Can anyone help me with some Q's about my DS and ASD?

[MegaLegs]

DS4 is 22 months. No DX but has hypertonia (though this is improving) and GDD. He is still very much like a 10 month old baby. Crawls, no speech.

He has always been tricky but is generally happy, however I'm noticing that he is getting stressed out more often by odd things. e.g screams his head off in lifts, multi storey carparks and when I open the sun roof on car. Finding it harder to take him shopping and to cafes etc as he loses it big time.

What do you think, is this ASD type behaviour?

I have to collect DS1 and 2 from school but will check back in a bit. Would be really greatful for anyones thoughts.

grateful

Thanks electra - he does point and he is attempting sounds and gabbles in patterns similar to speech. He seems to understand what we say to him, responds appropriately.

He is interested in toys and books and interacts with his brothers and peers.

I wonder what frightens him about lifts etc.. it seems to be the noise and the feeling of enclosure.

He does shake and nod his head for yes and no, especially when he is about to do something he shouldn't like throw his food or upset the cat water bowl.

He also covers his ears if someone shouts near him. Maybe his hearing is over sensitive. I'm thinking outloud again.

HI Megalegs
DS2 has lots of sensory problems but not enough of the social communication/imagination problems to warrant a dx of ASD.
He also has GDD, low tone & CP. Sensory integration disorder has been suggested, as well as noise sensitivity he also cannot cope with busy patterns, certain fabrics & smells can upset him too.
He is 4 & his reaction to the things that upset him has eased as his communication has improved now he can sometimes tell us what is upsetting him or if we are at home he will take himself into another room & just avoid the thing he can't cope with.

Being able to shake/nod his head for yes and no sounds like a good sign that he might not have ASD (though obviously I'm not an expert). My 2 boys at that age, and even now to a certain extent, would presume that I knew exactly what they were thinking and so there would be no point in trying to communicate with me by nodding etc.

It may well be that your ds is sensitive to noise. As well as the volume of noise when out and about, the sounds in the multi-storey car park might seem somehow distorted to him because of the echo effect you sometimes get.

The sun roof might be a problem because of the whooshing noise you can get while driving. It may be that he doesn't like the feel of the air rushing in? Does he mind the windows being open in the car or is it just the sun roof?

I think lifts can seem scary when you're little. You stand in a tiny room that suddenly starts moving. It must also seem a bit weird that when the doors first close you're in one place and then when they open you're somewhere else. Lifts also tend to have those strip lights in them too, which can be uncomfortable for some people because they are bright and they flicker.

Oops! I've rambled on a bit here.

Thanks mymatemax and coppertop.