mommas of children with ASD

did you notice anything different about your kids before they were a year old? any red flags?

I started noticing around 18 months that he wasn't like normative toddlers.
It seems so long ago now (he's 9.5 years old now), but I couldn't tell you specifically at what point I suspected Autism.

My son is 10 now and we had our first inkling that something was off at about 6 months when he wasn't focusing on objects or visual movements like other babies. At first we thought it was just a vision thing, but it ended up snowballing into an autism diagnosis at age 3. Some children like my son show signs early on, some regress later.

Looking back, yes but in the moment, no

I didn't notice it at the time because it was so subtle, but yes, there were differences. He didn't make much eye contact at all with me when he would nurse and he just wasn't a very "social" baby. I just thought that was him, ya know

Looking back, there were signs from birth:

-he would not let you face him toward you, he ALWAYS had to be watching the world
-he would ONLY sleep in his bed or carseat, anywhere else I would have to swing him in the carseat to get him to sleep at all, IF he would
-he could play in his exersaucer, by himself, for forever without caring if we talked to him
-he never practiced anything! Didn't get up on his hands and knees until the day he crawled, would stand in the middle of the room but never took a step until the day he ran
-he would literally jump (with you holding him under his arm pits) for HOURS, just bounce and bounce and bounce.....

Quoting Mommy of a giggler!:" Looking back, there were signs from birth: -he would not let you face him toward you, he ALWAYS had ... [snip!] ... he ran -he would literally jump (with you holding him under his arm pits) for HOURS, just bounce and bounce and bounce....."

Sorry, I don't mean to jump in, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but was he on track for his milestones? Like pulling up, or picking food up? I know you said he never practiced, he just did it. But was he delayed at all?

Sorry, not trying to pry.  

Quoting to mock a killingbird:" Sorry, I don't mean to jump in, and I hope you don't mind me asking, but was he on track for his milestones. ... [snip!] ... food up? I know you said he never practiced, he just did it. But was he delayed at all? Sorry, not trying to pry.  "

It's all good   I have no problem talking about it  

He hit all the milestones, many of them early, except for speech really. (He's almost 5 and still doesn't communicate well, but he's getting there!)

He was BIG. Born at 9lbs and 23 inches and weighing in at 23 lbs by 6 months. He was always a big boy, happy and "chatting" with everyone. I knew he was off, but everyone insisted that he was fine because he was SO happy.

It wasn't until around 18 months that it was clear he was falling behind, up until them he was the poster child for perfect as far as the nurses at the health unit were concerned. That was when the speech delays caused the aggression and the melt downs and the head slamming etc.

Quoting Mommy of a giggler!:" It's all good   I have no problem talking about it   He hit all the milestones, many of them early, ... [snip!] ... health unit were concerned. That was when the speech delays caused the aggression and the melt downs and the head slamming etc."

Oh okay. It just sounded so much like my DS. He's 9 months now and has been trying to crawl but still hasn't quite got it. But he's pulling up pretty good. And he's big - about 22 lbs. And he's ALWAYS happy. But he does sleep, and loves to be held. but he looks around EVERYWHERE. Constantly surveying. I'm just super paranoid. I'm always looking for red flags even though I probably shouldn't.

Quoting to mock a killingbird:" Oh okay. It just sounded so much like my DS. He's 9 months now and has been trying to crawl but still ... [snip!] ... EVERYWHERE. Constantly surveying. I'm just super paranoid. I'm always looking for red flags even though I probably shouldn't."

Trust me, the first time my second had a night terror (which my first had constantly around 18 months) I flipped! I was certin this was it, I had 2 ASD kids. I watch my second like a hawk, constantly worried, not that thier is anything I could do if he was......

I think with ASD is its a spectrum, no two kids will be a like, we are lucky our son is "mild"

There were no signs for my son's until about 13 months. My son had massive regression though, so I don't think his Autism was triggered until he was older.

i knew something was up with my 2 yr old son at about 6 mths, he hit all his milestones, except for speech. He has an older brother and i was told he would pick up on speech quick but he didnt. My biggest sign was when he couldnt tell ppl what was wrong he would bang his head into anything and didnt stop. He was just diagionsed and will start his special education school next week. Does anyone here have any advicefor potty training w/a chid that smears poop? jw

My son had eating problems from birth, sucking problems, sleeping problems. He had days and nights mixed up for almost 2 months. He was late holding his head up, late sitting up, and late on all his gross motor skills. Something strange he always did - he never held onto me when I carried him. It was SOO annoying! But I think it was a sign - just not catching onto social cues even from that age. Most babies instinctually will cling to you as you carry them you know?

Also, I just read a study that 9 out of 10 children with autism failed one particular test at 6 months of age. I don't know if I ever did it to my child, but what the study did was laid the children on their back, grabbed their wrists and pulled them up. All the children with autism let their heads fall backwards rather than trying to pull their head up as their bodies were pulled. Who knows? Could be something.

My daughter wouldn't crawl or make much noises unless she was hungry, and had no eye contact