My 8 1/2 Month Old Son

Ditto SH. 100%.

Breathe mommy. He sounds fantastic.

((Incidentally, one of the biggest signs of autism in an infant is mewing like a cat as the ONLY noise they're really capable of, and pretty much the opposite of every behavior you described. What you described is a *normal*, healthy, happy child who is right on track.))

I think you should take him to Dell Children's for an evaluation. Speaking from experience, it looks as if he is on the Autism spectrum. It is never too early for a diagnosis. The earlier the better, because you can start getting help now. It can make a great difference down the road if you get him help now versus later. The thinking used to be that autism couldn't be diagnosed until they were toddlers. Now they can do it in infants. Early intervention is vital. Please don't wait another day.

He sounds fine. He is only 8 1/2 months. Give him time.. He sounds wonderful. Give him a big hug for me. I miss babies..

Okay... your son is NORMAL.

You cannot nit pick and read into everything and thinks its abnormal. Every baby is different... and to me (I have 2 kids), your son seems very usual and normal. He is developing just fine.
I think, you are over worrying...
The book "What to expect the first year" is real good. You can find it anywhere.

The way you describe your son, is not "symptoms" of something... but a description of "behaviors" that are age appropriate.

You need to keep "expectations" age-appropriate... otherwise you will worry yourself silly. And get stressed unnecessarily.

Screaming and "yelling" is COMMON for a mere baby... when they are happy AND they DO FLAP their arms and limbs... when they are happy. Their motor skills are emerging and their ability to move their arms in different ways. This & flapping is VERY common. BOTH my kids did that too, as well as all the other babies I know and known. This is not "weird" behavior. It is BABY behavior. And they cannot talk yet, much less respond correctly to their name... nor know as much as a 2 year old.

And babies crawl and sit up at varying times. There is a spectrum, or a range of time... where a baby does certain things. It is not by a single age only. If it were, all babies in the whole world would be doing things all at the same time. And they simply do not.

Do not just rush to "diagnose" for every little thing, or label him already. Or he will grow up thinking that EVERYTHING he does is "wrong" or retarded, or delayed or inappropriate or "weird".... and this alone, will affect him and give him hang-ups. So don't displace too much "anxiety" onto him... or he will grow up too OVERLY worried or neurotic or anxiety filled, to say the least.

Next, babies at this age do not "talk." But, They make all kinds of sounds, yelling, screaming, high pitched screeching, babbling, etc. All normal. It is just them experimenting with their voice... not being naughty or annoying. It is NORMAL progression of sounds.

Your baby is real normal.

WHY are your "heartbroken"????? I really don't understand why you are so heartbroken and sad about your son???
He seems so normal to me. And a typical baby for his age. Really. Don't worry. Babies and kids... can really feel stress and worry from their parents.

All the best,
Susan

Your son is still a BABY. And it sounds like it is far from autistic. He sounds perfectly normal. Every child will go through different stages of learning words and movements. Screaming and yelling when he is happy is certainly nothing to be concerned about. He's being expressive in his own way. I'm guessing this may be your first child? Take a deep breath and enjoy your healthy and happy little guy!

Your son does not have symptoms. He has behaviors that are totally normal for a healthy 8 month old. He hasn't been on the planet for very long and is just trying to figure it all out. Children have erratic movements, they scream all the time (I often say that my 2.5 year old's volume button is broken), and motor skills develop at all different times (my daughter NEVER rolled over, NEVER crawled and didn't walk until 16 months. She's a completed healthy well adjusted 5 year old).

Try not to spend this time heartbroken - it goes too fast to be fixated on all of the things that could possibly go wrong. Enjoy your son. Good luck.

Hi A.-

I know having a first child is stressful and with all of the great information that is being spread about autism it gets scary, but take a deep breath! At 8 1/2 months it really is too early to diagnose autism.

Here is a great link to Autism Speaks regarding learning the signs of autism. This is something that every parent should review so that they can recognize the signs and get early intervention when it is warranted. Right now your son sounds like a healthy and happy little boy. Enjoy him and just continue to watch. There is no reason to think that your son is any more likely than any other (about 1 in 70 for a boy) to have autism.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/learnsigns.php

Good luck,
K. (one son on the autism spectrum)

I agree with Karen. He sounds like a healthy, happy 8 1/2 month old! My son never crawled, and I was beginning to get a little nervous about it when he was 9 months old. Then all of a sudden at about 11 months he started lifting himself up on the tables, chairs whatever he could grab!! He started walking...guess he decided he didn't want to mess around with that crawling stuff!
We took care of our niece when she was 7-10 months old and she would cry whenever we laid her on her stomach....she just really hated it! She would sit and began to skooch her little but across the floor. She decided that was going to be her way to get around for a while. She was pretty quick too!!
Every child is different and finds their own way....so try not to worry.

CJ

Your baby sounds perfectly normal, A.! He can sit unassisted, seems very aware of his surroundings, is babbling, is trying to get around, gets excited when he sees other people, and sounds like a delightful little boy! Don't be so worried about the hand-flapping-most children do that when they get excited! Heck, sometimes I wave my arms when I get excited! :)

Also, both my sons did not crawl until almost 11 months old and they both REALLY love to yell and scream! The AVERAGE time that babies begin crawling varies from around 8-10 months (some crawl at 6 months while some never crawl and go straight to walking).

Enjoy your little one and don't be so h*** o* yourself!

lots of info out there ... go to web md and then to developmental screening..or any other good web site to get a few helpful tid bits... watch him with love ,God Bless

You are NOT being paranoid, just a good mom who is looking to catch things early. I am not saying he is autistic but (from the mother of an autistic child) I can tell you that I would absolutely have him evaluated, probably by a developmental pediatrician. He is too young to be diagnosed with anything but at least he can be watched and followed up with for now. ***I would also STOP all vaccines until you know more.*** I can't even count how many stories I know of (including my own) that say their child presented with some subtle behaviors in infancy that in hindsight makes sense to them but after a vaccine (usually the MMR) they were a completely different child and slipped into the world of autism. I encourage you to research this topic further. I also commend you for paying attention to behaviors that don't seem normal and checking them out. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted.

I ditto everything Susan said. She's a smart lady!

Hi A.. I don't think you're paranoid, especially with all the news on autism today. I, too have had some concerns, and thought I saw possible "signs" in my son. From what you're describing about your 8 and half month old, he sounds totally normal for his age. My son is now almost three and is happy and healthy and my fears of autism have finally gone. It's scary in the beginning, because you hear so many awful stories. I would definitely read up on it, and know the true signs, but don't focus too h*** o* it, because I think sometimes we mistake little things for the real signs of autism and can drive ourselves crazy. Always tell the pediatrician about your concerns though. And one vaccine I would definitely avoid is the MMR. There may not be "proof" that it causes autism in children that may be pre-disposed to the disease, however there isn't any proof that it does not. And to me, if he caught the measles, it would be better if he had a rash and a fever for a couple of weeks, than have autism the rest of his life. If your son is strong and healthy, the measles shouldn't be a life-threatening illness. Good luck and try not to worry too much ;-) !

A.-- it's sometimes so difficult and confusing to detect autism because many "autistic" behaviors are also seen in typically developing children-- for example, hand flapping. I recently read an article in People Magazine (March 29 issue) about early signs of autism in babies. They included: poor eye contact, delayed babbling (not saying "ba, ma, da", etc, by six months), limited exploration of objects (toys), resisting cuddling, and low muscle tone (difficulty sitting independently after six months of age; head lolling backward when gently pulled into a sitting position). Having said all that, it's still so tricky: my son made great eye contact and was extremely smiley and cuddly, and yet he was diagnosed with autism at age two. Autism is such a mystery; the disorder appears in such a wide spectrum that no two cases are exactly alike. I didn't recognize autism in my son because he was so smiley and snuggly, and he was babbling, too. It became apparent to me when he neared two years of age and wasn't talking. I don't want to scare you; children develop at different rates and there is a risk for overdiagnosis. I just applaud you for being so aware of your son's development at such a young age. That's my big regret: looking back, I now see red flags that should have alerted me, like my son's delay at hitting milestones. I just thought he might have developmental delays, but I didn't suspect autism, since I thought of it as primarily a social disorder, and my son was so smiley and cuddly with us. I now know that many chilren with autism are extremely affectionate, especially with their favorite people. One thing I wish I had known when Danny was younger: apparently the biggest red flag is if your child is not pointing by age one. Supposedly studies show this tends to be the best indictator of annultimate diagnosis of autism. Typically developing children, by age one, will point to objects that they find interesting, and will generally look at their parents to indicate that they want to share their interest and enjoyment. (This is called joint attention-- ex: the baby looks at the dog, points at the dog, says, "Doggie!" or whatever name he/she uses, then looks at mama to express that he/she wants to share excitement about and interest in the dog.) Apparently this is generally absent in children who will go on to be diagnosed with autism. Again, I don't want to scare you, but good for you for being so aware. I wish I had been, because with autism, early intervention is everything. To ease your mind, you might want to contact Early Childhood Intervention through your school district (you can google it). They can perform an evaluation for you. Another thing I wish I had done is to get my son an appointment with a developmental pediatrician who is familiar with early signs of autism. The disorder is often diagnosed around two years of age, but really observant parents (like you) have been able to catch it as early as 15-18 months. My opinion is that an evaluation can't hurt and can only help. It will either ease your mind or allow you an amazing jump start on therapy. Kids with autism can make incredible gains through early intervention. From birth to three (and even till
age five) the brain still has "plasticity", meaning it is malleable. It's possible to change the neural activity and pathways in the brain up to age five. So in the worst case scenario, you have LOTS of time for therapy and improvements. Sorry this is so long! Please feel free to e-mail me if you want to: ____@____.com. I hope I didn't scare you-- I just think knowledge is power and time is your best weapon if autism should become an issue for your family. I wish you all good things! ~ B.

Don't panic yet! 8 1/2 months is not so bad-- my son didn't crawl until almost 9 months and still isn't walking alone at 16 months or saying full words-- but he interacts well and loves to play with family like your son does. They are all on their own timetable! My cousin didn't talk until two years old but then complete thoughts came out! If your pedi isn't worried and your baby is happy, don't freak out. You may ask the pedi to do a careful vision and hearing screening or have one done. My son has vision problems so we think that's why he's a bit slow to walk alone; unsure of his balance and surroundings. But don't jump to the autism scare just yet-- some babies are just late bloomers. Everyone is different and the recent craze of autism awareness (though awareness is not a bad thing in itself, of course) has sadly made too many parents paranoid about it. Just give your baby as much age-appropriate stimulation as possible, and if your pedi can't address your emotional needs then get a new pedi while you still can! Blessings.

Okay my niece is 10 months old and just now wanting to crawl. Also she handflaps too. That concerns me also. Can he pick up food between his thumb and forefinger? She failed that test not too long ago. I am concerned about her and I wish that my sister would get a second opinion. Her peds say she is fine and maybe she is. I don't know what is the norm. I just know what my kids did. Your son sounds exactly like my niece and she is doing all the things he is doing. So if you ever figure anything out please let me know.

I think becuse you had such a hard time conceiving him you might be freaking out over things unnecessarily. Is he your first? It sounds like he might be. Get the book "What to expect the first year" - it's the "baby" version of the book "What to expect when you're expecting." It'll help a lot, becuase the things you are expecting at 8.5 months (answering name, sitting up himself, etc are WAY beyond what that age is developmentally capable of). Relax, enjoy, hit "halfpricebooks" to get this book, or even the library; he's fine.

All children are different as you are from me. I would not worry yet, relax and go with the stream for now, he may just start one day out of the blue and imagine how please you will be. Sit on the floor and put something just out of reach that he wants. It may just happen.

If your son is a happy baby then you've likely nothing to worry about, especially if you've counseled with your pediatrician. We can not increase our child’s intellectual or developmental competence through so-called ‘brain stimulation’ videos or surround-sound cribs.  Infants and toddlers enjoy learning first and best the things they learn in their relationships with the people that care for them. Here's more info on this topic:
http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/Cedar-Park-TX/2010/04/12/...

He sounds within the realm of normal to me. I used to teach infants and toddlers at our church daycare and we were trained to notice things that were not out of the ordinary.

If you are concerned you can call ECI for an evaluation. They will evaluate him and work with you on therapies that may help him.

Or you could just move his little body on your own. Not many 8 mo respond to their names. The fact that he watches and smiles at other kids leads me to believe he is not autistic, as does the eye contact.

Not all kids crawl before they walk. Hand flapping and kicking his feet are very normal! That is usually how they show excitement. As for the screaming and yelling, he has found his voice and is learning to use it!

Relax! Take a deep breath and enjoy your baby being a baby! It will all be gone before you know it!

Good Luck

A., these are not symptoms, they are normal behaviors of an active 8.5 mo. old boy. Does he look you in the eye? Does he seem to mimick emotions (this will come more in the next year)? A. you should talk to an expert in Autism to understand what the disease could look like. From what you've written, it sounds like he's perfect.

Updated

A., these are not symptoms, they are normal behaviors of an active 8.5 mo. old boy. Does he look you in the eye? Does he seem to mimick emotions (this will come more in the next year)? A. you should talk to an expert in Autism to understand what the disease could look like. From what you've written, it sounds like he's perfect.

Not to be rude, but I think you're being paranoid. My now 5yo didn't crawl until 11 mos (we thought he would just skip crawling & go right on to walking b/c he was cruising at the time). He hardly babbled at all, and didn't even start doing that until about 9 or 10 mos. He started sitting himself up at about 7 or 8 mos old. BUT his fine-motor skills have always been really advanced. He was able to do the pincer grasp at 5 or 6 months! As for recognizing his name, I thought that wasn't typically until 9 or 10 months when they would recognize their name all the time..?

Fast-forward to now & he is absolutely brilliant! He is bored in his private kinder class & the teacher has to come up with additional assignments to keep him occupied while the other kids catch up. Since he is in a private program, we will have to have him tested to enter 1st grade this year since he won't be 6 until Nov. And I think he can probably also test into the G/T program. He does just fine socially & loves being around other kiddos & adults.

Each child develops at his or her own pace, and it's so hard not to get caught up in comparing them to others. My 2nd son (3.5mos) is SUCH a babbler! Some sounds he makes have always sounded like the word, which is really impressive. He screams "ungi" when he's hungry, and "angi" when he's just plain mad cause we can't figure out what he wants... People thought I was exagerrating, but our family has started noticing it too. He's already grabbing things and has been sitting up with assistance for about 2-3 weeks. They are just different kids, that's all. Whereas the older one was great with fine motor, little man is better with gross skills & talking.

Try not to drive yourself crazy in comparing your child to others. There's no good result- it only stresses you out, which isn't good for either of you! He could be really observing & absorbing everything around him & once he does start doing the things he's "behind" on, he'll just go for it. My older son always had to master a skill mentally before he would try it physically and still does. He also would not do it while he knew we were watching until he was fully confident in the skill. The little man just goes for it & doesn't care if he can't quite do it. We just be sure to encourage both of them in their own ways to help them progress.

Give your kiddo & yourself some slack!

I really wouldn't worry! We had this little joke when my firstborn was that age that he would respond to any name. So for awhile we had our precious son thinking his name was "shookamooka"! I know, great parenting, but it was so funny to us for some reason, probably bc we're weird!;) ANYWAY, he sounds totally normal to me, he is laughing, up on his knees rocking, sounds very exhuberant, so I think he is doing great. Some kids have a hard time with the whole sitting up thing until their head and body even out. Have you tried a Bumbo seat. I have one for my new baby when he is ready for it. It looks great and since yours can hold his head up, sitting him up in one might help him develop the muscles he needs to do it on his own. You can even attach a tray to the seat and put toys on it and feed him in it if you want. Of course I can't say for absolute certainty that nothing is going on, but from the info in your post, it really doesn't sound like it. One of the main things with autism is difficulty responding, and it sounds like he is super social. Not knowing his name is no big deal at his age, that takes some time to grasp. I will say that if it turned out that something is up, I know many people with autism have really full happy lives, there is lots of help out there and it sounds like you are really plugged in parent. There is no reason to think at this point your son will not lead a wonderful full life and accomplish all kinds of things. I have some friends with a son with Asperger's and he does have challenges, but he is in regular school and doing really good. He is a great kid. But seriously, everything in your post sounds like he is right on target. Try to chill and see what happens. I remember my son never really rolled over right on cue, he just kind of rolled to prove he could and then went on to getting up and doing that rocking back and forth thing at about eight months, similar to yours. Before he crawled I think he scooted a lot on his back to get places. Any purposeful movement at that age is great. So try to keep a positive attitude and hang in there. :)

sounds normal to me. i dont remember my son actually sitting himself up but we sat him up. and he would squeel and scream out of delight. if your not happy with your pedi please search for a new one. good luck. hope everything is fine...i really think that it is.

I think he is probably ok. My son is 8 n a half months, he has been able 2 sit up from laying down n is crawling but every baby is different when it comes 2 that, so I wouldn't be to concerned yet. Although if it bothers u that bad I would get him tested, it would at least ease your anxiety, plus if something was 2 be wrong they can help them progress now at an early age. Really if it bothers u that bad jus have him tested, I think he will be fine but I'm not a doc, better 2 be safe than sorry. I wish u and him the best of luck!

A friend of my daughters' had a son doing the same thing. I am not trying to scare you, but he was diagnoised with Sotos' Syndrome...It is something that is very wide spread, but not very well known about. With therapy, he is now walking and talking. This is something you might want to investigate on the web...I am the mother of two girls and have 8 grandchildren and until this person had her son and had him taken away from her and given to her parents no one was really sure what was wrong with him...Thank God someone cared enough to do something and get him tested... you can never be too careful...I have concern about my granddaughter..while my daughter was pregnant with her, they did an amnio (i think that is how it is spelled) and said there was a high possibility that she would be born with Downs Syndrome...tho there are no physical signs, I still cannot rule out a slight touch of it mainly because of her actions and the problems she is having in school..she is also ADHD and has OCD...and yes is taking meds, but still has comprehension problems and other problems also...soon to be tested. So if you can get your child's dr. to run a few tests because of your concerns let him or her do it...do not be afraid to ask for help, if nothing else to calm your fears....

This sounds like my 9 month old son! If we say his name, he sometimes responds and if we call him another name like "Bob" he sometimes responds as well. (its actually pretty funny!) But he smiles with us and shows that he is aware of people in general. Does your son interact with you at all? Make eye contact? Then it is pretty unlikely he is autistic.(This was my biggest fear too when I was pregnant). As for not crawling yet - I was worried when my son didn't seem like he wanted to crawl then *BAM* within 2 weeks he learned to sit up on his own, crawl and started to pull himself up on furniture. Everyone has their own timetable and if your pedi is not too worried about it, I would enjoy the wonderful time with your son.

First, calm down-take a deep breath(if your child is autistic, will you love them any less?-I don't think so). Most kids don't start showing signs of autism until the age of 3. I think your son sounds like a normal happy baby. His kicking and yelling are just ways he's discovering how to express himself. He could be laughing and still kicking and yelling. He is also figuring out what makes mommy come running/jump. My son used to yell while playing. As for his hands, he's trying to figure out what they do exactly and how. So, I suggest you smile, get some more soft toys, and yell right along with him! Plus, it helps relieve stress(and let's him know it's ok to yell)!!