Those with high functioning autistic children/Asperger's - what were early signs for you?

[scrobble]

Max exhibits some behavioural traits that sound to me like they may be on the autistic spectrum, and looking at the NAS site there are quite a few points that are relevant to him. However, he doesn't have language delay and seems relatively normal - but the HV and community nursery nurse want to do a proper assessment in a couple of months and have asked us to keep a diary of behaviour etc. that we consider noteworthy in the meantime.

I'm just not sure what's 'normal' toddler behaviour and what might be something else.

He loves anything that spins, like turning knobs, playing with balls, cars and he found this helicopter from somewhere and he loves that also.

This struck me in particular from your thread, Marti - he begs to see 'spin around' (and often gets really upset when we can't turn things like extractor fans on outside buildings we visit/walk past) and is obsessed with 'see tumble dryer', 'see kitchen' etc - often if you can't or won't take him to see the things he wants, he then gets incredibly upset and won't be distracted from crying.

He's really funny about foods - won't try anything new that's not in the kind of bowl you get with pre-made toddler meals, won't try finger foods. We made some progress with apples as he likes the noise it makes when you bite it - but he asks for 'apple noise' and if he accidentally bites a bit off, he spits it out but also puts his tongue out and goes 'blah' like he's going to gag on it. He won't eat food he normally likes if it looks a bit different to usual, unless you blend it (although he's happy to eat food cooked with various sizes of pasta if he recognises the sauce; but veg seem to be an issue), but you have to blend it. If he's given the food, then it's blended and brought back, he's too suspicious and won't eat it. However, he'll eat it if you do the blending before bringing it through.

He's obsessed with banging all his toys repeatedly on hard objects in the room and won't be distracted away. We warn him and say 'take x away from x or I will take it away' and he understands, but then gets upset when you follow through.

He frequently asks to 'see noise', in particular the kettle. He's also very bothered by particular places/noises, and he doesn't just cry like he's scared and then calm down - he'll start absolutely roaring and you can't distract him with something that normally perks him up when he's a bit sad. He gets hysterical in the swimming pool changing rooms, many supermarket changing areas, at steam engines letting off steam, some dogs barking and a coach horn (the driver often sounds it to say hello to FIL when we're all out walking in the village, which makes me really angry as we then spend ages trying to calm M down). Usually his clothes end up absolutely soaked down the front from the amount of tears and drool after he ends up in that much of a state.

Z, on the other hand, gets upset about some things, and is scared of some of these triggers, but calms down really quickly and never gets to the volume or level of fear that M does.

[clowe74]

Its a very hard question to answer as every case is different. My eldest (14) has aspergers but was talking fluently and in a way other people could understand at 12 months which isnt "typical" ASD behaviour.

For us it was more the social side of things we picked up on first and not just a fascination with things it was more obsessive.

I shall keep thnking of this and come back but "they" do say everyone has autistic tendencies

[Peridot]

Thomas (isn't huh functioning, just ASD) is absolutely and utterly in love with washing machines and has been since about 18 months, if we go to any houses he goes straight to the kitchen to look for washing machines, I think this is quite a common one.
i don't know that much about young children with Hugh functioning... I have just finished the NAS earlybirds plus and the other children were all aspergers but were all at least 6. There parents said the same that speech etc was excellent and from a social point of view they seem to socialise well but the biggest difference is that they were only willing to play on their terms - not sure this is something all nearly 3 year olds do anyway??

Your description sounds remarkably like my brother who isn't asd but as a child was very full on and suspected of it.
I think having an assessment is the best thing, I'm so pleased that you have been offered this. Try not to let it consume you, it may be nothing but if it is something the earlier you can get diagnosis and help the absolute better. My life would've been so much easier had Thomas been diagnosed before 3.5.

[Dynamo]

This is a very difficult question, because at that age, I had absolutely no idea he was ASD. He talked at a normal age (but in retrospect later than his sister, he walked at 1 year and 1 day). He was absolutely fascinated with fans - I remember trips to B&Q just to look at the fan section (it's still his favourite it of B&Q). He was very precocious and took things apart from the age of two - I remember him managing to reassemble a door lock which had been taken apart and being totally amazed as he got all the levers in the right place, andgot it working. He had figured out the stairgate by age 2 -he managed to get his finger into a crucial hole and flicked open the lever - I kept finding the stairgate inexplicably open.
But, we thought this was all normal toddler behaviour and it was only really when we realised he was nowhere near his peers in social behaviour and added his other mannerisms and behaviours into the mix that we realised he met the triad of criterias for hight functioning autism.

If you meet my boy, you would not immediately know he has ASD. In fact I get told a lot that he looks "normal" with the subtext that I made it all up.

But, he will not meet strangers' eyes. and strangers are people he does not live with. So even his friend's mother whom he has know for years and is comfortable with gets the side of the head treatment and monosyllabic responses. UNLESS he is telling her about rollercoasters. Then it's a million words to the minute - but still no actual eye contact.

I agree with Peridot in that life since diagnosis is a million times better. I forgive him more, as I understand his reactions so much better. And I am way, way better at averting meltdown.

[silverpod]

I agree with what the others have said here- and that each case is different. For DS too, it was more the social interaction side of things than obsessiveness, although he's had obsessive behaviours- stone collecting and tasting lasted quite a long time and then there was the apple core hiding. Certainly he was a lateish talker, but so was his sister so I wasn't worried and once he started he caught up very quickly

DS's was picked up on by his Nursery teacher at the age of 4.5 and since starting assessment I've had to really think back quite hard for his behaviour- but now a lot of things he did make sense. At the time I was assuming it was a phase that would pass and just trying to get through it, so I think a diary would be really helpful.

[scrobble]

Thanks, guys. We'll keep on with the diary and see what the result of the appointment is. I realise it's very hard at such a young age to know for sure, but at least we've raised our concerns and got people looking into it.

I'm not so much worried at this stage, but if he does have ASD or Asperger's, I'd like to know sooner rather than later to help us develop strategies to deal with it in the best way and avoid triggers for meltdowns more.