Autism concerns - Potential Hyperlexia

[nervousnellylikesjaffacakes]

I have autism concerns about my little boy who just turned 22 months, and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this/has any advice. He is such a sweet boy, gentle and easygoing, yet incredibly active (always moving/climbing). He has a definte speech delay. At his two year check up he could follow directions, point to nose, put hands up high, wave etc, but was barely talking outside of dada/hiya etc. He had a sudden explosion of speech a few weeks ago, colours, numbers, alphabet, is saying short phrases "bye bye dada" "what is that" etc. Babbles a lot. This week we realised that he has visually learned all of the alphabet. We've tested it and he can get all the letters, even out of order. At first we were thrilled, now I'm really nervous. With the speech delay, extreme activity levels, and now i'm seeing an autism sign referring to obsessive alphabet repetition called hyperlexia. When he was around 1 we would go to a local playground that had giant indented letters indented and all he wanted to do is trace them with his fingers while I said the sounds. He is only two so he largely plays independely though is interacting with his sibling/loves chasing her/being chased. He doesn't avoid eye contact, and can be snuggly when he finally stops moving. I feel like so much of this is unknown and only time will tell, and I probably sound overly anxious. He is "functioning" and our friends said their son was the same and knew letters at the same age, and isn't autistic but is now a gifted child in a specialist school due to academic abilities. We are starting a new daycare this week due to his speech delay, at the recommendation of his doctor, so they might be able to assess/watch for warning signs. I guess I'm just a bit lost now at where we go from here. If anyone has experienced this, I'd love to know aboubt your child and how things worked out long term/any advice you have.

Do you have a family history of autism or people within the extended family that could be considered autistic? If the answer to that is no, then it probably isn't autism as it is highly hereditary.

As for what you do, you support the child as challenges come along. Even with a diagnosis there is no treatment for autism, there is treatment for comorbid things like digestives issues, speech delay which you are on so just enjoy the child you have and don't read too much into things.

I think you would really struggle to get a diagnosis at this stage and with those markers as it's just not enough. I think you can only wait and see how he settles at nursery, his interactions and if they have any concerns.

The truth is op, you have exactly the little boy that you have.

If he’s autistic, well autistic is pretty great and lovable isn’t it.

I do understand why people get nervous about diagnosis, but at the same time I also sometimes think with this kind of thing it isn’t like a medical thing where you might lose him because of it. The boy you have is exactly the boy you have. Diagnosis doesn’t change anything. It won’t take him away from you.

Thanks, this actually does help a lot. We are very fortunate to have a lovely little boy, and you're right, we should just enjoy this time with him. I'm really not sure what getting a diagnosis would even achieve/change being totally honest, so it's probably pointless. We're a little nervous as his sister who is almost 5 can't identify all her letters, so we are trying to have her "help teach him" to encourage her to learn with him and not feel like she is being overshadowed. My DH is definitely on the spectrum, his whole family is convinced that he should have been diagnosed with aspergers as a child. He is exceptionally smart, but neutotic, struggles with making relationships, and hates change. But is fully functional and on the surface, you wouldn't know these things about him.

And you married him because you loved him!
It’s all good oP. Enjoy your young family.

If he is Autistic but already knows his letters at 2 and has started playing with peers I wouldn't worry. He'll be fine.

Hi
im not sure what exactly make you think that your son have autism?!
speech delay? At 22 month knowing alphabet and saying 2-3 words sentences!

maybe googling red flags ? Which makes every second child autistic and giving extra stress to parents trapping them in constant googling routine.

my son by the way said sentence like “what is this?” at age of 3yo exactly(36 month)

Don’t google. Don’t stress
you and your boy doing great

I have Hyperlexia and was also tested for Autism but don’t have it (although my DD does). I was reading and writing at 3, my teachers were apparently stunned. My high school told my parents that my English skills were the highest they’d ever seen in a year 7 student. As you can tell from my post, I’m now not the best with punctuation and grammar!
My point, is that it all evened itself out in the end and that having this particular skill in one area, doesn’t necessarily signal Autism.

Too early to tell. I have 5 adults, all autistic.

My ds that is disabled with autism and also a learning disability is hyperlexic.

Different history from your boy. He was very slow with all milestones and speech and language incredibly slow. His language comprehension was 9 months behind his age level at 2.5 and this widened as he got older.

He didn't speak sentences til over 4.

But, by 5, he could read anything you put in front of him, fluently! He had a pre school home visitor and we all though global developmental delay as he was so passive and slow.

But this turned things on its head! He had learned by matching speech to subtitles on videos (this was pre dvd) we could not keep him away from the telly when he was little. Back and forth he went.

Additionally, his older sister (5 years older) had him in her play school every saturday when he was about 4 and as he was so passive, he could not object! So she had him writing letters and copying words.

Upshot was he started PI a fluent reader and always more fluent reading than speaking.

When he was 12, his language comprehension had fallen 5 YEARS behind his chronological age. But he read much better than a 7 yr old.

Obvs he did not read for pleasure as there was no understanding there but he could read to school teachers no problem.

The autistic mind is a fascinating one. I understand why you're concerned of course but try to enjoy your wee boy and wait and see. (I wish i could havd heeded my own advice to you!!)

My eldest son is 17.

He did not utter a single word (apart from sounds like Uh and Oh) until he was 2 years and 3 months.
Due to poor muscle tone he was not fully toilet trained until he was 7
He had flexible joints so still cant do things like ride a bike

Once he started talking he very quickly went from nothing to full sentences. We also realised that he could ready really well.
When he started school at age 4 he was assessed by the educational psychologist who stated hyperlexia.
He also went to a consultant to be assessed for ASD and also had occupational therapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy for his more physical issues.

He was too high functioning to pursue an ASD diagnosis but has some traits and school have always had a learning plan for him - things like touch typing, help with fine motor skills etc.

He is 17 and doing A-levels. He got all A* and As at GCSE. He has always been really clever and absorbs knowledge like a sponge, however he is not social at all, he will chat to friends at school but never arranges to see them out of school etc.

If everyone suspects your DH is autistic then it wouldn't surprise me at all if your ds is from what you've said BUT he is still very young. I would have said to get his ears checked if you haven't already in relation to the speech delay - but it sounds like that is not a concern any more. I have a son with ASD and to be honest although he's had some struggles he's had an easier time than many of his NT peers - lockdown was a breeze, no interest in drinking/smoking/drugs, doesn't feel peer pressure etc. He's an adult now and in software engineering.

Sounds exactly like my ds. Knew the alphabet and loved calling out the letters on every street sign we walked past. He could point to any letter from 18m but didn’t say more than 3 words at that point. He also has an insanely good memory.

I still have concerns about autism- he is now in reception and fluently reading, knows times tables up to 12 and does strange things like numbering alphabet letters. Both pre school and reception have no concerns and I’ve come to accept that even if he does get a diagnosis, it doesn’t change him.

The last paragraph in particular sounds exactly like my son - ds was toilet trained at 3 though and didn't speak late. He was still though diagnosed with Aspergers and dyspraxia. Too high functioning is just bullshit IMO especially if it was decided at 4/5. Secondary school age is often when the differences become much more apparent, ds was diagnosed just before.

Try not to worry.
Parent the child you have - he sounds great btw.
I had similar thoughts about my DD at age 2/3 - not so much concerns, more observations.
She was an early talker but not exceptional at primary school - but finished GCSE's with pretty extraordinary results.
Negative issues have been around anxiety, OCD, food/sensory stuff which have made her life more challenging.
She's also creative, funny, great company, absorbs information and has a tremendous memory.
We have always just tried to do what's best for her. Even if it wasn't the same as her peers. Small adjustments.
Assessed for ASD at 17.

I don't think it sounds like any red flags or hyperlexia.Knowing numbers and letters at t hat age isn't unusual if parents are keen to teach it.
His speech probably all came in a rush because of physical maturity of the 'vocal apparatus'

I think the consultants said something like - he will always have ASD traits but as he coped so well with normal life it wasnt worth pursuing a full diagnosis.
We were lucky that both his primary and secondary schools were great and even though he didnt have a formal diagnosis have always put things in place to help him - quiet space he can go to etc and putting stuff in place so he was able to use a laptop during his GCSEs. If they hadnt been so helpful we may have revisited the diagnosis route.
DH dad got diagnosed at the same time as we were going through the consultant with DS. he had gone up to the age of 60 undiagnosed and it has changed his life/thinking.

Yes, for level 1 autism (they did away with Aspergers round about 2013 i think though to group all level one together as a heterogenous group does not work IMO)

Anyway - level 1 autism often flies under the radar until high school age. NT teens love hanging about in larger groups, pushing parental boundaries and sex chat/drinking/vaping/apprearance etc are main interests.

Autistic teens remain immature in social development and lack the ability to manage the complexities of group conversation.

Additionally they find it difficult to put themselves into the future so the pressure to imagine themselves at uni, or college, or work is very tricky.

Demands increase, masking is exhausting and causes headaches, stomach aches and can lead to mental crisis if not recognised and supported.