Help! Is my baby is showing signs of autism?

Hello everyone,

I have a beautiful one year old I am really concerned about, in particular with his lack of imitation, babbling and excitement.

I get lulled into thinking he's ok because he is very capable physically, he is very dextrous, patient and determined. He loves toys, he just doesn't want to share the game with me. He doesn't ever show excitement that isn't about strong physical stimulation, or about recognising a familiar pattern. He does have good eye contact but the only time I feel he's 'there' behind his eyes is when I'm singing a song he recognises and the second I stop it switches off. He does make sounds but to express his state, he doesn't copy any sounds or gestures and I am terrified he won't ever learn to talk. 

Worst of all I find it terribly hard work being with him because there's no back and forth which makes me feel I may as well not be there and I find it desperately hard not to just withdraw. I crowbar myself into his games, which he tolerates but does not exactly share, or I leave him to it. If I leave the room, he probably will too but not seemingly to find me, just to move on to another thing he likes to do - climb stairs, open the washer door andbite the mouldy part (sigh...)

I know any suggestion that vaccines are a cause will incense a lot of people who feel this is blaming. But this is not about you, it is my own observation of my own child and there was a definite change. This was not even the MMR, which he's not had as he's not quite one, but after his 4 month boosters, which we gave him at 6 months because he'd been ill. After the booster he stopped sleeping through the night, which he had from 4.5months. He also stopped babbling, although he had been a very chatty baby and people had commented on how like his mother he was. Although he had copied me poking out my tongue at only a few days old, he stopped imitating us completely.

Watching videos of him at 4-5 months is heartbreaking. He is 'chatting' all the time, waving his hands with excitement. It feels like he's turned from a typical, chatty baby into a busy, unnaturally calm robot. My heart is breaking. I don't want to wait and see, I need to know what this means. I need to know if there is anything I can do to bring him into the world of sociability. 

Please let me know if any of this seems familiar and if it does, what is the best way to support him, in particular with learning to talk. Thank you.

Parents
  • Hi AgnosiedMummy,

    I think I can understand you wanting to find the truth. I am not easily convinced of any 'evidence' without actual 'proof'. But without myself doing some kind of study then I have to from my opinion based on other peoples opinions and studies. I find that its really difficult to come to a concrete conclusion because I am not always sure of peoples motives.

    It would be interesting to see if any other people on this site have a similar experience. I can imagine that any chemical that put in your body can have an effect. To know what that effect is I can not tell. There are a myriad of factors that may affect your child. I think you are right to examine each one (including vacines) if only to rule them in or out.

    I think Hope and Scorpion are raising some very intersting points along with your own. I see it as information and the more you have the better.

    Good Luck Smile

    BTW ..........

    AgnoisedMummy said:

    It feels like he's turned from a typical, chatty baby into a busy, unnaturally calm robot. My heart is breaking. I don't want to wait and see, I need to know what this means. I need to know if there is anything I can do to bring him into the world of sociability. 

    If he is autistic then he is. He might be a natural calm robot. His world might not be the 'world of sociability'.

Reply
  • Hi AgnosiedMummy,

    I think I can understand you wanting to find the truth. I am not easily convinced of any 'evidence' without actual 'proof'. But without myself doing some kind of study then I have to from my opinion based on other peoples opinions and studies. I find that its really difficult to come to a concrete conclusion because I am not always sure of peoples motives.

    It would be interesting to see if any other people on this site have a similar experience. I can imagine that any chemical that put in your body can have an effect. To know what that effect is I can not tell. There are a myriad of factors that may affect your child. I think you are right to examine each one (including vacines) if only to rule them in or out.

    I think Hope and Scorpion are raising some very intersting points along with your own. I see it as information and the more you have the better.

    Good Luck Smile

    BTW ..........

    AgnoisedMummy said:

    It feels like he's turned from a typical, chatty baby into a busy, unnaturally calm robot. My heart is breaking. I don't want to wait and see, I need to know what this means. I need to know if there is anything I can do to bring him into the world of sociability. 

    If he is autistic then he is. He might be a natural calm robot. His world might not be the 'world of sociability'.

Children
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