Aspergers Signs in a Young Toddler - anyone?

[leelee39]

The older ds gets, the less I am worrying about ASD. But then I see an issue or two and I have no idea whether it is typical or not. It strikes me as different but not necessarily problematic. Ds is nearly 2. I wonder if he will later be dx'd with Aspergers. He is very verbal. He socializes well but does prefers to do his own thing sometimes in "circle time." He has an uncle in whom I strongly suspect Aspergers which is why, despite assurances from some people, I can't get this out of my head.

Please, I am desperate for input and despite google searching for hours and hours, I am finding nothing on Aspergers manifestations in the 2 year old set.

Anyone whose child went on to be dx'd with Aspergers remember what their child was like at 2? What issues (if any) did you see back then?

What would I see / should I look for?

By the way, in terms of answering questions, ds does MOST of the time (ie - do you want juice? response - okay). But sometimes if the answer is "no," he just doesn't bother to answer. How consistent is a "typical" 2 year old meant to be?

I would speak to your hv or gp asap. They will know what to do. Good luck. Could also be syptoms of dyspraxia as I know you have been worried about dyspraxia.

she has also almost stopped pointing completely. she will use my hand to 'point'.

Misdee, I am not trying to alarm you but try and get to the gp's or phone the hv asap.
I know you have enough on your plate at the moment
What is her actual understanding of language like????

chat test for autsim

I know dd is 2 and a half but this may help

she understands 'go get' etc, but cant follow a point now either. i'll be pointing up to show her something and she'll look the other way. i literally have to get her to follow my finger by brining it to her eye and then slowly moving it in the direction i want her to look.

Have you looked up dyspraxia misdee????

no. i dont think she is aspergers/autisic, but dh read an article on dyslexia and apart from the fact that dd2 is too young to read/write etc, she does fit the list he had read. so maybe close to dyslexia/dypraxia.

she fell over 8 times walking less than 100m last week. her knees are a mess

this is a regular thing. always falling over.

Obviously a lot of these conditions overlap and until they are older it doesn't become apparent what the real difficulties are.
I mean at 2.5 nobody really could tell exactly what communication difficulties dd had. Now at 5 and a half they are becoming more apparent though.

I know the twins with dyspraxia in dd's SAL unit always fall over. It is quite common for these children to have auti traits as well, doesn't make them auti though IYKWIM

so i've got to speakto the HV. always feel like i'm going to blub when talking to him tho.

Don't worry misdee I always blub. You have got a lot on at the moment as well so it's only human that you feel like that.
Does dd go to playgroup or anything as they usually pick things like that up???

dd2 was at nurseryb sept-dec 04, but we left as we moved house. they did mention she was a bit clumsaey but not much else. she had just turned 2 when she started there.

Misdee, she does sound similar in some ways to my ds2 who doesn't have a diagnosis but has been under the paed etc for over a year. Finally they are talking about DCD/dyspraxia which is what I think is likely to be the problem but the clinical psychologist still hasn't decided for certain he's not on the spectrum (although I think probably not). My ds2 is quite clumsy and still walks into things quite often though he has stopped falling so much now (he is 3.5y). Also he has more or less stopped pointing in the last 6-12 months although he used to a bit and has trouble following a point. He has a lot of problems with things like shape sorters, inset jigsaws. His speech is unclear and now that he has enough speech to tell it is showing signs of being a bit disordered. He can withold eye contact and doesn't interact with the other kids at preschool although he does interact with his brother. His imaginative play at 2.5y was very limited although it has come a bit now. He is a very messy eater and has clumsy fine and gross motor skills. Does any of this ring any bells?

However I have to say everyone has been extremely reluctant to give any label at his age and he has been classed as "global developmental delay". He is due to be seen by OT/PT in a couple of weeks to consider DCD but I will be surprised if they will commit to anything. The SALT came to assess him last week and just says as she always does that he is a puzzle and she doesn't know what to do with him.

her fine motor skills are very good tho. and she can do puzzles fo4r older age ranges (she is currently doing 24+ piece ones) and has been trying to get my 1000piece puzzle out lol. she walked early (10months) and by last summer it was obvious to myself and others that her walking hadnt improved. she was seen just before she was 2 by paed, and he sawe her walking 10 steps holding her dads hand and declared her fine FFS. her understanding of danger isnt too good, at this age dd1 was walking beside holding the buggy, if i try this with dd2 she tends to runaway (doesnt get far as i catch her or she falls). she is considered very stubborn by other people, and i get annoyed when people laugh at her for hiding. she interacts with her cousins, but tells other kids to 'go away' and will try and hit them.

I don't know if fine motor skills are always affected in dyspraxia or not. My ds2 is also quite good at jigsaws but practised a lot and at 2 couldn't even put 2 pieces together. The sense of danger thing is familiar though, I still wouldn't be confident of him not running on the road but I could trust ds1 to stand still on the pavement at age 2. Like you say you need someone to take more than a 10 sec look at her. The trouble is I think it is harder for them to pick up problems in a short assessment when they are younger because they always err on the "they may grow out of it." My ds2 was discharged by OT and PT following his assessment at 2.5y but he clearly has problems, for example, he still can't come downstairs safely walking upright. Good luck with the HV.

my younger sister who works with SN children, and has a lot of auti's/adhd/as kids in her groups (she helps run a special needs group at weekends) thinks my dd2 may be on the spectrum with HFA or dypaxia or a mixture of both. do i seek out the HV with a letter from younger sister giving her 'professional' opinion, and not that of younger sister? btw, younger sister has never broached this with me as she disnt know how i'd react with everything else going on, but i have known dd2 wasnt right since she was a baby. initial thoughts when dd2 was a baby was that she had hearing problems, but she hears fine.

In theory your HV ought to refer based on your concerns anyway without any letter. Have you spoken to him about them before and have reason to think he won't take you seriously? I don't know about the letter from your sister. My husband is a GP and sometimes it helps and sometimes it hinders because other professionals feel a bit threatened (which is nonsense because he is by no means expert in child development). I think if you had the letter the HV would be very foolish not to refer but might possibly take it the wrong way. Maybe you could just mention that your sister has experience of SN children and has concerns also. I don't know what other people think?

Sorry I think I have missed anything you have posted about having a difficult time at the moment, but I hope things get better for you soon.

i havent spoken to him before about concerns, tbh i rarely see the HV's here. am worried that if i go and speak to them,, they'll look at dd2 and tell me not to be daft.

I felt similarly when I told my HV of my concerns at ds2's check but to be fair she took me completely seriously and agreed that physically he looked unsteady and was having difficulty judging gaps etc. She took my word for it on language which is harder to judge. In general they ought to take a parent's concerns seriously - make a list of what worries you and take that. If I was you I would mention what your sister thinks but not take a letter. But I don't think a letter would be a bad thing if you feel it makes it easier for you. The other route to go is via the GP if you feel more comfortable that way.

I would speak to the HV. Be prepared in case they don't think you are really serious and be very clear that you are serious. I wouldn't take a letter along the first time, maybe keep it as a back up option in case you need it. Could mention that sis has concerns if you need to.

Hello, I havent posted on here before but have found reading mumsnet boards good for putting my mind at rest. I have just come back from my ds's 2.5yr test with the HV and she has told me she had a niggling concern in the back of her mind in relation to his behaviour. When I questioned her she mentioned possible aspergers. Her advice is to see how his behaviour goes and for us to look at him in more depth at his 3yr check.
Obviously now though Im worried about him and wondered if I put a list of his behaviour traits someone out there might have a similar experience with their ds or dd and shed some light. He has been biting for some time now (stopped for 3months and has started again), now screams when he doesnt want to do something, says sorry but shows no remorse, doesnt sit down or take part in circle time or singing in a circle at play groups. Has self harmed and bitten himself on occasion. Hates his potty and doesnt want anything to with it (have tried normal stickers, teddy on potty, praise, I want my potty book). Eats well but will not use a fork. Has developed a real fear of ghosts from I dont know were and seems really scared. Hardly makes a fuss when he hurts himself. Will get very angry- especially if another child takes a toy from him but can forget about it in seconds. Is still dribbling- alot. Frequently ignores us when we call his name- his nursery mentioned that maybe he has a hearing problem and asked me if it is just because he switches off- which I am sure it is. Has friends but appears to play more on his own. Wants to watch the same dvd (A Bugs Life) over and over. Doesnt have a lot of concentration- people say -Oh hes a bit of a handfull to me alot! Frequently bashes his toys or throws them off the play table in a rage if they dont do what he wants- lines his cars up. Always wants to make the same thing out of his lego.
On the plus side, he seems to know alot of words, can count and recognises shapes. When we read him stories he knows the end of each sentence. He loves cuddles and can behave well at times. He will ask for his friends frequently although when he sees them he doesnt always play with them. Sleeps well, eats alot. We love him to bits!
Sorry for the ramble just feel a bit lost.

hello .today i found out my 2 year old daughter has aspergers .i never new people could get this so young .im really upset i carnt syop crying i feel like iv done somthing .could realy do with some people to talk to thanks emmie x

Hi emmie, have just seen your post! I am in a similar position to you. This is not your fault. Do you have any support systems at all? There could be a local Autism support group or SN group near to you. www.autism.org.uk/?sc_lang=en-GB
x

Hi Emmie. I think you should start your own thread, people may not get to the end of such an old thread. You are not on your own, you'll get good support on here.