Every parent who has a child with autism looks back through the early years to see what signs may have been present early on.
When you have a child with autism, you look back to see what early signs may have existed in their development which signaled something was wrong. As I said in my previous article, Dalton was an easy, sweet loving baby, but a little shy around strangers. He also tended to obsess with certain toys and play with toys in a way that may be considered a little odd.
Poor or Odd Imaginative Play: Dalton would often not play with toys as a whole unit. For example, he had a toy that was similar to a whack-a-mole. You take a hammer and hit a ball through a hole and then a bunch of lights and music would come on. He would play with the balls, or the hammer or hit the button to hear the music and see the lights, but he would never play with it all together. He also enjoyed taking spoons and lining them up proportionately on a keyboard.
Poor Social Interaction: Dalton preferred to play by himself very early on. As early as about 9 months of age he would often get annoyed if you tried to play with him. He didn't mind if you played next to him, but if you interrupted what he was doing he would get very upset or ignore you all together. He also didn't really care to play with other children his age. We would go to the beach with friends and he was never interested in what the other children were doing. He would rather take a walk down the beach and look around. I really noticed a difference when we had Mommy and Me type classes and during circle time he would not participate. Even as old at 2 years old I would have to guide him through the hand movements of songs and physically prompt him to participate in circle time activities.
Sensory Issues: Dalton has never had any severe sensory issues, except for oral. It was very hard to get him to eat more than baby food. It took a lot of time and coaxing to get him to get used to new oral sensations when he ate. He was almost a year old before I was able to get him to even eat Cheerios without spitting them out.
It is often difficult to decipher what is truly odd behaviour and what is just a "quirk". Dalton was our first child and we didn't have anything to compare it to and also children our individuals. They are all different. Concerns need to be addressed though. Remember to always discuss your concerns with your pediatrician.
Related Article:
- Dalton's Story: Early Signs
- Autism Defined
- Autism Symptoms
- Overcoming Autism
- Autism Testing
- Autism First Steps
