Autism in Toddler

redboy

New Member
My son is currently 18 months old and I noticed the absence of some progress expected from a toddler of his age, in particular:

1. Absence of using index finger to point, to ask for something

2. Absence of using index finger to point, to indicate interest in something (he only did that on a set of stickers but I am not sure whether it is to indicate interest or to imitate us)

3. Absence of waving goodbye at us when we are leaving

4. Only know how to utter "nei nei" for milk and "ka ka" for insects; don't really know how to say "pa pa" and only called out "ma ma" when in distress

5. Show no interests when we ask him where's "pa pa" or "ma ma" but do selectively respond to some of our questions like asking him where's a certain toy and he will go and grab it

I came across some CHAT checklist for autism in toddler on the Internet and point 1 and 2 seems to indicate a high risk of autism. However, on a positive note, he does have good eye contact with us, actively interact with us, and smile at us when we smile at him, play peek-a-boo with us and play with my wife's nephew. In addition, he does know simple instructions such as "NO". He shows no signs of repetitive behavior though he's attached to a certain toy at different point in time. He is very sensitive to drilling sounds and sometimes love to slap his head. I am very unsure whether he's autistic and is actually quite worried though many told me to wait till he is 2 years old. I read online that early intervention will be good if the child has autism. However, I am not sure when's the right age to go for a diagnosis and whether he's just slow in development with some weird behavior or truly autistic. Anyone with similar experiences care to share? Or any expert out there care to give some advices? Thanks.
 


hi,

I won't be able to offer any advice as I believe only you will know what is best for your child but I can share my experience with you. I have a 3.5 yrs old boy whose development doesn't follow closely to the book. When he was 2.5 years old, he couldn't even speak a single word, and his only way to communicate with us was by gesture. He also have very bad temper as he would cry and roll on the floor if he didn't get what he want. He also got selected interest..i.e he is able to play his favorite game, in this case, the shape sorter for hours but when you ask him to sit down to do other activities, he will just walk off within 3 minutes.
He is very stubborn and only listen to instruction when he feel like it, otherwise he will just ignore you totally and continue with what he is doing...
As for interacting with other kids, I'm not sure about other kids, but when comparing to my nephews and nieces, who will join in to play with other children in the playground quite easily, he prefers to stand at one corner and observed but he will join in after a long time.

Anyway, we were rather worried so we bring him to a PD for checkup. Well, the PD simply go through the standard checklist like what we saw on the internet and make the conclusion that he is autistic. I couldn't control myself and cried the moment I heard that because I'm afraid that my boy will not be able to lead a normal life from then onward. It is only a while later when we check with the PD again how did she manage to come to that conclusion after less than 5 minutes evaluation, that told me she is just suspecting and she quickly defend herself that she is just a general practitioner, she will still need to refer my kid to the experts at CDU in KKH and speech therapist...

Well, you can say that we are like ostrich burying our head in the sand, but my husband and I really don't like the idea of sending him to the expert just to be given that fashionable label therefore decided to postpone the CDU evaluation. But continue to send him to speech therapy. At the meantime, we switch him from the 2hr playgroup to full time playschool.

The speech therapy, discipline in school and more interaction with his peers does help. He is 3.5 years old now. Though his speech is still slower than other kids around his age, he is able to communicate using single words and able to play with other kids more easily. He is also more willing to listen to our instruction. His temper is in better control but I wasn't sure if it is because he grown out of it. However, he still show selective interest. In school, he will only participate in games that involves alphabets, numbers or dancing to music. For the rest of the activities, he will just walk off. When he isn't in school, he spend his time counting, remembering the carpark lot numbers and playing word puzzles. There is still a lot more for him to catch up, but i guess it doesn't matter if he takes longer time to learn, as long as he is showing sign of improving, we will just keep on encouraging him..Slow? slow lor..
 
Hi both, how r ur kiddies doin now?

I raised my concern to the PD when my boy was 20 mths old:

-Slow in speech (now only bye bye and Ah Pa but not looking at papa when he says tat)
-Occasionally pointing only
-Head Banging! (Although read tat this is pretty commin in children who has yet learn to express themselves but this act is frequent from my boy)

However PD did mention he's too young for assessment & ask us to monitor.

So wat I did was enrol him in a weekly playgroup @ weecare. We just started our 1st lesson last week. Hoepfully everyting turns out well.
 
Hi Marie,

I feel good after reading your msg. My 4 years old boy was also shown problem interacting with his peers and difficulties to articulate himself well. May I know which speech therapist u approach? Which fulltime playschool u send him to? My son is currently attending 3.15 hrs kindergarten. thank you
 
marie,
u dun receive private msg..can u contact me?
how is ur son doing now?
my gal is very much like urs... she is 3.5 now..im worried n sad n upset..n lost :...(
 
Hi! Just sharing my experience with my 4 year old boy who has Autism. I suspected he had Autism when he was 18 months - slow speech, tantrums, obseessive with certain things amongst a whole list - but kept being told by KKH doc that he was ok. I finally got him diagnosed at 3yo by private child pychologist who spent half a day in my house observing and interacting with him.

At 3+ he was almost completely non-verbal, had at least 4 to 5 meltdowns in one day, and could not sit still for more than a min.

After one year of theraphy and GFCF diet, he's caught up with his peers in almost areas except his speech, which is lagging behind by about half to a year. My only regret is listening to KKH doc and not my own motherly instinct that something was wrong...

Some of the things I've learnt:
*If it works for someone else, it may not necessaarily work for you BUT that does not mean there is no hope - just need to look for something else.
*Occupational theraphy is as important as speech. My son seemingly had no probs with motor skills and movements, but found out that he had low muscle tone, which is quite common with children who have Autism. Was told it took lots of effort to sit up by which time, the child would be too tired and distracted to pay attention to anything else. OT has made it possible for my son to follow his lessons at his 3 hr nursery classes like everyone else there.
*Many of the things that trigger a meltdown could be things that drive a "normal" person nuts too, like hunger, tiredness and being over-stimulted. Only difference is that a child with Autism would not know how to react in such situations except through tantrums - so just need to equip them with tools to cope.

Since my son's diagnose with Autism, my husband and I have come to realise many positive things associated with Autism:
*Child with Autism can be alot easier to cope with than a "normal" child when you've figure out his pattern!
*Child with Autism will not lie, so when the child tells or shows you that he loves you, he REALLY does.
*Child with Autism can develope faster than regular kids in some areas. Capitalise on that!

My son with Autism has made me a better Mummy. I've become more aware of the impact of my words and actions on my child, cos I've to constantly and consciously explain everything to my son. I've learnt to appreciate, enjoy and celebrate little milestones which I would have otherwise overlooked. And I realised that I am capable of alot more things than I could have dreamt of doing before Autism turned my household upside down! My "normal" 2 yo girl has benefitted heaps from all these.
 
Hi Yvonne
We "meet" again
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"Spoke" to you over another Autism thread within SMH Forum on GFCF diet
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Yes I must agree on your point that once a routine is set for an Autistic kid, they are much easier to handle as they will just go through the process without protest nor objection and very rarely kicks up a fuss over a routine.

But of cos if we have to introduce anything new we have to be prepared to "face the music"...
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Hi! Just wondering if any Mommies of kids with Autism have ever been told to break your kid's routine on purpose? My son's therapist told me to do that whenever possible and, after some time, the child will learn to cope better with changes. Is it possible to break a child with Autism from his obsession with routines?
 
Hello everyone..

My son just turned 3 and he is under the red flag for autism. He will be formally assessed in May 2010 at KKH. Actually we were referred to KKH early this year so can you imagine the long wait!! But as a mum, I think I know my son best and don't want to wait for the formal assessment before I do something. My boy now receives ABA Therapy at home 2x a week and we are also in the queue for AAS at Simei. As we actually have to wait 9-12 months (another long wait) before he is admitted there, we are thinking of sending him for EIPIC at SPD Tampines starting Jan next year.

I have started a blog to document my journey with him and share my thoughts and experiences. The blog address

http://myspecialrayyan.blogspot.com/

Well, I welcome feedback, advices and tips. I am still very new at this and my techniques may be wrong but I am more than willing to learn. I am learning more and more about autism each day and I just want to help and understand my boy. These kids may be autistic but they are no less special than any other kids
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Hi Sab
Welcome
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I've read your blog - very nicely done & well-written.

When you say your boy will get "formally assessed" at KKH next year - are you referring to the detailed psychological test ? The one that cost $800 ?

I believe your boy & my boy are of the same age
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Can i ask which ABA service provider did you engage for your son ?

My son was with SPD EIPIC early this year but i've since withdrawn him
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If there's anything you would like to know more, you are welcomed to PM me ....

We can exchange notes & see how we can help our boys
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Dear all, my boy is 20 months old now, i also suspect he might have Autism now =( I am so lost now, going to bring him to see my PD for assessment this Sat.

My heart aches when i read all info on Autism in the web, seems my son have all of what is listed there.

He looks perfectly alright when he was young, can interact with my nephew, as he grow older, he seems to talk lesser and lesser, not having any eye contact with us, call his name also no response...

wondering how much it cost to send him to speech therapist and how long does he need to go thru all these ?

Worried mum here...
 
Hi Shinnonu
Don't worry yourself too much... take things as it comes..

Sometimes, displaying traits like no eye contact or no speech doesn't mean autism especially at young tender age of 20months... Usually the PD will not "diagnose" the child, what they will do is ask you a host of questions and then refer you to either KKH or NUH for further assessment. So until the doctor at KKH or NUH diagnosed him to be one, do not worry yourself too much.

Even if he is eventually diagnosed to be Autistic, the good thing is he is only 2 years old and there is a lot you can do to assist him at this early stage ... the doctor will tell you what you need to do & what therapy is needed... although be forewarn that the journey is one that is very challenging & tiring... but meaningful too...depending on how u see it
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In the meantime, while waiting for assessment at KKH or NUH, what you can do to "help your son" (doesn't matter if he is autistic or not) is to keep talking to him, keep repeating the same instructions to him (try not to use sentences.. just use simple words , simple instructions) .. and maintain eye contact by ensuring u look at him in the eye & to do that you have to talk to him at close proximity...do not talk to him while you are metres away from him. You have to "catch" his attention & then say the words repeatedly.

Keep doing the above in the meantime....it helps. I believe your case doctor will dish out more pointers after the assessment... which is dependent on the "clinical diagnosis" ... if the case doctor thinks he is autistic, there is usually another round of full psychological test at 3 years old (min age to take this test is 3yrs old) - this is a detailed test which will tell you which spectrum he is at (ie either mild, moderate or severe), along with other issues..etc etc and also includes his IQ test.

Meanwhile, Take Care
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Hi Yingying,thanks for your reply.makes me feel so much better after reading your post.

But I thought if there us no eye contact then it will be
co sider to be autism? I have been observing my son these few days, call him ten times mayb will response 2 times . He will cling on to me when strangers approach , like to play catching with me. Over the weekend ask him to point colours seems he can point out two correctly. Sometimes seems to be able to understand our instructions n sometimes cun ..

Cun help to think negative when I saw autism like symptoms on him.. Didn't manage to see my PD last weekend. Will bring him probably this week.
 
Hi shinnonu
Not having eye contact is not in itself an "instant link" to Autism ... it could be just the kid's shy nature or maybe he is still young & afraid to look at people...

If you highly suspect your child to be autistic, google & you will find some useful questionaires that will allow you to "assess yourself" if your child might be autistic ... these questionaires are what we term as "red flags"...

Offhand, I can tell you a few that is prevalent in most autistic kids:
(1) Poor or no no eye contact
(2) Speech delay
(3) Fixated w wheels of toy cars, trucks, rotating fans... anything that turns in repetitive circular motion
(4) Bad temper tantrums (due to their inability to express their needs) ..this may include head banging (tho not all the time) My son used to bang his head whenever he tantrums..these days, lesser..
(5) Poor motor skills (for eg at around 30months still unable to climb up or walk down stairs on his own) In your case your child is v young to assess this but u can monitor him ...

Actually autism is usually "detectable" at or ard 3 years old... altho at 2.5 years old can more or less "detect liao" .... so at 20 months, doctors might just suggest that you "wait & see" cos sometimes it could be just the kid developing slower than his age-appropriate developmental milestones... unless your kid is severe case where 1 look can tell sort, then usually it is "wait & see"

i have met some parents last year where their doctor also "do not want to confirm" their kids as autistic due to their v young age ... but the doc did suggest early intervention nonetheless to help their child progress" hence they attended the same early intervention programme as my son..hehehe & thats how i met them
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my son was diagnosed at 2.5yrs... cos his autism traits are quite obvious...he is moderate case...altho at that time i fail to see the traits (i still thought he is just slow) ... It is so ironical... the parents i met felt their child was autistic but yet doctor didn't confirm...for me, i felt my son was not but yet doctor confirmed he is... We had a good laugh over it.. They even asked me how come i sent my son for assessment when i thought my son wasn't autistic... I said it was my PD who suggested...i even told my PD "no lah..no need lah..cannot be" .. hahaha Then my PD said the wait is 3 months...if in 3 months time, you still feel he is not, then u can call up KKH to cancel the appointment.

but now that he is 3, i am "convinced" as his traits are quite glaring...eg body rocking, hands flapping... well, just part & parcel of his condition
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Feel free to PM me if you need more directions...I m no expert but since I have walked part of the route, i guess I can offer a listening ear & some advice...but really , get your child assessed first...for who knows, maybe he is not
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Oh BTW .. since he is only 20 months old which means u still "have time", perhaps better for you to go polyclinic & get a referral to KKH or NUH....you pay subsidised rate if referred by polyclinic... eg my fren pays only $30++ for the therapy whereas i pay around $68 .. etc etc.. If referred by PD, you are full-paying patient..
Just a suggestion you might wish to consider
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autism is a very broad spectrum and no two kids are alike. the PD cannot give you a detailed report. my encounter when trying to put my son in early intervention programme (EIP) or even pathlight is you will need a psychologist report at the end of the day. the drs at KK and NUH will still refer kids to psychologist for a formal assessment and detailed report. the fastest way is to see a private psychologist directly if you can afford it. whatever it is, the main aim of EIP, is to ensure the child's milestones catches up as close as possible to his peers. most autistic kids have some sort of gross motor (big movements like jumping, running, climbing, etc) and /or fine motor ( dealing with hands, like stacking, etc)problems. work on that. refer to the health booklet and train your kids on the very basic skills needed according to his age. some have normal or good fine motor but may be lacking in gross motor. even if you manage to get a OT or SLT, it is still not enough, consider the more frequent (at least 3 times per week) the better. i am speaking from my point of view as the mother of an asperger, a moderate autistic and the wife of an asperger. i am a housewife, maid, shadow, OT, SLT, structured teacher, Sensory integration therapist, tutor, dietitian..............
 
oh yeah forgetting the most important aspect, teach your kids how to point. pointing to close objects and people and pointing to people and things afar. so, teach him to look at the direction of your pointing. in the USA, there are lots of autistic kids who have fantastic eye contact.
 
Hi Ying Ying,

Thanks a lot for your reply.

Hmm i think i will observe my boy for now. Lately play with him, he seems to be able to look at me and focus more often then before. His speech still slow though, can only make some sound and only at times will call Mama, that day heard him say 'Egg' once, then no more le.

But last time when he's young, he will look at people in their face leh, dun know why now getting so shy.

He started gong CC in Dec 09, the teachers are saying that he's not interacting with kids well, tats where i start to get worried about him being autistic.

I went to the google that day, found this CHAT checklist that was use to rule out autism in toddlers aged 18 months.. Not too sure if the PD in singapore uses this chart to assess the kids here too ?
 
Hi Lay Tin,

Wow u really multi task at home !! Envy your stamina and doing so much roles at home.

Yes, i started teaching him to point things lately, ( hope its still not too late ) ! He's still not using his finger to point, i realise he like to hold my finger to point, but not using his finger to point. Wonder why is that so??

And also, he's not clapping his hands at this age too ! Not too sure is clapping is a important motor skills to master, though he dun clap his hands, he will hold my hand up to clap. DOnt understand why he dun like to clap his hands. I once highlighted it to my PD, but they all say its normal ?
 
Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone here can give advice on GFCF meals. I think for lunch and dinner its not too difficult. But I'm really having a problem for breakfast. Tried giving my son GFCF bread and he din like it all. I tried it as well and really the taste is very bland. I tried making GFCF muffins using rice flour and shortening. But i need other alternatives. Appreciate if anyone can share.

Shinnonu, yes I think once you suspect, you should go all out to help. Early intervention will be good for him. No harm even if he is not autistic. My son also likes to hold my finger to point. But I keep making him point on his own. Now he is a lot better. He started clapping and waving bye bye only 2-3 mths ago (Now he is coming to 3 already).
 
Hi Fluffy! You can try making pancakes with gf flour. Can also give porridge or Chee chong fun (some brands are gluten free). There are also gfcf cereals that you can get - I've gotten them from carrefour and NTUC Finest. You can try making your own gfcf bread with a banana bread mix I've seen and tried from Vita Kids. It's not as dry and flaky as most other gfcf breads but it does have a distinct cinnomon smell. If you've time, can check out recipe for Angel Food Cake. It's relatively easy to bake and can be made gfcf without any obscure ingredients. Good luck!
 
Hi everyone,

My son turning 3 next mth is suspected of autism, me and my hubby is so sad that we didnt know what to do...... except to wait for the Child Dev Unit's appt which is in May..... hope to do something useful for my son during this waiting time...... I need to find out more.....
 
hi wongsl,

what makes you suspect that your son is autistic? My son is also turning 3 next month. We brought him to see the PD before he turned 2. Then the PD recommended OT and Speech therapy. He was too young to be diagnosed yet. We went for private OT and Speech for a couple of months before I switched to intensive ABA home therapy. Currently my son is attending a special school (early intervention programme) in the day and ABA therapy in the afternoon. He is also on GFCF diet plus bio-medical intervention.

Actually the psychological test was supposed to be last Dec. But we decided to push it later to mid of this year. It came to me that the diagnosis is not so crucial at this pt in time. If you feel that your son is delayed in his development, lack of social interaction, non-verbal, lack of eye contact, poor gross and fine motor skills (for some), then you should start early intervention right away. I learned from the therapists and I tried to apply the teaching methods whenever I'm free at home.

If you need to speak to someone, feel free to PM me.
 
Hi Joann,

My boy doesnt have eye-contact with us, doesnt reach the language milestones..... in a world of his own most of the times..... think it is better to go for the KKH's appt so that can be in the waiting list for the early intervention schools ?
 
momto3

My elder son started talking only about 2.5 yrs after going to childcare.. I wasn't that worried then coz he was able to understand what I was saying and quite good at that too..
Started to worry for my little boy when he was around 18 months coz he wouldn't respond to his own name. Then lately he started to turn and look at us when we call 'didi' (thats the name we've been calling him since he was 1 years) but would ignore us when he's playing or watching tv.. He's got good eye contacts (even to strangers), but just not talking and occasionally shows some autism signs like spinning car wheels / flapping his hands and not understanding what we're saying (only to the word 'NO').

Kinda worried how it will turn out. But I know have to face the truth when the time comes..
 
I am glad to find this thread.

Hi Joann, I am your BP customer

I also suspect that my 21mth old son is autistic

His traits:
- likes wheels and ceiling fans
- speech delay, can't even call papa or mama, just making baby sounds
- doesn't use index finger to point
- likes to look at straight lines on the wall and will walk along it and look at it at the corner with his eyes

however, he does
- have eye contact when we call him,
- will take toys to us to play with him,
- will let us know when he wants to poo and will run to get his potty
- can eat on his own, using folk or spoon
- will play with a variety of toys but likes thomas
- bring book for me to read to him

I will be getting KKH to assess him but I am starting speech theraphy first, have made appointment
 
Improving pointing and hand function

You can start with
1. action song,
2. sensory-motor activities (sensitise/develop awareness of hand & fingers),
3. action song (reinforce)/book - pointing out objects, etc
(it helps cos they have looking at their hands closely or working with them for some time)

sensory-motor activities - finger & hand painting, touching textured books, squeezing sponge, transferring objects using pincer hold, sorting shapes into pegs,

action songs - involving clapping, stamping foot, touching body parts

hope this helps.
 
hi my boy going to 5 yrs old...and he just changed to new childcare this month. this morning, his teacher told me that she suspect my son got minor autism...she told me that my son cannot concentrate during the class, will tell teacher he dont want to study..or walk away... i'm so shocked when i heard this from his teacher. actually from what i observed, yes, my son cannot concentrate when study and he like the fan very much. other than that, my husband and i both found he is normal boy..he got no eye contact problem, can comunicate well like told us he is angry, sad...he can write and read, will ask many questions until we give him the satisfy answers.

i very confusing and any one can advise what should i do? seek doctor advice or keep observe him?
 
Hi Littlesun,

Doesn't sound like autism to me from your boy's behaviour, but of course it's best to check with his PD for confirmation.

Do you know why his teacher suspected autism? Not wanting to study and walking away don't sound like typical ASD traits.
 
Hi Dragon,

teacher also mentioned that he like to repeat the sentences what teacher teach him, but he also always repeat the sentences which we told him at home and we nv treat it as serious problem...as i saw many kids also doing the same things..

one more thing is my son very interested with the fan, aircon, machine...he will ask a lot of questions regarding all these things...

last, he like to question, he will ask many many times or may be everyday ask the same questions, even he knews answer but he just keep asking...

i think above few points is the reasons make his teacher suspected autism.. but for me, it is quite normal for kids.. as i mentioned above, he can communicate well with us and he can read & write...so i nv think about he is autism..
 
i think most problem for autism kids is commucation problem.. but my son got no such problem..he will asked where is the gong gong go? y daddy not back yet? and once he saw us back from work, he will call "baba mama" loudly... but not understand y teacher suspect him? or am i lack of autism knowledge?
 
Hi littlesun,
your son condition seem familiar when mine was younger.. and he is considered asperger, mild autistic. he was very obsessed with fans, aircon compressors, things that spins.. even when not spinning, the pictures of fans will excite him..the repeat of sentence is call 'echoliac'. they repeat cos they don't understand or they have slow auditory processing.. mine also very vocal and keep on asking questions. but he could not answer my questions. eg what did u eat in school? u may want to see if he is voluntarily sharing his emotions or play? if he is making intentional communication than just seeking informaiton. one thing abt mine is he is very curious and like to 'collect data' on his obsessions. even now, he will keep on asking despite we are feeling frustrated already.. for normal kids, they are able to 'sense' when is the right time to ask.. but for him, asking myself or strangers is no diff so long is fulfil his own curiosity.. for intentional communication, did he know how to ask for help? sharing wat he do in school?
to play safe, i will suggest u to check with CDU of kKh or nuh to get doctor diagnosis..
 
hi Tam,

thank u for your sharing, seems ur son condition really similar with my son. how old is ur son now? if he doing fine now? for mild autism, possible for them to study in normal school? i sure will bring him for check up but it needs abt 6 mths time.. it is pain and sad everyday for me now, i can't wait to gather more informations. My son like to asking the same question but actually he knew the answer.. i think he is intentional communication. he know how to ask for help like he will request us help to find his toys, he also will let us know when he not feeling well, when i scold him he will said he sad... but he seldom sharing wat he do in school unless we ask or something special happen like they celebrate birthday for their little friend...

what should i do during this 6 mths? or seek for private doctor? any recommendation? thank you so much.
 
hi littlesun
my son is turning 6 soon. i think he can attend normal school. mine is attending both normal school n early intervention at arc. he 'echoliac' when he was younger, now he does not. n he changed his obsessions to fishes now. it seem good that he can make intentional communication. mine couldn't. if he need us to find toy, he said, 'where's my toy? i cannot find..' but will not go up to anyone of us deliberately and say' can u find my toy for me cos i cannot find?' something like tt. if he could not fix the toy/struggle with his shoes or clothes, he would say (more to himself) 'cannot.. diffcult' etc but will not say purposely go to someone, look at him and say 'help me to...'. he is not shy with strangers. when we could not fish anything, he actually ask a Uncle (guy who operate fish farm) to help us..
when my son keep on repeating qn, sometimes i will purposely answer wrongly, sometimes i will just say 'i just told u, u know the answer', sometimes i will say 'u are asking the same questions many times'. etc.. or just redirect him to his tasks. autistic kids like routine n predictability n more restrictive.. maybe u can start a schedule for him.. using fan as motivator to introduce other things to him. i remembered i google search for him all kinds of fans.. just to show him diff variations. can also introduce propeller.. in ships n planes too.. i remembered he 'opened up' so much of my standing/table fans.. and we were not allowed to throw even if spoiled..
 
i have brought my son to see polyclinic doctor and told him our son's condition... he said from what he see, he dun think my son is austictic kid as my son very close with us..autistic kids will not hug ppl nor allow ppl to hug them...i dunno whether is true...will u son hug u? anywhere, he still refer us to kkh to do the more details checkup... i have start to do mental prepaparation, just in case he really autistic kid..wat i can do is just accept.. haiz...
 
hi tam, another question...is ur son always smile or small thing then can make him very happy and laugh.. will be autistic kids = cheerful kids?
 
littlesun,
I dun think all autistic kids dun allow ppl to hug/ hug ppl. My son for one loves hugging us and will kiss us too..... not every kid display the same traits.
 
Hi, does being the only child at home turn autistic easily? Reason being no peers is there to talk or fight with him. And adults would normally give in to him.

I'm kiasu mummy, my son turning 14 months and I feel there's some signs.

He's glued to his Barney video whenever it's turned on. So concentrate that does not response to our calls, unless it porridge time which he'd steal glance of it.

He knows how to wave goodbye, but only did it when he feels like. He nv wave to not so familiar faces like my in law who we see once a week.

He never points to the items we say. Like we asked where's the cat at the void deck, he could see it, but nv point. Likewise, where's daddy or mummy. Sometime he does not even bother to see us.

Any mummies has similar encounter or able to give some advice?
 
Hi littlesun

my son loves to giggle at very little things.. that sometimes only he himself finds very funny. yes, he is very cheerful n more like cheeky.. he do let us hug and will hug teachers n grandparents too. the main problem with autism is the lack theory of mind.. ie they could not perceive wat other people is thinking or going to do.. eg if he need help, he may think that other people/mother should knows without him telling.. he thought everybody is thinking and feeling like him.. n feel frustrated when they don't cos they don't know how to 'tell' them..
 
tired_mum,
I believe autism is not a condition that can be 'caught' because of the environment a child is in, so it won't be affected by whether he's the only child at home or not (on the other hand, may have an effect on his social skills).

Your son's behaviour sounds all right to me. Our son had similar traits as yours during his age but now he's behaving much more 'normally' now, so I don't think it's too much cause for concern.

Still, continue to monitor his progress and trust your instincts when you reach a point that you feel something is amiss. Seek a specialist for advice then.
 
hi Tam,

my son will seek for help when he need, but i not sure whether he can perceive what other ppl is thinking or going to do..how to test him? or from wat he do or say can we determine whether he lack theory of mind or not? i have made the appointment with KKH this coming april..but before that i hope can gether more info to help my son... thanks for ur advise.
 


hi littlesun
i had seen on tv how kids wif autism react diff from normal kids in a simple test. u can show him someone put his thing, eg mobile phone on top of a TV. tt person, say A then walk away. then another person, say B purposely hide the phone and put it under the sofa. u can ask your boy where would A be looking for the phone when he come back. all normal kids will say on top of the tv, but kids with autism will say under the sofa.
 

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