Hi all, I'm a bit of a lurker on here, but I am hoping to get a little advice. I have a DS aged 2 (though is turning 3 at the end of this month). For some time he has been showing signs of potential ASD. I already have a DS aged 6 who was diagnosed with it last year, so I have some idea of what to look out for, though both my children are very different! Currently, DS is non verbal, he can say 'mama' and 'dada' (very occasionally 'daddy'), but it's often indiscriminate, he's not looking at us when he says them. Outside of this is just babble. He used to say more words, but appears to have regressed. He doesn't point or wave, and tends to only communicate by hand leading, eg. giving me his cup when he would like a drink, or taking me to the fridge for some food. He doesn't bring his toys to me, and tends to play repetitively with them. There is no imaginative play. He is currently attending nursery three days a week, and very much does his own thing there, he doesn't play with the other children.
We're currently on the waiting list for a proper diagnosis, the doctor at the initial assessment seems to think it could be ASD rather than a developmental delay, as DS had poor eye contact, no speech and very restless behaviour whilst we were there, pacing up and down the room and trying to play with everything he shouldn't, as well as consideration of his history and family history (DD diagnosis). We're also awaiting results of genetic test (DD had no abnormalities).
DS is becoming increasingly more hands on, he is not sleeping very well, it can sometimes take a lot of attempts to get him to stay in bed, and then sometimes he is getting out of bed in the middle of the night. The problem with this is that he can be very loud. He has a fascination with opening and closing doors, and he really slams them shut. He also repeatedly kicks the floor.
Getting him ready for nursery on a morning is a battle, he hates putting his trousers on, and this has now extended to his shoes and coat too. I have a pushchair for him as he started sitting down and not getting up when he was fed up of walking, even at short distances, sometimes he doesn't want to go in there and will have a tantrum. I can't reason with him as his understanding is poor, this is obviously frustrating and upsetting for us both.
My main worry at the moment is that he is eating really poorly. He only eats crackers, raisins and bready foods, and drinks milk or juice. He used to eat lots of things but has suddenly gone off them. Nursery are telling me that he's not eating a lot of what they offer either. He does seem to have reflux but doesn't act like he's in pain, so it's hard to distinguish whether this is the reason for him not eating? He does keep trying to eat inappropriate items, I caught him eating suncream the other day, and he keeps licking the wall where we have just had to use some filler.
Some additional info, SALT have been involved with him since end of last year, they see him at nursery, though I don't feel he has made much progress. Early Years Intervention are also involved, and nursery are thinking of applying for funding to give him a one to one member of staff.
It should also be said that despite his difficulties, he's a very sweet little boy, he loves giving me cuddles and will let me kiss him if I ask. He's also physically very good at certain things, he can complete a simple wooden puzzle, he throws a ball really well, loves running about, and especially climbing. He seems to get enjoyment from certain books, he will sit and look at them, and laugh at the pictures, even if he has looked at the book before. I did used to read to him but he won't let me now, he's very eager to turn the pages himself.
I'm sure I've missed a few things out, but I'm feeling really overwhelmed by him right now. A lot of our time together at home consists of keeping him out of danger and struggling with routine.
Is there anything I can do to improve his diet? Our GP prescribed Gaviscon for the reflux. Also, am I right to think the refusal to get dressed is a sensory issue?