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Anxiety about autism in 1 year old

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Anxiety about autism in 1 year old

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SJsMum

Anxiety about autism in 1 year old

Hi

I have a beautiful 13.5month old son. Recently I have started getting serious anxiety around him potentially being autistic. Please let me start by saying I will and do love him no matter what. He is my first child so I really have nothing to compare him to

The reasons I think he could be are
He flaps his arms
He has starting spinning in circles a few times a day
He squeals and screams often
He is always constantly going
He seems to enjoy playing on his own
He doesn't wave yet
He hasn't really got any words apart from Ta and Dada. He was saying muma but that has stopped
He isn't really into music, flaps his arms a little to it
He has started running away

Reasons I think he probably isn't
He responds to his name
He makes alright eye contact
He plays with toys typically
He is affectionate
He points and claps
He shows things
He has hit all milestones
He loves peekaboo
He is happy, smiles and cheeky.

Tbh I think I know that this is my anxiety creeping in and all these things are probably normal for a 1 year old. I'm having a bit of a hard time being a mum and think the thought of having a high needs kid is creating some internal stress. If he does happen to be autistic, that's OK, it's the not knowing, over analysing ect. I'm not able to enjoy him how he is at the moment.

Hoping someone can give their experience, maybe point me in a direction of where I can get help for myself.


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Chloe-RO

Re: Anxiety about autism

HI @SJsMum ,

I can certainly hear your anxieties around your son showing signs of being autistic. As much as you adore and love your son, this can be a scary thing for first time parents. I sense you want the best for your little boy and want to support him as much as possible.

A good start would be to speak to your your GP where you can chat about some of your concerns, observations etc.

From there, you can ask for a referral to be made to see a paediatrician. Now, depending on whether you want to go through the private or public system, wait times can vary. Hence, it is probably good to see what your GP says.

Good news is, early intervention can make a world of difference for children with ASD. For example, you can access NDIS packages aimed to support children with ASD. This may include funding for occupational therapists, speech, etc. There are many supports out there.

But before jumping to any of this, pay a visit to a GP and then go from there. At the same time, monitor your own mental health and remember self-care is key to supporting your son.

Perhaps it's even a visit to your GP to get a Mental Health Care Plan so you can access subsidised psychology sessions to talk through some of these stressors? Or, do you have friends/family you can talk to?

You do not have to go through this alone.

All the best and we look forward to hearing how you go.