Would any of this concern you, 14 month old DD?

[Worrywartyy]

I've posted before probably under a different name about my older DS thinking he possibly has undiagnosed ASD. As a toddler he was on the later side of speaking, obsessively used to spin wheels and was obsessive with what he liked eg would watch the same film over and over for months then switch to a new one. As a pre-teen I still see some odd behaviours, he rocks back and forth sometimes and he has no concept of personal space but he has friends and doesnt seem to be struggling so i haven't done anything about it. Sorry for the rambling but I just want to make sure I don't miss things this time round with DD.
DD is nearly 15 months, she does not respond to her name ever, I've gotten used to joking that she ignores people when they call her name. I don't think its hearing related but I suppose that could be an issue? She passed the hearing test as a baby. She constantly has to close doors, if the back door is open she will close it same with any room we go in she has to close the door. She doesn't point with her finger but will point with her whole hand if she wants something sometimes.
She doesnt seem to have any understanding really, if I say can you get the toy and point to it or ask her to come to me she looks at me blankly.
She hates being touched if she doesnt want it and already has 'tantrums' when I take something away etc.
Is any of this concerning? I know she's too young for anything to be diagnosed but just curious as to whether anyone else would find any of ths a concern? Thanks!

Hi @Worrywartyy

With regard to your son, the behaviours on their own wouldn't indicate ASD, but when you put them together they start to form a pattern of behaviours that are commonly seen with individuals with ASD. The wheel spinning and rocking are sensory and the concept of no personal space is social. I would continue to keep a close eye on him and how he is coping especially if he is due to move into a secondary school setting.

I would suggest you speak with your Health Visitor or GP regarding your daughter. Your concerns are valid. The lack of understanding, not responding and possible sensory issues all need to be checked. The reason ASD is not usually diagnosed at such a young age is by the time a concern is picked up and monitored or assessed the child is usually over the age of 2, particularly if they don't appear to have a learning disability.

There are lots of things you can do. If she is struggling to understand, keep things really simple and repeat them. Is she watching you when you point something out, what is her speech like? Encourage really simple words and the sounds to make them.

I always advise to write everything down. Keep a log of what she is doing and what she is not doing each month of development if you have concerns. This will be invaluable if you do need to see health professionals as they will want a detailed history. It can also be a positive when you see the progress your child has made.

Your overall instinct is usually right, if you feel something is off or you are worrying, get it checked.

All the best.

Thank you @PaolaNeri for your reply. I forgot to mention my son has/had terrible echolalia too (i had no clue what it was until coming across the term years later) he used to constantly repeat favourite scenes from films or a phrase someone had said or something he'd seen on youtube etc. It has lessened as he's got older but he does it sometimes. I will just keep an eye on him for now as i dont feel a diagnosis would be helpful unless he was struggling which at present he isnt.
She does watch when i point to something and she has been saying a few words since about 12 months (ta, hiya, her brothers name and dogs name) the names are not clear but you can tell she's trying to say them, she babbles all day long too.
I will keep a log of everything like you say and see how things progress, thank you :)

Keep remembering things i havent mentioned, my DD also does, i'm not sure how ive seen it described but if she wants something done that she can't do herself she will grab my hands and put it on the object e.g a drink she can't open, straps on her carseat/highchair etc. I've read this can be a red flag?

Hi there,

Yes you are describing hand leading and hand taking and it is a behaviour seen in asd, as is echolalia.

Seeking a diagnosis is for some a necessity and for others very difficult. I have seen parents put it off because they are not sure, their child is managing at the moment, etc. However the process to obtain a diagnosis is not a quick one (unless private). The waiting list in my borough is 36 months, that was without the Covid lockdown delay. It shouldn't be the case, but the sad fact is that without a diagnosis there is a far greater chance of not getting the help and support that might be needed. In my borough, school places are in such short supply for the asd unit within mainstream provision that without a diagnosis you are not going to be considered.

Something that you may find useful for guiding you to make your development notes, is looking at the questions on the m-chat.org/ questionnaire. It's a US developmental screening tool used for parents for children between the ages of 16-30 months. One thing to note when answering is to really think carefully about the answer. Initially you may think think yes they are doing that, but are they doing it in the right context and frequency that you would expect a child of that age to be doing? E.g. does your child point? If they have pointed a couple of times or not in a way that they are sharing what they are seeing with you then they are not pointing appropriately so you would tick the no box.

Sorry if I have waffled on

I second M-Chat. Your daughter sounds similar to how my eldest was at her age, especially the hand leading. I hope you get some support soon, from my experience being in limbo was worse than knowing what we were dealing with and making a plan going forward. Fingers crossed you find out one way or another

Thank you both for the replies, I have done the M-Chat and it does show cause for concern. I will do it again when she is 16 months though and see if I get the same outcome.
In the meantime ill make note of the milestones she's achieved/not achieved and if things lead towards a diagnosis I will be somewhat prepared 🙂

Just wanted to update!
DD is approaching 18 months now, she started to point literally a day before she turned 17 months, it was pretty random at first and i wondered if she was just copying me but she points when she sees a bird fly across the sky or at the swans in the river and looks at me to check im looking too. She's gone from pointing a couple of times a day to the point where i can't count it as she does it fairly consistently throughout the day.
She says about 15-20 words in the right context and her understanding is better, she will put something in the bin if you ask her and go to her toy box if i say lets play with toys etc
She responds to her name alot more and the hand leading has virtually stopped (i hadn't even realised until i thought about it the other day)
I know this doesnt guarantee that anything isn't wrong but if you'd asked me in July if i thought she'd have developed this much i wouldnt have believed it!
Hope this gives others some reasurrance if they come across this thread :)

Great update @Worrywartyy.

I found 8 months and 18 months were milestones where my dd's development seemed to just explode. Sounds like your dd's language and understanding is taking off which is always reassuring when you have had concerns.