What are the signs of Autism?

Please keep anonymous… I really really could use some advice. I don’t know what to do anymore…I Have an 11 month old boy. I’m pretty sure he’s autistic or adhd or something along those lines. Everyone that comes around me and him says “he isn’t normal” “you need to get him checked out” “no one’s child acts like that” and so many more things. It hurts me so bad. The best way to describe him is: hes extremely hyper. Can’t stay focused on a toy or anything for more than 5 seconds. Has a really bad temper when he wants something and doesn’t get his way. You put him in the car seat and he screams like he’s getting beaten. (And I mean getting BEATEN) Sometimes I don’t even have to put him in the car for him to be screaming like a madman. He can be sitting on the floor, sitting on my bed, in his room with his toys, anywhere anytime he’s just screaming. It’s not like he’s an “in pain” type of scream, It’s more of he’s gonna scream just because he can for no reason. He’s always screaming and mad. I don’t know what I do wrong or where I went wrong. Nothing makes him happy. He has toys, he never sits in a dirty diaper, he’s never left alone, he’s never been abused in any way, he’s always eating so he’s never hungry, he is teething so I give him Tylenol/Motrin when I feel like it’s really his teeth, I get on the floor with him to play and always show/give him attention and love. His father isn’t in the picture so he never sees any abuse/yelling/ or anything of that nature. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. He’s so angry and acts miserable, screaming nonstop for most of the time for no apparent reason. Also, he used to say a couple words but now it’s only “hey” and then screaming. I could go on and on. Is this normal? Can any other mom relate or give some advice please? I just don’t know what to do anymore. I know babies scream, and I know babies get upset. But literally 24 hours a day?? It is so excessive . I brought it up to his doctor and he says it’s fine but my son doesn’t act like that at the doctors, so doc doesn’t really know since he hasn’t seen it. I mean it’s extremely excessive. I’m just so lost.

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. What are the signs of Autism?

Get him evaluated for a sensory processing disorder and look at how long he’s awake between naps- could he be overtired ? There are so many things that could be happening but don’t jump to any conclusions until someone evaluates him :heart:

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Get a different doctors opinion,
This sounds like autism too me maybe.

Some of those remarks you got are extremely rudè. People really need to be kinder towards disabilities.

Take videos of him when he exhibits the behavior and show them to a developmental pediatrician. It may be a sensory integration disorder, not necessarily autism.

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Ask your doctor for a referral to a pediatrician to get him evaluated

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Sounds like you need another doctor to see him.

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You local health and human services will test him for free

COMMUNICATION
Delays in development of spoken language.

Idiosyncratic repetitive language.

Lack of pragmatic aspect of language.

Inability to initiate or maintain language.

Responds to a question by repeating it, rather than answering it.

Has difficulty communicating needs or desires.

SOCIAL PATTERNS
Lack of appropriateness in verbal and non behavior.

Lack of ability to develop peer relationships.

Lack of apparent social and emotion reciprocity.

Prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled.

Has trouble understanding feelings or talking about them.

Doesn’t share interests or achievements with others (drawings, toys).

BEHAVIOR PATTERNS
Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

Difficulty in motor control.

Peculiar attachment to inanimate objects.

Distressed by a change in routine.

Lining up toys.

Head banging.

Rocking back and forth.

It could be his age, all 3 of mine acted that way at 11months old. They have BIG emotions and don’t know how to channel those feelings.

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Record what he’s doing and show it to the doctor or find a new one.

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Sounds like my son. He was born in 1993. He was diagnosed with ADHD. He was put on medicine. He is now 29 and has “grown out” of his ADHD.

Toddlers with Autism

Some kids are like that. But you can always get a second opinion.

Talk to your pediatrician

How long has this been going on? Because honestly they all go through a little bit of this around this age.

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Only a doctor can diagnose. What is concerning here is that he had some words and now he isn’t speaking those words anymore, which can be a sign of autism. Again, work with his pediatrician to get him diagnosed so that you can get the help he needs.

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He can be evaluated as early at 18 months old. Some pediatricians will diagnose, but it is best to have a Pediatric psychologist with expertise in this area evaluate and diagnose if appropriate. If you have an early intervention program in your area, that is usually a great first step too.

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Testing normally I’d done st 2 send if he is do what. Don’t let others judge you. There are behavioral therapy places all over. The sooner he is diagnosed the quicker you can seek aid and the easier it will be for him. If he non verbal try teaching some asl so he can have a form of communication and this may help to decrease tantrums.

Some children are like that. My daughter was/is like that. Especially with hyperactivity but she talks great etc now. Kids learn to express themselves in different ways. X

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I knew a baby year’s a go that cries all the time he is Aman now and doing great your could not get him to quit crying.

Very young to be putting a label on it x

Sensory processing issue possibly. Always get children assessed. The worst thing that can happen is you find out there’s an issue and get supports in place sooner than later.

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Ask to see a Gp who will listen
Maybe nothing
Maybe something
If you feel there is something then push it further x

Express your concerns to your pediatrician. They will be able to help you with any referrals they feel will benefit your child.
Taking care of any child is hard don’t be so hard on yourself and it could be a number of things going on he may have stomach pain making him cranky, he may have sensory issues anything the only way to find out is to seek help from a professional

Also drop the people in your life who are claiming he isn’t normal or to get him tested. Very inconsiderate and rude and hurtful towards your child.
My son has autism and before he was diagnosed if someone spoke to him or about him like that I’d rip them a new one and would still do that now.

If a child has a disability it’s not what you did or didn’t do. Autism and ADHD are neurological divergences.

If you are in the states, look up early intervention. It is a free program and they will assess your child and provide free services. Even if your child doesn’t qualify, you will have reached out and taken that step and they can help you with support and additional resources and ideas to help.

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Videotape him while he’s having one of those fits maybe if the doctor can see what is actually going on they would be able to help you more lead you to the right direction just my honest opinion

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It won’t hurt to talk to your pediatrician or to get a second opinion about your concerns, but he’s 11 months old. He’s been on this earth for 11 months. That’s it. He cannot communicate his wants/needs, his likes/dislikes, his frustrations etc. Every single child is different. So these people telling you that your child isn’t “normal” need to be told to kick rocks.

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A lot of kids that are like that grow out of it … so it may not be that

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I have two diagnosed autistic (and one I suspect but I haven’t taken for an eval yet) and neither acted like that. Each kid is different, diagnosis or not. If you want to know if he has a diagnosis - take him to a psychologist for an evaluation, you don’t need a referral. If it turns out he has a diagnosis just remember it doesn’t change who he was the day before and prior to that diagnosis being given - it just allows for more education on what can help kiddos with that diagnosis.

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Autism doesn’t always show up in each individual the same. Usually consulting a doctor is the best option.
But some symptoms could be isolating themselves, having trouble expressing themselves, being interested in things that are not generally considered age appropriate (stuff like wanting to watch shows that are usually directed to toddlers or Pre-K aged kids- this isnt a bad thing though). Sometimes they will recite scripts. Like they will say phrases or scenes from movies or shows. Some have trouble with affection. Or will exhibit compulsive behaviors like organizing stuff by colors, sizes, shapes, etc.
But every person is unique. They all have different traits. You can also ask his school for help getting an assessment.
They can help you organize it.
There can be many causes for these behaviors though that’s why it’s important to see a professional

Do you see a health visitor with your Son at the childrens centre to check weight etc…They are pretty good with things like that…They helped my Sister with her kids getting diagnosed with Autism cos they masked in school so school werent backing it up…

My son has Adhd and he’s in the 2nd grade. He has an IEP in school and has a case worker at school to help him through the day. You can get him evaluated and they will track progression through the years! There is so much help out there and if your son is autistic or Adhd it’s nothing you did wrong. I have 4 kids… and my son is the only one with a “learning disability”… but don’t worry my son is super smart just has his quirks… :kissing_heart::kissing_heart: you’ll get through this!!

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Talk with his doctor about your concerns. That is the only reliable source.

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Does he do any hand flapping? Does he make eye contact? Does he play with others at all? Does he have a routine that he likes to stick to? The screaming is probably either sensory overload or frustration from not being able to communicate effectively. My daughter is on the high end of the spectrum for autism and the biggest thing I noticed was speech regression and flapping.

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I really sympathize with you. I heard a lot of the same comments friends and Neighbors about my middle son. Yes, he is autistic, Asperger’s. This lack of speech and being able to communicate with words was actually caused by reoccurring ear infections. He had no outward symptoms, but when a different doctor finally looked at his ears, he discovered that he had bad ear infections in both ears. If you can, bring him to a pediatrician. They can at least rule out ear infection oh, and maybe give you some Direction about is behavior and getting some help for you to be able to help him.

The loss of words is concerning :disappointed: I went through the at with my son . If the pediatrician doesn’t want to listen pay for a private evaluation I’m in Los Angeles and our cost $200
We took the report back to the pediatrician and they immediately referred us to services

He’s a baby babies explore I wouldn’t worry about it till he was a bit older

mercy… He’s a BABY!!! Stop letting others judge your baby. You will drive yourself mad.

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I would record it for a bit and see a different Dr n show them this. I’m sorry hunny, wish I could help more. I hope u find someone to help n things get better. Best of luck. Don’t beat yourself up.

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If doctor doesn’t see it yet, there’s other resources where he can get evaluated by behavioral therapist. I thought the same with my son, all he needed was speech therapy.

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Any local regional centers near you ? If you can check they are great resources if your concerned

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I have two kids with asd feel free to pm me. People tried to tell me my kid was too young but I knew! Listen to your gut

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When I got my daughter tested I found it very helpful to video tape her and show the doctors. That way they can actually see what I’m talking about.
When your child is not developing in a certain way its OK to grieve.

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I cN relate" my daughter was misdiagnosed with autism at age 2" so get a different opinion from a different pediatrician" by the age of 5 she had a bad seizure at school" took her ti children’s hospital" now she was diagnosed with Retts syndrome" May you not feel guilty there is nothing u did wrong" it’s just the way things happen" as my daughter is 19 now

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Sensory overload maybe… definitely get a second opinion hun

Go to your childs doctor. You can’t find your answers here. Blessings to you both.

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My son has autism and he’s the happiest little boy in the world. However every single autism case is different. I didn’t even detect his until after 18 months so 11 months acting this way could be a multitude of things and reasons why. I’d schedule an appointment with your pediatrician and get a referral for him to be evaluated through a more advanced doctor that specializes in autism and all the special needs a child can have. Or you could just have an unhappy teething child, I’ve heard of that happening too. Now ADHD is considered to now be on the spectrum as well as it usually does come along with autism. Good luck mama :heart:

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He’s literally 11 months old

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He could have sensory issues. He could just be exceptionally bright and strong willed.

If you can get this on camera it would help you to explain to doctors better how he is outside that setting

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The first doctor told me everything was fine" dud my research found a different doctor

You have a phone, record him.

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Get a referral to a child phycologist and have him evaluated. A regular doctor can’t make a diagnosis

There are several different types of autism so you’d have to get them tested to figure out which one

My oldest has autism and adhd. He regressed alot when he was little meaning he would have a skill and then lose it. He has meltdowns. He is a runner he avoid eye contact or has limited eye contact he don’t play with toys didn’t respond to name has sensory processing disorder repetitive movements. I could write a book because it’s a lot. It’s not anything you did wrong and if you are worried best thing to do is speek with his doctor

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Have you tried baby sign language at all? It sounds like he’s getting frustrated not knowing how to express his wants and needs.
My son was the same way and it got better as his speech and vocabulary grew.

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Record him and show his doctor this is what my friend had to do because the doc always said its nothing to worry about until he actually saw the childs behavior

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I have two boys and my first acted similar. I get it, at times it was very overwhelming. He is now 2 1/2 years grew out of it with time and development. It’s very hard for a young child to express emotions/ feelings and wants/ needs. Once he started walking and talking he was a completely different child.

I had this SAME problem with my son, who is almost 6 now. His doctor kept telling me it was just a phase and he would grow out of it. By the time he was 4, he was uncontrollable. He started school at 5 and got kicked out the first day after half a day. I had to take him to get tested for different things and turned out he’s ADHD and DMDD. He was put on medication and is a totally different child now and doing so good. I was very picky about the medication he was put on because I didn’t want him on medication but I knew something was wrong and I had to do something but I didn’t want him to be like a zombie like you hear about with some of those medications. So the doctor he sees for that was very understanding and put him on a medication that allows him to still be a child and play and all of that. You can message me if you want and I can give you my advice from my experience with this.

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Autism is a spectrum. So unless professionally diagnosed it can be hard to tell. I would ask to have him actually evaluated. Also, there are milestones to help track babies progress you could look up milestone evaluations and see where you think baby falls then ask about it.

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Vax injured? When did this begin? I have heard of children having pain in their heads from Vax injury and behave like this. Try a holistic pediatrician. Good luck.

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They dont diagnos autism that young.usually not before 24 mnths.it doesnt sound like autism to me.although there are many different severities you arent describing tale tail sighns.

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Find a doctor that takes your concerns seriously. Listen to your mommy gut.

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I can’t tell you how many times people jumped to this and that and all it was were mild sensory issues from being resuscitated at birth. Don’t panic but I’d bring it up to dr. And I say this in a nice way because sometimes we just don’t realize…but watch cues and learn his needs. A lot of times we think we know but we just don’t.

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My friend went through the same thing with her son. They did not properly diagnose him until he started school. He did the same things…he has Asperger’s. Look up the systems and as your pediatrician what he thinks if he doesn’t know ask for a referral

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Record whats happening to show doctors. Sometimes if they see it they can help better

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Firstly… some babies/kids are just little A*holes :rofl::rofl: seriously it’s possible he just has a miserable nature (doesn’t mean he always will) they get extremely frustrated because they can’t communicate too. Even if it were ASD/ADHD (I have an autistic child) then I’m not sure you’d get anywhere till he’s older, I know here in the UK it’s rare to get a child diagnosed so young. Also, if it turns out to be one of them it’s NOTHING you did/didn’t do! Keep raising your concerns though. Goodluck

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Talk to your Dr—ask for a referral to a developmental pediatrician

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Take videos to show his doctor these behaviors. Second opinion even a third opinion. Find someone that will listen to your concerns! It’s gonna take time and a ton of patience but you will get answers! Stay strong mama you got this!

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Have you checked his hearing
Eyes
Food allergies

Get a play therapist to come to the home and work with you and your child. They are very helpful.

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I never heard anyone being Dx at 11 months old with autism, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen, I would ask, as for the hyper bit, just what are you allowing him to eat?? But with that said, you need to speak to his Pedi Dr & ask him/her just what they think & maybe go from there. There could be something going on, but I doubt it’s autism

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Make a video of it n show the Dr. And maybe he can help him. Its worth a trying. Good luck with it all. :+1:

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Call your county resources for children and families and go through them to help you and your child navigate the difficulties. Even if there is nothing “wrong” with him, could help you both get the help you need to get through this stage.

Record it show your doctor let them make diagnosis I know it’s rough you got this you’re doing everything right

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Record him as much as you can that way you can show his doctor and then ask the doctor to refer you to a specialist, one that diagnoses autism. They dont usually like to diagnose before 3, but with the recordings it may help now instead of later. My son is autistic and never acted like this, he was calm, he still had break downs though and those are tuff. Oh my son is also diagnosed ADHD, because of his innatetiveness before, he is better now with that. Maybe outside play can help him to release the extra energy he is having.

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Prayers you get him help

Autism is such a wide spectrum, I have 2 who have been diagnosed. Neither showed the same signs they were on the spectrum. Best thing you can do is get him into a specialist and get him assessed for anything. The sooner the better if your thinking autism as its harder to get a diagnosis the older they get, many older autistic children who go without a diagnosis learn to adapt to the world around them and the diagnosis process for them can be harder and they have a harder time connecting in life. Best of luck mama, stay positive

Check if he’s allergic to the milk. My daughter was acting the same way. And I switched her milk. Stupid doctors I fought with them for many months. It made my child act up.

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Take a deep breath mama. The first step is to speak with your pediatrician. Create a plan that begins with a proper professional evaluation. Early intervention is key. Focus on all of the things you are doing right. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Somethings are out of your control but, with the proper support you and your little guy will be ok.

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I have a nephew who’s autistic the things you are describing are exactly the same things that my nephew was doing when he was small we suspected something was wrong but we weren’t sure hes got autism spectral I can’t remember the rest but your son is doing the things that mine if you used to do when he was small if you can videotape some of it and take them to the right doctor because your doctor is not listening to you get him checked by a different doctor videotape his actions if you can then you can show the doctor what’s happening It definitely sounds like your boy could be ADHD but it also sounds like it could be artistic too go stick too go get him checked out and go with your mummy gut

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11 months is too early for him to be diagnosed with anything
Sounds like a typical 1 yo to me :woman_shrugging:
Also literally every person that comes around and tells you that bs about you BABY not being normal needs to be cut out
It isn’t their place to diagnose anyone

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My daughter hasn’t been diagnosed officially but I’m positive she has adhd as I have it and see similarities in her temperament, hyperactivity, and focus. It sounds like he might have adhd but they won’t give a diagnosis this early. I believe 3-7 is where they’ll diagnose it but my mom couldn’t get a diagnosis for me until I was about 7.

Sounds like he’s about to go through a mental leap. My kids always get very grumpy and unsettled, like they are bored, easily upset, then once the leap happens they are suddenly much happier and have new developments to show off. I know there’s typically one around a year old. But nothing about him seems too out of the ordinary to label as something yet.

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Artificial Food Dye Affects Our Children - ADD, ADHD, Bipolar, Autism my son behaved much this same way as young child… Removing ALL and i mean ALL artificial coloring and preservatives from his diet was the key. I had to really learn about all the hidden chemicals in our foods.

My daughter screamed the entire freaking time she teethed :see_no_evil: no autism.
I also cried a LOT as a baby because I was lactose intolerant but they didn’t have many options for that when I was a babe. My mom said she would just put me in my crib and walk away because all I did was scream and cry :joy::joy::joy:
Obviously if you think asd could be an issue I’d get it checked, but the little dude might just have a ton of teeth or gas pain.

Honestly sounds normal. Teething could be causing a lot of pain even with meds given. They get frustrated easily because they can’t communicate what they want or need.

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Document, speak to your doctor again, if this doctor doesn’t listen then get a second opinion. If something is in fact happening then early intervention can be very helpful. Keep a close eye on milestones. 11 months is kind of young for an autism diagnosis so it could be more happening. Are there any genetic issues on either side? If it seems he’s having issues communicating with you about things start using sign language. If you’re upset and frustrated a lot it’s hard to learn speech and practice it. Yelling crying etc is the best way they can communicate.

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Some kids are like that. May just be doing it for attention. Something may be wrong. Never know. God knows my second cries a lot and she is a handful. Ends up she has tummy trouble due to being lactose intolerant, so that is why she has been crying alot. Switched her to lactose free milk,cut down on ice cream and cheese,and added lactase tablets every 3 days to her milk and she is a lot happier kid. She has days where melts down just having to wear clothes…Sometimes they just get frustrated about not being able to communicate or just have bad days. May need to discipline more. Ignore bad behavior or time out,take toys away,or pop hands and butt and explain that that isn’t the way to act to get his way. Ive had moments where had to pull my kids out of a store and put them in their carseats and explain that they wont be allowed to go back in throwing a fit. Do it again and we head for the bathroom next time. It is a little young to know what is going on,but i wouldn’t say mental issues right off the bat. Try to see what things make him melt down and try to be more stern with him about his tantrums and see if his behavior changes before diagnose with something.

My son did the same thing. Found out he had an umbilical hernia

I didn’t read the whole thing, but can I ask what you think?

I despise when they say " not normal " …
It does sound like he has ASD…
There is help and your his Dr can say whether he is or isn’t…
We didn’t find out our 5 yr old son had it until he was 18 months but there were a lot of signs…growling bouncing on his bottom everywhere not talking he said mom and dad a couple of times but then stopped anything with loud noises scared him…not focusing for long not social for the longest time he didn’t walk either until he was 18 months before we found out…why so long to find out…
Every child is different but not loved any differently :heart:

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Nothing should be determined until he is professionally evaluated by a pediatrician - there are many reasons for his behavior but they must be narrowed down by some who is trained.

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Please take him to a pediatrician . They can run test and put your mind at ease and get him help for whatever he needs. FB is NOT a medical group!

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Video him and then show your doctor and see what is said, then remember kids are all different read some things on big emotions for kids they can’t tell the difference between angry frustration sad and all of those are so close :cry: it’s ruff but what do you honestly think? Your mom you know your child best

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I have a thriving 18 year old with autism who will be graduating high school in June, because of EARLY INTERVENTION. I noticed language & behavioral changes around 18 months. DO NOT BE IN DENIAL OR FEEL ASHAMED! That will not help your son. Talk with the pediatrician but do not take no for an answer for getting him the assistance he needs. Inbox me if you need guidance. You can do it, be his advocate!

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You’re not doing anything wrong. As a mother I can tell you we have all felt like that at one or more times in our life. My son is 3 diagnosed asd/pda and spd. I noticed at 7 months his behaviour changed and he started to regress. Best thing is to bring up concerns to gp/health visitor and really push them concerns to them and ask them for investigations to happen my son started investigations at 14 months old and he was diagnosed feb 2022 just before his 3rd birthday. No autistic person is the same so no one can compare

Everyone is autistic in some form or another, if you are interested in finding out where he falls on the spectrum, have him tested.

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