DS is starting to look different

[adrianna22]

Since DS has started school, he is beginning to look different compared to his NT class mates.

When someone from his class, runs up to him and gives him a hug, he doesn't react. There's no hugging back, no smile, nothing. Is this part of autism?

When he was young, every time he saw me he would run up to me and smile, but now when he sees me, he comes up to me but again theres no excitement, like how he used to react to before. Is he regressing? As he wasn't like this before, or is this again apart of his autism.

It's sad, because I guess I feel like I have to fix him, but I have to accept that 's the way he is. .

Bump

My ds lets people hug him but he does not hug them back. He stands there not reacting while they hug him. He has autism and only likes to hug on his terms. If he asks to be hugged then it is fine, but if someone else wants to hug him then he does not like it.

If my ds is anxious or has had a hard day at school due to noise or it being unpredictable then he does not smile when he meets me after school. But if he is happy and relaxed he comes out smiling and runs up to me and let's me hug him. I can always tell what kind of day he has had by the way he greets me. I get really down when there are long periods of him coming out of school angry or unhappy looking.

How is your ds getting on at school. Is it going well?

My DS is just like tacal's. I know what sort of day he's had depending on his greeting. Y3 has been pretty good so far, he loves his TA and he seems much more relaxed.

His doing ok, but as he is tired (most of the time as he is very anaemic). His not very outgoing, while his like this. He just puts on this blank expression (as his very tired) so if someone says hi to him, he doesn't react quick enough to say "hi back".

My son isn't autistic ( I'm repeatedly told) but he never talks to his classmates after school. He just looks blankly at them. I have to reply for him. It's so strange as I'm told he is chatty in class :0/ none of his peers finds this strange at all ( yet)

Thanks PolterGoose

zzzzz DS has very low iron, so he is always tired, which makes him less responsive.

They just keep telling me to give him vitamins. So I've been doing that.

It's helping him a little bit, but not a lot. I've been meaning to ask our local doctor if she has any other suggestions regarding his anaemia.

Are you still under Salt? If so, ask them if they run any social communication groups to help your DS. Alternatively there's a link to groups here www.autism.org.uk/socialgroups

Social stories can also help them to learn expected responses to social situations, there's some good resources here that you can practice www.speakingofspeech.com/Social_Skills_Pragmatics.html

My DS doesn't like to be hugged or touched unless it's on his terms, and needs to be at the end of lines or have an arc of space during activities. Are there any issues around sensory processing?

I would be quite concerned about his anaemia too. If his diet is good and taking supplements and still anaemic and lethargic he should be tested for coeliac disease just in case.