Early signs of ASD, Should I worry?

[TheMaryClaire]

Hi mums! I would like to ask some questions and maybe some advice especially from those parents who have experience handling kids with ASD. My younger DD is 16 mos old. I understand that formal diagnosis can only be done at 2 years old, but just wanted to know if it’s right for me to worry? She is pointing and rocking almost every day. I read that repetitve gestures can be a sign. She can’t still say simple words aside from “mama” or “dada”. Is it reasonable for me to worry?

I wouldn’t worry too much about actual speech words at 16mths - closer to two perhaps. More important is that they understand what you say and respond to it and get your attention with sounds and gestures.

Back and forth conversations can happen without them having to use words. Simple rhymes like ‘round and round the garden’ are back and forth interaction because they can do it back to you and take turns.

Many very young babies I’ve known later diagnosed with ASD find it very hard to self soothe once upset or take comfort from adults. Some can take a while to fall asleep and then can be hard to calm if they wake up upset. They like climbing and are quite physically able with those type of skills. They don’t respond to their name so quickly or to adults trying to engage them in shared play or back and forth interactions. They can bundle into other children and babies as if they are just things rather than other people. They will take things from others and seem oblivious to the upset they might have caused the other child. Their play style is just a little different to a NT child and if you’ve been around both you can pick it up and keep a closer eye on development.

If she's pointing at things then that's good, it's a form of communication that then allows you to name what she is pointing at. Not pointing can be a sign of ASD. Rocking is common in young children as a way of self soothing and only saying a couple of words is not unusual. Talk to her as much as you can, especially about all the things she is pointing at.

I think you need to stop worrying so much and just enjoy your lovely little girl!

Hmm, what's her sleep like? What toys does she like to play with? What us her eye contact like? Is she meeting all milestones as she should? Does she seem to crave sensory input more than most of a similar age?
Does she show distressed behaviour above and beyond others her age?
Does she wave, and seem interested in interaction?

My son was diagnosed a few days after he turned 3. I knew from very early on that something was very different about him. He was jaundiced and had a jaundice check with a Consultant at about 6 weeks old. I remember saying to them, I'm not sure it's related to the jaundice but he isn't like any of the other babies. He wants feeding constantly. He finishes a bottle and screams 20 minutes later for another feed. If he is ever put down, he screams, he literally screams until he's going blue. Every car journey I take with him he screams from being put in the car until he's picked back up.
I would hold him until he slept, and I'd put him down 30+ minutes after, it didn't matter how carefully, it didn't matter if I transferred him in his sleepsuit, it didn't matter, he screamed bloody murder.

He has maybe slept the night through 4 times in his 3.5 years.

He was obsessed with lining toys up, and spinning things from very early on.

His language was delayed, and he actually lost words like mama, and dada. He stims verbally though, 123, ABC, the wheels on the bus, monkeys jumping on the bed, twinkle twinkle little star, head shoulders knees and toes. But he cannot ask for a drink, call my name, or answer his own name most of the time.

He sensory seeks with water to an extreme extent.

He gets overwhelmed, screams and throws himself on the floor, and hits, or bites.
He's picky with foods, and really struggles with prickly tags, and prefers to not wear clothes if possible.

His interactions with others are really quite severely limited. He has an 18 month old brother who has more words, and communication cueues than he has.

Not sure if this all helps at all! But these are the things that I noticed as the first things I realised that were different.

My DS at that age (dxd at 27 months now an adult with SLD and ASD) would look at the wheels spinning on his pram as we took him out for a walk. He wouldn’t follow a finger point. He would shake his head really fast (stim), he would press his head into the ground. He never rocked although he rocks from foot to foot now as an adult. Tiptoe walked (still does- never seen him lay his feet flat when walking). He didn’t point until he was about 8.

Also my DS had no words until 40 months. His language now is all scripted (Gestalt) and only occasionally he asks for his needs to be met with regard to food, drink, toileting.

Thank you so much! That’s really reassuring

Her sleep is actually pretty good… Falls asleep easily with a bottle and sleeps through the night until 6:00. She eats well too, could eat anything you give her. Apart from the things I mention in my OP, other noticeable things are similar to what another poster said, staring at the pram wheels moving and staring at feet moving when we’re carrying her. It doesn’t compare to anything that you have experienced. I hope you are mananging well

Thank you for your contribution, that;s really helpful. She’s good with sleeping and doesn’t get frustrated much and she’s easy to distract if she gets upset or starts crying. She is very very able physically, climbs everything and loves to jump and bounce. We don’t know anyone who’s had such an experience so that’s why I thought it better to ask for advice here

How did she do at her 12 month check @TheMaryClaire?