Sorry if this is a little rambling I’m surviving off very little sleep.
Il start by saying I was recognising autism traits in my ds by 8 months, he paid no attention to anyone really wouldn’t respond to his name or any other tries to get his attention. Never made eye contact, seemed to hate been anywhere but home. He also would cry if other children tried to go near or play with him. He also made repetitive hand movements near his eye. Family and friends said I was been silly, and I should wait it out. At his 12 month check my health visitor flagged it and said she suspected it could be his hearing.
Ds passed his hearing test a month later, he met physical milestones like crawling and walking but began with other behaviours I found concerning. He would (and still does) rock so violently for sometimes half an hour at a time and bang his head , many times a day, he hand flaps many times a day especially when happy or excited. He doesn’t do any gestures like waving, pointing, shaking his head for no, nor does he pay any attention when I do these things. He does like some nursery rhymes (has to be the same 2) with actions and we would do these lots. He would cry if anyone apart from me or dad attempted to play/interact with him even though he has 3 siblings. Since been a small baby he was always a bad sleeper, but as he got older it was every night up with him for 2-3 hours , he also had a seizure in which the hospital just didn’t seem to believe me as he never had a fever , no tests offered just said come back if it happens again. He had not attempted to say anything still so at 16 months I finally called my HV and she agreed to have him referred, I still felt so silly at this point as family and friends said “he didn’t look autistic”. Like what??!! She warned that the referrals currently have a 2 year wait? I was shocked.
I found some charity help, and ds attends an autism playgroup once a week and are on another wait list for portage? And speech and language therapy. Ds is now 20 months and his behaviours has changed so much I’m feeling so overwhelmed. Ds never has communicated with us but has always been a relatively happy little soul, laughing and smiling but now has what I’m guessing are autistic meltdowns? He will scream so loud and almost angrily for hours through the night and there’s nothing that seems to soothe him, hugging /food drink/ tv/games , even ipad just thrown they are so scary, he will also bang his head throwing himself around, pull my hair, grab my face and bite me. They are so loud the neighbors came round. He has also started covering his ears and spinning round in circles and prefers been on his tiptoes. He seems to get very fustrated through the day and tantrums easily, I’m finding day to day life quite challenging at the moment, as he will do something dangerous ( like standing on the very edge of the couch) and if I say ah ah no, it’s like he doesn’t even hear it. lack of sleep does not seem to affect my ds either and he often has hyper spells where he will just want to run backwards and forwards, he hates been still. We play the same games over and over and make sure to speak repetitively and clearly to him , but haven’t managed to get him to speak yet. He loves his touch and feel books and spinning toys most. The only communication he will do is he gets my hand and puts it on what he would like to do , or puts my hands together so he can watch me clap. I’m so sad for him and worried for his future , I feel like I’m not doing anything right but can’t find support to tell me how to help him, my health visitor just told me I must advocate for my son and let him lead me. We don’t see friends much as ds doesn’t tolerate been around others very well.
I am saving to buy him some ear defenders and sensory lights to see if they help with meltdowns, but I doubt he will wear the ear defenders, eye hospital already thinks I’m been difficult because I cannot get him to wear his glasses. Did other autism mums / dads go through this? Did support come after diagnosis or is there any books that helped you/ your children? Did anyone else’s toddler have these traits and grow out of them?
