Did you know something was "off"?

My son is only 8 months old, obviously far too early to be diagnosed with Autism. However, there is something "off" about him.

He can crawl, stand unsupported, laugh, smile, make eye contact. That's about it.

He does not babble, rarely makes noises except for crying/getting frustrated. He rarely interacts with myself or SO. He'll crawl to us but when we sit with him and try to play, he just focuses on his toys and not us. He rarely responds to his name. Sometimes he does though. He doesn't act affectionate much. He just started rocking back and forth and shaking his head from side to side. He rarely sleeps at night and just seems like he's miserable as of late. He is getting his top two teeth so that might attribute to that.

I am probably just paranoid but I do have a cousin with severe Autism so it does run in my family.

Should I be concerned or is it too early to worry? TIA.

Does he respond to other noises?

I knew my son was autistic as early as 12m. At the time, he was my first and I didn't know what "normal" looked like. But he would tippytoe walk when he started walking (9m), and he would line up his toys in neat rows, and "stim" (although we didn't know what it was called at the time, he would just zone out on spinning things). He was completely nonverbal until just recently (he is 4 now). I requesting hearing tests and all kinds of things because there was literally...no words no babbling no anything. He too was far happier playing alone than with us, even though he was (nd still is) a very "social" kid. He smiles, and laughs, and has always made eye contact but it's gotten really good recently. Now seeing my daughter develop, I'm floored at the vast difference in their developments. I know every kid is different anyway, but even allowing for that it's just craziness. I started mentioning to his pedi at 12m, we were afraid of autism. It wasn't until almost 2 (after a terribly long process that I'm not going to clog your thread with) that he was officially diagnosed and started getting services.

Too early.

That being said, I have concerns about my 16 month old and everyone is telling me its too early, too. I've read on the Internet that some red flags show up in infancy, but I don't think you should be too worried right now.

These are the questions my friend asked me:

How is he with eye contact? Does he look at you when you say his name? Does he rock a lot when he watches TV? Does he prefer to watch a lot of TV over playing with people or toys?

Those are a lot of the things they used to determine her son had autism and she noticed from infancy.

My son didnt come out his social cocoon until he reached 14 months.

He would become interested in what he was doing. I just call it selective hearing.  

He also just likes to play alone and is just laid back...never really babbled either, but had his first real words around a year. He is 16 months and is really flourishing with his vocabulary.

I wouldn't worry yet, every baby is different.

Quoting Katie♥Hippoand#2:" Does he respond to other noises?"

Yes. He turns around the minute Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on lol

Quoting I'm His Amy He's My Rory:" These are the questions my friend asked me: How is he with eye contact? Does he look at you when you ... [snip!] ... with people or toys? Those are a lot of the things they used to determine her son had autism and she noticed from infancy."

He is very good with eye contact. He does seem more interested in the TV than interacting.

As for the rocking, this just started today. It seems to happen if he is just sitting there bored.

Quoting BoOm French Toast:" He is very good with eye contact. He does seem more interested in the TV than interacting. As for the rocking, this just started today. It seems to happen if he is just sitting there bored. "

Thats normal for stimulation.

Quoting BoOm French Toast:" He is very good with eye contact. He does seem more interested in the TV than interacting. As for the rocking, this just started today. It seems to happen if he is just sitting there bored. "

Does he startle if you scare him or does he ignore it? That's another one she asked.

Quoting JessieLeeAnne:" Thats normal for stimulation. "

That's good, then. I'm just trying to get him to be more social with us. There's smiling, lots of it, but no mimicking us, can't wave or clap, interest in playing with toys with us, nothing.

Quoting I'm His Amy He's My Rory:" Does he startle if you scare him or does he ignore it? That's another one she asked."

Whenever my Mother sneezes while she's feeding him he gets startled. And if the dog barks sometimes he does get scared.

Quoting BoOm French Toast:" Whenever my Mother sneezes while she's feeding him he gets startled. And if the dog barks sometimes he does get scared. "

I wouldn't worry just yet then  

My kid met all of his milestones and didn't show any signs of Autism until he started regressing at 12 months. My son rarely rocks, and has moderate to severe autism. My son made very little eye contact and has never smiled after you smile at him. When he was assessed to recieve intensive therapy they used a cap gun (very loud) and he never flinched.My son still doesn't respond to his name, and doesn't talk (he was 4 in October). But if you know in your gut that there is something off-then go with it.

Quoting BoOm French Toast:" That's good, then. I'm just trying to get him to be more social with us. There's smiling, lots of it, but no mimicking us, can't wave or clap, interest in playing with toys with us, nothing."

My son was late with clapping, too.

I went through the same feelings you did. But it is normal for infants to just want to play by themselves. My 16 month old JUST started parallel playing, and he started waving out of the blue at 14 months at the walmart greeter. lol. Now you can't stop him from saying hello and talking. lol.