SN FAQ: First signs of Autism

Assembly_Reqd

Welcome to the Special Needs Frequently Asked Question thread! Please feel free to also create your own post in a new thread if you need more information or support. If you do post your own thread, we want as many parents as possible in your similar situation to 'see' your question. Please be specific and include the potential diagnosis or procedure in your post title.

I am worried about my child having autism.

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

What were those signs?

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

mjsweetgirl

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs? I noticed pretty early in his life, within the first few months, that he didn't really look at me or try and interact. As he got older I noticed he didn't wave or do high fives or point. Then when he finally did get a few words, they instantly left. He used to say "dog" and "mama" and "dada".  I just knew from the very beginning of his life that something was different about him.What were those signs? (see above)

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism? Follow your gut and don't just accept "he or she will be fine" "they are just a late talker" or "wait and see". Our pediatrician gave us that advice and I just couldn't accept it. I had a nagging feeling in my gut that was telling me otherwise. Seek out Early Intervention services and make a phone call. You know your child the best and do what ever it takes to get the answers you need. DS has come such a long way since we started services in Nov (speech, early child hood, OT).

 

thehoneybadger

Welcome to the Special Needs Frequently Asked Question thread! Please feel free to also create your own post in a new thread if you need more information or support. If you do post your own thread, we want as many parents as possible in your similar situation to 'see' your question. Please be specific and include the potential diagnosis or procedure in your post title.

I am worried about my child having autism. 

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

First took notice at 18 months. Contacted EI at 24 months. Started speech therapy at 25 months. Had an evaluation done by developmental psychologist at 27 months and received provisional diagnosis of Pdd-Nos. Currently on wait list for dev pedi. 

What were those signs?

Speech delay, sensory seeking behaviors, lining up of toys and tantrum-ing if toys were messed with by sisters.  At the church nursery he would hide in a corner away from the other kids, did not want to engage in their play. 

 Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

Have EI come out as soon as you have a concern. We wasted 6 months of possible therapy because the pedi and I decided to wait and see with his speech delay.  

ntyravgmom

I am worried about my child having autism.

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

Unfortunately I didn't. Autism never even crossed my mind. 

What were those signs?

See above.

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

If you notice anything call EI right away. 

Our story is that our son was receiving speech services under speech delay. Before he started therapy for this, though, he had learned words and then lost them. We sought out EI because we knew he needed more speech than he was getting under the diagnosis of speech delay and the insurances were having to renew the therapy each month, but the paperwork trail was so slow in getting him services. We had to wait 2-3 months in between every 4 sessions of services!  He was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at 2 1/2. All of the signs were there, we just didn't know anything about it before then. He never had eye contact, lined up his toys, stimmed (spun in circles), didn't talk, sat for hours alone, banged his head, didn't help get dressed, couldn't use a spoon or fork well, etc. Now he's a happy 8 yr old who continues to receive speech services through the school system along with other services to meet his academic needs. He's in a mainstream classroom and is pulled out for his extra services.

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CrazeyJaneyR

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

I have twins with autism.  One was 15 months old, the other 17 months.

What were those signs?

With G, I noticed he was making awkward hand movements near his face. He was also over focused on knots in the hardwood floor - he would crawl around them.  

With AJ it was his lack of speech, and having an identical twin brother with autism. 

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

Trust your gut. It can't hurt to have an evaluation done - it is better to be over cautious.

If your child gets a diagnosis, it will be ok. Different, but ok. We will all be here to listen. 

CrazeyJaneyR

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

I have twins with autism.  One was 15 months old, the other 17 months.

What were those signs?

With G, I noticed he was making awkward hand movements near his face. He was also over focused on knots in the hardwood floor - he would crawl around them.  

 

With AJ it was his lack of speech, and having an identical twin brother with autism. 

 

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

Trust your gut. It can't hurt to have an evaluation done - it is better to be over cautious.

If your child gets a diagnosis, it will be ok. Different, but ok. We will all be here to listen. 

MirandaHobbes

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

At 16 months our DCP called us regarding her concerns about DS' autism.

What were those signs?

I didn't see many of these signs, for the record. Most were very subtle. He had poor eye contact (not non-existant eye contact, just poor). He didn't really point for things, he'd just sortof reach. He would take my hand and bring my hand to something he wanted. He had very few words at 16 months. In retrospect, he did show a little regression- at 10-12 months he was saying "Mama" but then he didn't say it again. He didn't really play with toys like they were intended. There was no imaginative play, he was merely manipulating toys (e.g. turning the wheels of a car, or just pushing buttons for effect). He was very irritable. He wasn't colicky as a baby, but he always needed to be entertained somehow, as if he was always bored and needed to be stimulated. He rarely engaged with other kids. He would cry when they would take a toy from him, when the age appropriate thing to do would be say "No! Mine!". He had a wicked oral fixation (licking things, pacifier until he was 3).

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

I felt like I was pretty sure all the naysayers were off base on DS diagnosis. But I went through with all the therapy offered because I was afraid he wouldn't be kindy ready. As he grew up it became much easier to accept the diagnosis for what it is; it isn't life ending, it's just different. Be open minded and accept any help offered.

erinb31

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs? There were things that concerned me from birth-- my son was always a side-looker if held in someone's arms and they tried to make eye contact.  He does and always has been able to make eye contact, but it varies from almost non-existent to simply inconsistent and shorter glances than one would expect.  He also was a horrible sleeper from birth-- especially naps.   He sleeps well at night now, but as an infant, he would scream endlessly if left to go to sleep; no sleep method worked for him. I realized something was very concerning about my son's development when he was 18-19 months when he stopped being able to sing Old McDonald with me.  He went from filling in animal names and sounds to using only "duck" to not doing it at all.  He also never babbled like a typical baby and started saying words around 10-12 months... words like "eyebrow" instead of "mama."  He also has always been advanced with cognitive skills, especially puzzles, shapes, numbers, letters.  This, to me, is still a sign of giftedness in the midst of his challenges, but his uneven abilities are a red flag.  As far as physical development, he had terrible reflux and has low tone; he hit his motor milestones on time, but the quality was different... very clumsy walking from about 12-24 months. What were those signs? (see above)

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism? 

If you are concerned, write down ALL of your concerns and then call early intervention, even without support from your pediatrician.  Set up an appt. w/ the best Children's Hospital developmental pediatrician/behavioral pediatrics near you for expert opinion and diagnosis.  Get on the floor and engage; follow your child's lead.  Don't beat yourself up, and make sure you rest.  Read everything you can on development without going crazy, be honest with yourself about your child, but never miss the beauty and strengths he or she has to offer.  Tune out family and friends who second guess you or negate your efforts.  YOU are the parent, and you can make a world of a difference, especially between ages 0-3.  And bottom line, just don't wait.  

d.f

I'm very new to my sons PDD-NOS diagnosis. 

Can you tell me what age your child was when you first noticed signs?

Honestly,  Autism wasn't even really on my radar until concerns were brought to me by the SpEd team at DS's preschool.  He met pretty much all of his milestones on the later side of average and was talking right on time.  Responded to his name, made eye contact, had joint attention etc.  When he was around 1.5-2 years old I started noticing that I had to chase him down and redirect him A LOT more than other parents when we were in group settings (Music Class, Story times, Gymnastics etc).  I kind of had a feeling in my gut that something was up but I have a pretty strong family history of ADHD.   I figured we'd get to that bridge a little later.

He started preschool a few weeks before he turned 3.  I enrolled him in a local public school.  When they said it was an inclusive class I just thought awesome he'll get exposure to all sorts of kids.  A few weeks in I asked the SpEd teacher how he was doing.  I was thinking that him being an only and having limited social exposure without me present he might be struggling a bit.  She kind of got a look and told me he was struggling with self regulation but it might just be the transition.  She kind of had a look that said she was holding back.  A few weeks later an appointment was set up with the SpEd team.  A few weeks later we had an IEP meeting on the books.  At the end of Nov we had a signed IEP.  Which spelled out that he was pretty much behind in all areas looked at except articulation and rote knowledge.  At the time he was talking in short sentences but mostly to label and get needs met.  Thinking back he didn't make much progress in speech (or really any thing but speech is most noticeable) between age 2 and 3.  I noticed a little girl who is a few months younger having a full blown conversation with her mom at his 3rd birthday party and that got my attention a little too.

Still ASD wasn't really on my radar-his pedi didn't think he had it based on in office behavior (looking back to gauge my reaction when he was doing something he was told not too do) but was willing to give us a referral to a Dev Pedi.  The school SLP didn't think he had Autism based on her own personal experience (a son with AS).  I took his Pedi's referral in late Oct just to be sure since I knew wait lists were long.

What were those signs?

Speech Delay, echolalia, Fine/Gross Motor Delay, mostly parallel play at 3, inappropriate in social situations (sitting too close, touching and bumping into peers and adults instead of talking), Sensory issues (the bumping, high pain tolerance, and very distracted by auditory and visual stimuli), Struggles with self regulation. limited imaginative play.

Do you have any other advice for parents worrying about their child having Autism?

I sooo new to this. DS just got his diagnosis early this month.  I guess if I had advice it would be to trust your gut.  I knew *something* was going on around two.  I kind of let others appease my fears until people in the know no longer allowed me to ignore it.