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Autism/Autism in an almost 12 month old.

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Expert: - 10/4/2009


Question
Hi, you recently replied to a follow up of one of my questions stating you did not understand my question.

My follow up was:
"QUESTION: Apologies, one other thing I failed to mention. He pushes things. He LOVES to push things. His pusher, his highchair, anything he can. He can do it for ages, pushing things around. Also, he always has to have some object in his hand when he walks around. Usually not a toy, usually something like my pump pack moisturiser or the phone or the remote control. He can throw a little tantrum when I take it off him (but it doesn't last for long). Is this normal?   And speech - there's not alot of that going on. He doesn't call us mamma or dadda yet and there isn't a huge amount of babbling. Lots of ahh's and uhh's and da's. He often points to things (or into thin air it would seem) and says dat. That's his thing at the moment.   Eye contact isn't great up close - but not to bad at a distance. If I am holding him and try to get eye contact, he resists. But if I am sitting across from him he is ok"

I guess what I am asking is if this is normal 12 month old behaviour?  In conjuction with my original post.  I just cannot seem to shrug the "feeling that something is not right".  We do not have your equivalent of IE here in Australia and I am unsure of where else to go.  I know he is too young to diagnose and I will just have to adopt the wait and see approach but it is very difficult.

Answer
Hi there, Melissa!

While I hate to make this sound like a short, potentially curt answer: yes. This is normal. Sometimes the simplest answers are the best. :)

I'm not completely sure what you mean about 'IE' in this context, but I'm assuming that you mean an Autism society. Checking on the web, I have found the following:

http://www.aspect.org.au/
http://www.autismvictoria.org.au/home/
http://www.autism.net.au/

It's possible that these experts would do a better job of reassuring and diagnosing than the words of an AllExpert half a world away! I suggest that if you are concerned, and simply can't shake the feeling, these people would be better qualified to do an assessment of your child and be able to tell you more.

As per usual, questions, comments, feedback, and follow-ups are welcome!

Trey

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Trey McGowan

Expertise

My primary expertise is in the area of the social, psychological, and mental development of Aspergers Syndrome and other high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I am also very knowledgeable in the communication disorders and common co-existing issues. I'm well-read on most of these as well as having experienced it myself. Other aspects of autism, I can do fairly well at as well, from the oversensitivity to the recognition of it. Warning: I am *not* a medical professional, and while I can research answers through books and online, I can not give direct medical expertise.

Experience

I am 19 years diagnosed Asperger's Autistic, and have been reading up and studying it, as well as taking 'first hand accounts' for most of those 14 years. In addition, I have had three children, adopted elsewhere, all of whom are varying degrees of autistic from mid to high functioning. My mother has done some research on the subject as well, and passed some of it on to me.

Education/Credentials
I have completed grade school and most of high school, and achieved a GED. I've also received home schooling.

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