Autism?

[JuicyDrop]

I am hoping this is the right place for this.

My son is three, will be four in January, and i am increasingly starting to wonder about his behaviours.

For the most part he’s your average three year old. He is a good talker, talked early and very very chatty. He probably talks too much in all fairness, very hard to keep him quiet. He very rarely plays with toys, much prefers to run around the house endlessly with no real purpose. When he does plays, we have noticed that he plays the same two or three games over and over again with his toys. It is very repetitive- this is the same for pictures that he draws. He draws the same smiley face 100 times a day but doesn’t not draw anything different. No lie I have about 100 pictures from pre school all of the same thing.

As he gets older he is struggling more and more with sensory issues- his diet is becoming limited due to not liking textures of food. He will also say food is dirty if it’s got a bit browned in the oven or has herbs included- he will then refuse to eat and at times has physically gagged. He does not like loud noise and does become overwhelmed in busy environments. I have had to cut the tags out of his pants as he doesn’t like them and he completely refused to wear coats and hats. He is also funny about socks and will only wear certain ones as he doesn’t like the feel of some on his toes.

Socially he is quite limited- he is almost over friendly with adults. Talks to everyone in the street wherever we go. Tries to kiss and cuddle his teachers at pre school and appears to have no idea of what is appropriate. He does not interact with other children- if they come near him at the park etc he moves away or gets very cross and upset.

School has rung me this morning and have said the same about his socialising- he is not interacting with the children at all and he’s been there nearly a year now. This is what has made me think of the issue even more. Behaviour wise he is is a handful- major meltdowns and very controlling. He dictates where people have to sit in the house, he will have a meltdown if we do not play his way or stop a game. He demands people do things certain ways and if not he will shout and scream. School have not noticed this and neither has anyone else- it seems he does this at home but no where else.

ive always wondered if it could be autism but he is a good talker, has good eye contact and responds to his name most of the time. This is why I have not taken it any further up to now. There are many other issues with him but I feel these are confidence issues- if he’s scared of something he won’t even try. He is unable to jump very well, struggles with stairs etc. if he struggles with something he gets very cross but I think this is almost as he if he feels is doing something wrong and gets upset.

Whether it is ASD or not I think there is enough it your posts to warrant seeking further assessment.

Have you tried seamfree or seamless socks and ear defenders?

What support is the nursery providing?

Im in the process of getting some seamless socks for him. Never tired ear defenders I must admit.

preschool haven’t said much- today is the first time we’ve had a chat in the 10 months he has been there. They just said he didn’t interact at all with any of the children there- would play alongside them on occasion but mostly moves away and only stays with staff. He certainly doesn’t play with them as they would expect of his age. They have said they feel it’s a confidence thing so are going to try and encourage more group work with him . They said they would ring me next term to update on any progress. He doesn’t not show any of the other issues he has at home at preschool. Same at his nanas- food that make him physically sick at home he eats with her. So I honestly don’t know if it’s just behavioural or there’s something more and he’s masking when with other people.

Request a meeting with the SENCO. You will need to drive the process. In some areas you can self refer, if you can’t the nursery, HV &/or GP will be able to.

My daughter has amazing eye contact and could speak full sentences and has a very advanced vocabulary but she does have autism so don't believe that eye contact is a problem for all x

Full sentences at 18 months that should say

Okay thank you.

I’m just not sure with him at all which is why I’ve been hesitant to contact the gp about this. I’m also aware how long waiting lists are for children at the minute and would hate to waste anyone’s time if it just behavioural.

It's ok not to be sure. You're not wasting anyone's time asking for something to be investigated.

We're going through the diagnosis process with my son at the moment, who is exactly the same age as yours and sounds like he has similar traits. In our area, you're seen by a lot of professionals before you get to the diagnostic appointment, so if they don't agree that autism could be a possibility or that he has any delays or difficulties, they can tell you.

I'm not an expert but I do think you have enough evidence of traits to ask about being put on the pathway. There is evidence of social communication differences, rigidity, sensory issues, and struggles with emotional regulation (that may be caused by the sensory overwhelm of nursery or masking).

Autistic toddlers are also toddlers, too, so some of the issues may be behavioural and may lessen with time. But I spent a lot of time worrying I was a crap parent when it's becoming clearer that some of my son's issues likely stem from neurodivergence.

Waiting lists are long, so it is a good idea to set the ball rolling now. If further assessment isn’t necessary when DS reaches the top of the list all is well and you haven’t lost anything, but if you don’t seek a referral now you could regret it if you later get a referral and have to wait a long time.

Look into dyspraxia, it common for people with autism. I couldn’t do short and long jumps in school PE and was very clumsy. 44 now and only few years ago realised I have dyspraxia and only last year finally understood I am autistic 🤣
I don’t jump, I don’t skip on rope, I can’t cycle, I can’t swim, I can’t skate, I can’t skiing and many more things, never was able and don’t think I ever will be. Trust me through the life there were many people who thought they will teach me ride a bike or swim or skip the rope (2 PE teachers were particularly obsessed) and all eventually given up 🤣
but Mother Nature is kind, if it takes something it also will give something else, I am way better than average in maths and analytical thinking, problem solving, etc.

I agree this could be ASD and dyspraxia - mine has a diagnosis of both. He's still very young though. Mine has good eye contact - unless he's very anxious, that's when it falls apart. He had no issues with talking or coming to his name at that age either. He's currently applying for uni though so much older now.

I would talk to his school and see what they are thinking exactly - is there someone they could get in to observe him? I would do this first, it can be helpful with getting assessed and diagnosed if you have the school backing you up.