Hi everyone,
We don't yet have a diagnosis of ASD for my 27 month old but I've started the ball rolling with a hearing test with plans to push for more assessments. No one seems to agree with me that Jude could be ASD and I just wanted to check in with some people who actually have experience of children with this to see what they think. Is that ok?
Jude's main issue is speech delay. He has a decent vocabulary (which we know from the words he uses when he points to pictures/ tv etc) but chooses not to/ can't seem to use it to communicate. He will call us by name (mummy/ daddy/ Freddie/ nana etc) to alert us to things but won't follow with a word. More often than not he'll hand us a cup for a drink, shoes if he wants to go out etc or he'll point or take us by the hand to what he wants or moan. He'll repeat things he's heard on tv (though not always perfectly) and will sometimes come out with random phrases (like this morning watching his brother play football he shouted "come on Freddie!" Or he's pointed at Freddie's cycle helmet and said "it hat!" Or if I blow hot food he sometimes says "it hot". We also get quite garbled attempts at "there you go" and "all gone". He waves, often says "bye" or "see ya,bye", has great eye contact and is the most affectionate socially confident boy. He is happy to read alone for short periods, will run around the garden without company but equally likes us to be with him. If his brother is around he's always pestering him to run about with him. He plays- though he prefers books he plays on his telephone and drives his cars round his garage. He 'reads' social situations well- he knows if I'm mad (he'll cry) he knows when his brother is upset (he'll cry!) he knows when something is funny. He also seems to understand instruction- if I say we are going out he'll get up and get his shoes. If I say "bathtime" he'll head upstairs (unless he doesn't want to go!) if I say "food time" he'll head to his high chair...he eats and sleeps like a total champ. Never had any issues with that. Also doesn't seem to need routine and not daunted by new environments.
I'm not sure if I'd be quite as worried if it wasn't for the speech issues- he doesn't have any of the other behaviours I've seen flagged for ASD but he seems to like fences, he often heads for them and runs his fingers along them?! He does also have terrible tantrums if he doesn't get his way (but with a dummy or snack or doing what he wants they quickly stop) and he doesn't always seem to pay attention to us if he doesn't want to (sometimes I can't tell if he's heard me, sometimes I know he has because he smirks a bit!)
I don't know. I know there are many reasons for speech delay, it's just I've gotten myself into a complete state and I guess I'm looking for some reassurance or encouragement or something to stop me from going mad.
Thanks for listening anyway. I've got no one else to talk to.
X