convinced he is fine. today he has a play and learn worker coming to the house sent by the health visitor because he did so monumentally badly at his 2 year assesment.

as i say I am more than convinced he is fine but the things they have told me they are worried about are

1. at his two year check he didnt manage any of the tasks which included, pointing to body parts (he can do that when he wants im sure of it) he cant do jigsaws and cant talk yet so couldnt do any of the other tihngs which invloved talking or at least understanding.

1. his nursery say he bites and hits there

If you are worried about him the best thing to do is to ask your health visitor to do some kind of check my son is having a more deatiled one in about a months time where they test different areas and give him a score or something - i dont know what thats all about.

anyway I hope you get the help you need for both you and your son

sophie