Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello my 10 month old son is showing signs of autism and I want to help him. What can I do ...
Red flags:
He is a picky eater
He is not sleeping well
He does not point or cuddle me when upset only when he is tired
He keeps rising his hands above his head and looking at objects through the comer of his eye.
Does not spend more than 2 minutes on game
He gets worried in new situations but eventually seems ok
Only reponds to his name a bit.
However he does smile and laugh and will play with me he also babbles but is not saying any words, always follows people will crawl to babies and tough their face and pass toys.
I am so so worried I love him so much and want to help him
Any help?
I think at this stage, a GP would advise keeping a careful eye on his development. It does sound as though there are some signs of normal social development; playing with other babies. As for the speech, if he's babbling that's OK. Most kids will give a first word around the year mark, so he's too young to draw conclusion yet. There could, of course be physical issues around the eating and sleeping.
I'd get him checked out to make sure there's not another explanation and then keep a careful diary just in case. If he is autistic, early diagnosis is important but 10 months is very young to assess. I'd monitor carefully at this point and then raise concerns early if other signs emerge or his development does not seem typical.
Thank you so much Dawn,
I am just so worried about him and want to give him the best possible start as I can. I am a first time mum with little support, my partner will not listen to me at all.
My baby was tensing up in water or when the hoover was on for about three weeks and clicking his fingers but that seems to have stopped now for about a week.
But it is the looking at objects from the corner of his eye that really worries me. When I google that it is autism. I just feel so upset as everyone keeps saying you need to wait and see, but I think I am loosing valuable time to help him.
Any advice would be so helpful.
I left it too late with my boy and have always regretted it.
I think you should have a chat with the doctor, if only to get an intelligent explanation of why it's too soon to be worried. There are other developmental milestones they'll be able to look for while you're there.
It's very tempting for people to reassure someone in your position, but go by your own instincts, not theirs.