None of that screams autism. I wonder if it's his hearing though?
5 and 6 are normal, as is 10. Putting 2 balls next to each other is not lining up. My DS has autism and the lining up was obvious.
The thing is when you've started Googling, you start looking for traits. There is a crossover between traits of autism and normal toddler behaviour so often it takes time for that to separate as they grow and develop.
Ask the hv to check his hearing though.

OP, I don't know if your child is autistic, but my son is autistic (his traits were different), and I wanted to say that it isn't a death sentence. My beautiful boy is 8 and he is clever, kind and absolutely hilarious. His autism comes with some anxiety and a need for great structure and planning around change, but even with that, I wouldn't change a hair on his head. Try not to be afraid.

None of that screams autism. I wonder if it's his hearing though

My first thought was hearing as well.

He sounds mostly normal except for perhaps a speech delay? But not a severe one at this stage I second getting his hearing checked.

And stop watching the YouTube videos, for goodness sake!

Good you’re getting him checked out, but the fact he’s interacting socially is a great sign! I’m no expert but nothing there sounds overly concerning!

Doesn't sound like it to me.
I work with autistic kids and i would say your son doesn't display the classic signs.

He sounds like a normal 17month toddler. Even if he is autistic he can still live a very fulfilling life !

It sounds like a language delay rather than asd. You can usually self refer to paediatric slt. They may have a long waiting list so it can be better to get on the list early and just cancel if you don't need the appointment by the time it comes around.

Another vote for hearing, possibly undiagnosed glue ear. Can be tricky to spot but very treatable.

My typical dd2 didn't speak any words until 2 years 3 months. Her autistic sister was 4 years old. Dd2 is now an adult, it really made no difference. As you dc was a preemie, I really wouldn't even start to be concerned until after 2 years

I should add, I'd echo what a previous poster said though that at 17 months (or 16 if you count the prematurity, which you usually do up to 24months), that this is not VERY delayed. They can make huge progress in those months up to 2 years of age. It's promising that he tried "moo" and does car noises as these proto words function a bit like words and usually other actual words follow on soon after. Try doing other noises or play words as you go through the day with him, especially ones that are very fun or repeat eg beep beep, bang bang bang (hammer), eek eek (mouse), yuk, mmm/yum, knock knock, boo.

I agree with others, nothing screaming ASD here, he's still very young. Definitely worth checking his hearing though.

I find walking is a big milestone for them then once they’ve cracked it it seems to free up head space for language. So you might find that comes on pretty quickly. Nothing sounds concerning in your list!

DS came on very rapidly between 18 months and two years and acquired hundreds of words. I think he only had five at your DS’ age (mama, daddy, tractor Hiya and baby.)

Have you tried flash cards? They were very helpful in getting DS to say a few more words initially and then he just seemed to start repeating many!

I have worked with children who have autism for the last 20 years...and my own son (now 25!) has autism, and honestly none of what you are saying raises red flags to me.
I'm now caring for my own little Grandson a few days a week..now 21m.
For comparison... not a single word til 18m. Selective hearing. Absolutely obsessed with cars (toy and real) spends ages lining them up. .. all a bit red flag-y...right? But also classic toddler with slightly slow speech!

Literlly overnight at 18m he started saying Mummy and Daddy, and now 3 months later he is gaining words by the day. Some of his peers have a lot more speech, but quite a lot don't. The ALL develop at their own speed and if you look round a toddler group they are all SO very different. (My dgs has now also hit the tantrum stage, deep joy but he's also funny and affectionate)

Your son can imitate which is great, can respond when he wants to..and comes to you for attention. He might have glue ear, or simply be a late talker, but he has lots of great skills that don't point to autism... more than do :) Toddlers don't play with other children ..those skills emerge mostly between 2.5-3 ish but your son is noticing them...great!

I know it's anecdata but at the toddler groups we attend the boys do seem to be mostly climbing and dashing around and a lot of the girls seem to develop speech earlier.

Try not to worry... he has loads of time!
(ps my autistic son is wonderful.. kind gentle and a total joy)

My son is autistic, now 5. Similar to yours in that he was premature. Looking back to that age, there was very little that would have been an early indicator, other than speech delay. No words at all until 18 m. He was at the late end with all his milestones but we put that down to his prematurity and really would allow to age 2 for catching up. But he had great eye contact, pointed, showed shared enjoyment.
By all means speak to your HV, consider hearing checks, etc, but most importantly enjoy him. Keep an eye out for other things down the line if you need to but try not to spend your days symptom spotting or "testing" him. I know this is easier said than done, I find myself doing this with my daughter, especially now she's around the age things were becoming more apparent with my son (2.5).

He sounds totally normal to me OP. He is like a lot of toddlers I have known.

I know you’re trying to do the best you can for your son, and you’re clearly a very loving mother, so I mean this with much kindness but please - give yourself and your son a break.

Of course it’s good to be open to a range of possibilities as your child grows up, in all kinds of areas. But it is just not possible to pre-emptively gain information and deal with every eventuality befire it has even transpired. Maybe your DS will one day be diagnosed, maybe not.

What is 100% certain is that you getting so incredibly stressed as to be sleepless with worry and watching videos/sobbing/over analyzing behaviour etc is not healthy for you or for your little one.

Please talk to your health visitor, when you see them, about your fears and how you
manage anxiety in general. From what you’ve written it seems you may need more support than you’re currently receiving.

If your child feels constantly under immense pressure from you this will not change whether or not they are eventually diagnosed with ASD/autism/anything else - but it will definitely negatively impact their development, self confidence and well being in general.

Don’t think he too young to pick up on your feelings. Don’t assume because he can’t always respond with words that it means he doesn’t understand much more than you think.

Your son is still so very young - focus your energy on getting to know him and supporting him in/developing his interests. Children are individuals and development is not linear. Listen to him, provide appropriate (but limited) options for him to choose from and let him take the lead in deciding on books/activities and games. You’ll learn so much more about him this way than you ever could watching videos of other peoples kids on YouTube.

More importantly you’ll be building his abilities, his confidence and your relationship - all of which will help put him in the best possible developmental position, whatever the future holds.

Absolutely this. When DS was diagnosed at 3, I was so afraid. Ten years later, I couldn't be prouder of him and I am not worried.

Speak to your Peadiatrician. DS had tests on his eye sight and then on his hearing to rule out sensory difficulties, before they began diagnostics.

As he grew up, I was able to explain away every little quirk, (he also didn't walk, or talk much), until one day, I looked at all of these quirks from the perspective of his global development, and the penny dropped.
Be prepared for people to attempt to reassure you, it's human nature, but if you are genuinely, genuinely concerned, follow your gut instinct and seek professional advice. Early diagnosis is key.
Good luck, OP!

And... enjoy the farm!

My son is 2.7 years and I have just found out he is autistic, typical symptoms, no pointing, waving, flapping arms, no speech and understanding. Plays with wheels of toys and runs from other children. I don’t know how to deal with this. I’m finding it hard to accept, can anyone with a toddler with similar symptoms give me some positive stories please.
emotional mum!

Hi Sumy - my DS is autistic but with a different presentation, but wanted to say that the immediate days after the diagnosis were the hardest bit for me emotionally. It is also the first stepping stone towards appropriate support. I hope someone with more relevant experience is along shortly. Take care.

Thank You Hercules, yes the initial diagnosis is the shock factor however when you find out more and learn about so many others around you who have a child with it and have positive stories your mind and heart somewhat settles till you hear another story where it’s not as positive. I think until I see progress I will be up and down.