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i think my 1 year old has autism.

Shelley

Please could people give me advice on this matter.  My one year old son makes little to no eye contact with me.  He does not respond to his name or interact with his siblings.  He does not play with toys instead he just spins the wheels on cars etc.  He is fixated with my hair and can become agitated if i do not allow him to pull it.  He does not like the feel 0of things in his hands for example he refuses to hold a wotsit but will wait until you feed it to him.

He used to pat your back imitating the way i would touch him and the aaah sounds i would make.  He seems to be obsessed with me and does not want anyone else touching him or nursing him.  He has complete meltdowns in hospitals doctors and shopping centres and appears to hate the car.

I am frantic with worry.  i cannot think of anything else.  i have spoken to my GP who will refer him.  what can i do in the meantime to help my son.   I am so afraid that i am failing him by not understanding the condition,  Could someone please advise me on what it is supposed to be like - i read that it was like being in your own world can someone tell me how i can communicate with him.  has anyone trioed the Sonrise Programme - afriend advised me to check it out.

  • Thankyou so much Azalea for taking the time to reply.  Can you give me any advice on how to reduce the feelings of fear and confusion that my son may be experiencing.  I am so worried that he feels lonely or unloved.  Did you ever feel unloved?

  • Thankyou for replying.  I am going to try and find as much information as i can.  He is a wee star.  thanks for the advice

  • Hi Shelley - welcome.  It's good that you've got a referral for him to check things out.  Most children don't get checked out till they're older than your son, usually because they haven't reached a certain milestone, such as talking. You are not failing him - it's just that there's a lot to get up to speed with if he does have autism.  There's lots of info on this site via the home page so that's the place to start.  Don't try to do/read everything at once - no-one's superhuman.  The nas has a helpline which you can ring to talk to someone.   Remember he's still the same little boy he always was, regardless of whether a diagnosis will say he's autistic or not.  Keep verbal communication simple.  Don't use any more words than you need to.  My son learnt by hearing what I sd + watching what I did.  So you say something then carry it out straight away, such as "put your coat on" + as you say it you're putting his coat on him.  Enjoyable shared activities are a way of communicating.  PECS are useful to set up a daily routine which should be stuck to.  He may have sensory issues in busy places (think noises, lights, smells etc).  It may all be too much for him at present.  He only very little so there's lots of time for him to learn + develop.