When did you first suspect Asperger's or HFA, and what were the signs?

[notablob]

...and when did you get an actual diagnosis, please?

Am off to work in a minute but will come back later

Thank you Ineed :)

Probably around 2, although I was mainly concerned about his speech delay rather that autism but as I have a sibling with autism it was always in the back of my mind as a possibility. We got our diagnosis at 3.10 years. I'm glad we got it early as he has progressed and changed so much in the last three years I suspect if we were looking for a diagnosis now they wouldn't' tube so cut and dried about it.

DS2 - 'challenging' from birth, but difficulties started to be more pronounced from 3 (rituals, meltdowns, lack of interaction with peers etc). Dx (AS) at 5

DS1 - always quirky and 'little professor' like but no real concerns until 7, when the difference from his peers started to be more pronounced and his own anxieties and need for control came to the fore. Dx (AS) at 9 (after DS2 was dx)

For us when Ds started MS but with hindsight from birth and as zzzz said obvious around 2, for me that's when I started asking myself the "should Ds be doing/not doing x,y,z" but he was my first and I only had a Neice born around the same time...so had the "he's a boy" comments if I mentioned anything to anyone.

Started to present even more at school when DS went into Juniors. Diagnosed after 8 yrs. EP who did DS's cognitive assessment made a comment that symptoms don't show till after the age of 7 but in reality we know that means "lets wait and see", seeing as the symptoms have been there since day one.

Almost identical to wibbleweed's DS2.

I did loads of online CHAT tests, all said no cause for concern, which delayed me a bit in trying to get a diagnosis.

With ds1 I knew something was 'different' about him by about 12mths, but thought it might be a hearing problem because he didn't react to sounds or voices.

I read something about ASD when he was around 18mths or so, and it was as though someone had written about ds1. He was referred by the SALT for a full development assessment at around 3yrs and was dx'ed a few months later.

Ds2 seemed fairly NT in comparison to ds1 when he was a young baby. I had a few suspicions by the time he was about 12mths old but couldn't be sure. At 15mths the portage worker visiting ds1 referred ds2 for an assessment, and he was dx'ed at 2yrs old.

well we didn't seriously think about it until DS1 started school and they flagged up some "inappropriate" behaviour.
WIth hindsight he had always had "quirks" but we managed at home and as he was our first and because I also share many of those quirks we didn't think too much of it.

I guess as he got older and didn't grow out of some of his behaviours, and we saw the gap widening between him and his peers it became more obvious.

He was diagnosed just before he was 6.

I had a page and a half of a4 that i'd written about him, to take to GP and paeds! can't remember all of it but off the top of my head:

inability to relate to other children
preferred playing alone
no sympathy/empathy
violent outbursts (inc spitting, hurting younger brother, kicking)
obsessions/special interests
collecting things
some echolalic speech, particularly quoting huge chunks of films he'd only seen a few times

Just realised I didn't say what the signs were!

Ds1:

• Didn't react to sounds.

• Had no particular interest in people.
• No interest in toys.
• Didn't sleep.
• Had no language skills (expressive or receptive)

Ds2:

• Had a few words but lost them.
• Obsessed with particular colours and shapes
• 'Hyper', which I later realised was sensory-seeking behaviour
• Didn't respond to his own name
• Only had a few single words (mostly shapes, numbers and colours) by the age of 2yrs

Started process at 2, had developmental check at 31m, found to be behind in all areas but visual, more behind in communication and social. Dx day before 4th bday.

He was a v. Placid easy baby, did not moan if not feed, interested in a few things, at soft play spent entire time spinning pram wheels rather than activity. Did. OT respond to interaction really unless tickled, v.v. huggy and still is.

His now 8 and his increasingly struggling with social interaction and need to be in control and his proprioception.

In hindsight at 6 weeks and every day from then on.

14 months I was trying to get someone to take me seriously. 2.3 got a working Dx.

at two noticed DS was hyper (sensory seeking) and put it down to ADHD as that's what I assumed I had (I was dx with mild AS after he received his ASD dx)relatives commented on lack of eye contact which seemed normal to me. Not much speech at two (thought it was a 'boy' thing). Still assumed it was ADHD when he got to school, the EP suggested it might be ASD when he was five, got dx shortly afterwards

From very young, refused to take bottle feeds from anyone except me. Went all day at the childminders without taking any feeds on my first day back at work even though we had done lots of visits.

Screamed hysterically at the vaccuum, lawnmower, drill, food blender.

Obsessed over certain TV characters and had to take the video out with her.

Very rigid behaviours from 2 and massive meltdowns that resulted in hysteria which could only be calmed by tight hugging.

Huge vocab but lots was bits off TV programs or learnt phrases.

What are your thought notablob ??

In retrospect from the beginning,
DS stared at the light when feeding rather than at me, would not nap if we were out, screamed hysterically at the hoover and other similar noises.
Speech slow to come then when it did it was like someone had flicked a switch and he never shut up.
Difficulty with sleeping. unconsolable screaming after waking from a nap.
Actually when he was 1-2 we were more concerned about all the food allergies and the excema.
Later when he started school nursery so 3-4 there were some concerns about his behaviour. He was convinced the other children were bumping into him/hurting him deliberately in the playground and then "retaliated"
Toddler tantrums didn't stop after being a toddler
Needed rigid routine to be happy.
Odd about food and textures ( but we put that down to the allergy thing!)
As he got older the differences in social interactions became more noticable. Would do something he found amusing over and over and over much to the annoyance of other children. Couldn't keep up with the changing rules of childrens games as they evolve.
Wanted to be in charge and tell everyone what to do all the time, to control play.

We got a DX when he was 6.
Classic AS apparently

I posted this on DS's observation at nursery last week:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/1912653-I-dont-feel-up-to-this-3yo

Still feeling a bit bruised as it's the first time anyone has agreed something might be up. I've felt something has been different with him since he was a newborn and it looks as though I may have been right .

He has great eye contact and shared attention with adults, but as observed by nursery, hardly seems to register that other kids exist. That plus the (??) sensory visual stuff is the main concern. He does also have a great love of trains - not to the exclusion of all else, but a rather specific type of train.

I read something this week I cant remember where but if I do I will do a link. Anyway it said the vast majority of parents who suspect that their child has a special need are right.

You should go with your gut instinct. It sounds like you have some switched on people at nursery. If you can work with them and get lots of advice from on here you should be able to get the best outcome for your Ds.

Good luck

dd2 was about 15 months. Had a gut feeling ever since. Once she could walk she just didn't seem to 'need' much input from me. I remember Googling away when dd2 was ooh 3yo and coming up with Semantic Pragmatic Disorder (a diagnosis which is not used any more). dd2 was given a dx of ASD last week age 8yrs 8months.

Yes polter It was that thread. Thankyou I thought I was going mad

If I may tentatively post about DD2, who isn't diagnosed:

-At 4 months she suddenly seemed petrified of her crib. Arched back, wide eyes, screaming. We ended up co-sleeping.
-It took a year from when I stopped BF to wean her off co-sleeping. We had to use gradual retreat and the increments were incredibly small or we would have to start again.
-Very passive as a baby.
-Around 16-18 months got obsessed with a little piece of moon mat - had to have it rolled up repeatedly a certain way. Completely dissolved if it didn't get rolled as she expected.
-Around 20-22 months - had a dolly but instead of cuddling it she would just try and put a blanket on it. But the blanket had to be perfectly square and the dolly's bumpy bits stopped it being square, so DD2 would tear it off in a rage and start again.
-Some meltdowns at preschool - had to go and get her - preschool leaders said 'oh she's copying DD1.'
-Wouldn't wear a pair of shorts because they had two buttons and she was 3.
-Always, always on her own in preschool. No interest in what other children were doing at all. Not a single photo in her learning journal where she was with other children.
-Self-selected in Year R - repeating patterns, construction toys, etc., all concrete stuff. Didn't seem to gel with other children but was ok.
-Year 1 transition disaster - couldn't cope with change of classroom, change of table colours, change in expectations of handwriting, etc.
-Full school refusal and physical illness as a result of the anxiety. Had to pull her out of first infant school mid way through year 1.
-Year 1 at new school seemed 'ok' at first.
-Literal language, clear but relatively short-lived obsessions. No response to non-verbal communication, no response to tone of voice.
-Obsessed/tuned-in to parts of language ie. homonyms, homophones, etc., but doesn't comprehend more basic language.
-Now Year 2, falling apart at the seams. Not sleeping, huge anxiety, dislike of other children being around her. Not functioning in class.
-School now onboard and assessments planned with SALT, OT, Ed Psych, etc., with likelihood of CAMHS involvement early next year.

Around 9 months I noticed DS sitting in his high chair flicking his fingers in front of his face. He did not turn around when we called him unless we used a particular pitched sing-song voice. He never noticed when we entered or exited a room.

Because he was only 9 months I had a terrible time getting anybody to acknowledge what these behaviours might mean, nobody would look at him with regards to ASD until he was at least 2.

When they began assessment I had records covering EVERY concerning behaviour he had ever exhibited! Dx was quick and simple, ASD was confirmed at 2 years and 3 months.