10 month old showing signs of autism

[samybooker]

Iknow every baby grows and develops in their own time but I have worries about my little one. She is my first baby, she is 10 months old ( just turned ) she was not premature and her hearing has been tested and is perfect.
she is very dinky only weighing 16lbs, I am also petite so doctors think she has got that from me. she is very behind … she doesn’t crawl yet, she doesn’t pull herself up on anything, all she is interested in is playing with her toys. She doesn’t answer her name very often especially when playing with toys..
she flaps her little hands from time to time and also rocks! She is still stuck on puree food as she doesn’t like texture or lumps, but will eat crisps or anything with a crunch. She doesn’t clap or point or hand me toys. She is happy just doing her own little thing until she is fed up she will look for me and moan for me to get her. The only things she does is sit up and play with the her toys, rolls over, babbles ( been saying mama/dada since 4 months ) however sometimes it’s random gibberish. She enjoys peek a boo, she will give me eye contact and she does smile back at me or when she see’s my face. She gets excited to see me in the mornings or after naps or even just getting her out of the car. She has started to slightly put her arms up to me when I reach out for her, she does watch me when I leave the room most times ( unless she is playing with toys ), she does respond to sounds and will look for a sound or toy that has been placed behind her..
she sleeps okay, around 9 hours no interruption and then has a little feed then back to sleep for a hour or 2. I guess what am looking for is someone who is dealing with the same or who has dealt with similar. I have already had her assessed by an occupational therapist and they said she is behind so they are getting me some support and intervention to help her physically start crawling and being mobile. My HV is aware of my concerns and so is my doctor. She has already seen a paediatrician also Who didn’t have any worries, so I am very confused. I look at other babies who get upset when their parents leave the room or upset when strangers pick them up e.t.c and that is not my little girl.
she is placid and will go to anyone. She does give them funny looks sometimes but that’s about it. I just feel there is something different with her ( even though I have nothing to compare her to with her being my first ) but I can see other babies her age and she is just not where they are at all physically or emotionally.

Just a 10 month old being a 10 month old. They're all different. My son didn't crawl until 11 months. Some babies never crawl. He didn't walk until 16 months. Very bright 3 year old now!

All sounds perfectly normal to me, I wouldn't be concerned! My 10 month old is very similar.

I have two autistic children and I had no concerns about autism at 10 months old. It’s really too early to tell.

I had similar concerns with my DS around the same age. Everyone I spoke to minimised them, telling me their baby was the same or worse. Your friends want to reassure you. It doesn't mean they're right.

Mine was diagnosed as asd before 1 year old. Paediatric psychiatrist pretty much took one look and went 'yup'.

But asd presents differently in different children. You've been seen and a professional has no worries so try to get on with things and raise again when she's a bit older if you're still concerned. I don't think there's really an advantage to early diagnosis.

The thing is with autism is you will find a lot of children will be doing the same things but other children will grow out of it but children with autism won’t . Eg lots of children don’t like the hand dryer in the toilets some kids grow out of it and a au child wouldn’t . My dd was extremely behind wasn’t sitting up until a year , crawled at a year and half and was walking at 2 years old . My ds was sitting up late , crawled at 1 years and walked at 16 months . Both have autism . As a lot of people have said their children were the same however they caught up and they don’t have autism . I would just keep an eye on it and make a note of it , normally your notice it more at 2 years old .

I have the same concerns with my 9 month old - hand flapping / not crawling or anywhere near / won't eat anything that's not completely purée / will look at me if I say her name but only if I sing song it, not say it normally. Eye contact is fine but she's generally been a bit of a misery since she was born. I wonder if the slow to crawl is because she wasn't put down on the floor until she was about 6 months because she cried so much...

I am starting to think in the back of my mind is it something to be concerned about. But weirdly reading your post, my first reaction was 'that all sounds within the realms of normal, what's she worrying about'. I think it's just so hard to tell when they are so little.

I have some similar concerns with my 7 month old OP .. mostly concerning the hand flapping! My LO has done this for months.. repeatedly! It is more evident when he is upset, frustrated, happy or excited! Also noticing times where he zones out completely for maybe up to 20 seconds at a time. I made the mistake of googling these and BAM - it says he has autism. Well my anxiety went through the roof ..

I've fallen down many rabbit holes over this and it does absolutely nothing other than take away my attention from my gorgeous baby .. so I am trying to read others experiences of these behaviours being totally normal and push my worries to the back of my mind.

I'm with you OP - it is such a worry when your anxieties take over! X

She is a baby op. Cut her some slack

@rubesxx yes my little one hand flaps all the time too, mainly when she is dealing with emotions like you mentioned but she's been doing it for a while. My little one also shakes head left to right ... and she rocks. So you can understand my concerns, she is tiny and iknow she is too young to diagnose. But if my occupational therapist has told me she is way behind and is '' concerned '' you can understand my anxieties. People keep telling me to cut her some slack ...
I'm not judging my baby!!! I would do anything for her, I'm just a first time mum seeking advice not negativity ..
hope your little one gets the help they need! But maybe we are just thinking too much into it .. maybe they will catch up! All the best x

It's not unusual for babies not to respond to their name at that age, they're mostly attuned to your tone of voice and facial expressions rather than the words you're saying.

My older DD started crawling at 9 months, walking at 13 months. My friend's DS only started bum shuffling at 12 months then walking a couple of weeks later. My friend's DD commando crawling at 7 months but didn't walk until 16 months. What I'm trying to say is that is there are huge variations in when infants reach milestones and that's normal. Try not to worry too much, unless she's obviously not meeting milestones by 2 years (not speaking, not moving, not making eye contact) she's unlikely to get any kind of diagnosis, and you could waste the early years of her life worrying about nothing or something that you can't change anyway.

@UpUpUpU
There is no need for negativity here. I don't do any wrong by my baby. I will always remain extremely patient and I understand babies do things in their own time. I only worry because that's a normal part of being a caring mum. I am only young and a first time mum also. I don't have any family or friends around me so I posted on her for some guidance and reassurance not for comments like '' cut your baby some slack ''
I appreciate you taking the time to comment but I really don't need that type of negativity im sorry

@Crimblecrumble1990 yes I can really relate to all of that, every since a couple months old I sensed something was just a little off. My baby girl is 10 months and still won't have anything that isn't absolutely as soft as the texture of a yoghurt. She will not do lumps or texture and she isn't great with trying new things either to be honest. Yes my girl hand flaps a lot and she is no where close to crawling either. However I do no crawling isn't a milestone so I worry less about that. No signs of pulling herself up on anything at all, she doesn't bare weight on her legs when I try. She just happily sits playing with toys and prefers them to me lol.

@TwistofFate thank you for your comment, I completely get babies all learn things at different times. It's just the inner mum instinct that tells me something is different and the occupational therapist telling me she is concerned. I will give it time and watch her closely. She is ridiculously loved, I will never let this worry take my energy away from loving her. Thank you

^^ not a helpful comment - could have been worded for constructively ...

Absoutlely! Like you've said you're a First time, caring Mum - it is only natural for you to worry and be concerned and what the best for your little one! I'm a first time mum too and sometimes the worry that babies bring can be overwhelming. Guess we feel this way because we love and care for them so much xx

@samybooker The OT is providing support with your DD's mobility but they're not qualified to diagnose ASD. What do your HV and GP say? I would say trust your instincts to an extent but if the pediatrician, HV and GP aren't concerned then you might have to trust their expertise until she's older. Your DD may just need time to catch up, she's still very young.

Also, an ASD/neuro divergent diagnosis isn't the end of the world, it's a spectrum of behaviours and sensory stimuli, many people with the diagnosis live ordinary and meaningful lives.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parenting/4845267-signs-of-autism-in-10-month-old?page=2&reply=127672644

How's your bubba getting on now if you don't mind sharing. I have similar concerns. Thank you xxx

she is very behind...

she really isn't. It all sounds perfectly normal, try to stop worrying