Thursday Thirteen #16: Red Flags

Thirteen Things about Little T and the Autistic Spectrum April is Autistic Awareness month and so I wanted to share the red flags that went up and made us suspect our 4 year old grandson might be autistic. Our Little T and his mother lived with us from the time he was just 2 months old until he was just over a year old. Then we didn't see him for six months. But when he was 13 months old, he was beginning to walk, vocalize, and was very curious about everything. He loved playing with his mini workshop where he could open and close the doors to retrieve tools. When he came back, all sorts of red flags went up: 1. He'd stopped speaking and wasn't vocalizing at all except to grunt or whine 2. Even though he'd have a tantrum because we didn't understand what he wanted, he didn't try another way to communicate, like home signs or pointing 3. He was stuck in the same type of play he'd engaged in when he left: opening and closing doors. He moved from there to a "sliding glass door" kind of movement. 4. He would become very upset if I tried to vary his play or distract him with new toys 5. He would clutch his shoes to his chest whenever he wasn't wearing them and wouldn't put them down 6. He didn't respond consistently to our voices; we thought his hearing was impaired 7. He would make eye contact with us but then frequently cocked his head and stared off to the side 8. He had a ritualistic of the follow-the-leader type when he'd play outside. For instance, you'd go up the steps to the deck, cross it, tap several times on the rail opposite the entry point, turn and go to the opposite side, tap again, etc. 9. He wasn't interested in any of the other outdoor toys: trucks, sand pail, shovels, and so on. 10. He seemed to be afraid of playground equipment like swings and slides 11. He was no longer interested in having anyone read to him 12. He had a clumsy gait when he ran and frequently bumped into things and fell--but he would never cry 13. He would suddenly have explosive and violent tantrums to the point we were afraid he'd hurt himself We knew we had to get help and get him tested. Getting a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum was very scary at first but since then we have learned a lot. It's not scary anymore and he is our lovely Little T.

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