“There he goes again, a man on a mission!” That “man” being my 13-month-old son. His mission: Climb up on sofa with stuffed blue dog, throw blue dog over the back of the sofa, slide backwards off of the sofa, run around to retrieve blue dog. Repeat.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
He would repeat this sequence for hours. Every. Day. His hair would be drenched with sweat, and any attempt to interrupt this ritual was met with screaming, hitting, and tears. I tried easing the feeling that something was ‘off’ about his behavior by telling myself he was just having fun, which was mostly believable, except for the fact that the look on his face was always fierce concentration, not joy.
Looking back, I see this ‘game’ he played was actually a huge RED FLAG.
This type of repetitive behavior is classified under the umbrella term, Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB), and is one of the main diagnostic criteria for autism. In fact, a study released last year found that repetitive behaviors are one of the earliest indicators of a future autism diagnosis. “Investigators at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill found that infants with 3 or more types of repetitive behavior at 12 months of age were 4 times more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for ASD at age 2 years compared with low-risk infants and, importantly, high-risk infants who were not diagnosed with ASD at 2 years of age.”
What can these Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors look like?
Some of the most common RRBs are body movements (spinning in circles, hand and arm flapping, opening and closing doors), insistence on sameness in routines or object placement (lining toys up, becoming upset when routine is altered), intense focus or obsession with certain objects or topics (video games, cartoon characters) and self-injurious behavior (hitting him/herself repetitively).
These repetitive behaviors are also a part of typical toddler development, so it can be difficult to distinguish if what you are observing in your child is typical or red flag behavior.
How can you determine if the behavior is a RED FLAG?
Generally, the repetitive behaviors in typically developing children peak around 6 months of age. If the child’s repetitive behaviors increase and persist past 12 months of age, this is a RED FLAG. The more RRBs a child displays, the bigger the RED FLAG. If you go to extreme efforts to prevent any change in their routine to avoid a meltdown – RED FLAG. If the intensity and obsession with the behaviors prevent learning or are major disruptions – RED FLAG.
Keeping a journal is a great way to track behavior. Make note of any behaviors that are considered RRBs, paying special attention to when they initially begin, their intensity, how often they are displayed and when. By doing this, you may see emerging patterns, giving clues to what might be triggering the repetitive behaviors. Maybe they are occurring when your child is happy, or tired, or anxious, or over-stimulated, etc. Maybe they engage in the repetitive behavior when they are trying to avoid an activity, or are in pain, or after they eat certain foods. This can also help narrow which avenues to take if you decide to look into treatment therapies.
There are different therapy approaches that address these repetitive and restrictive behaviors. Many parents have seen wonderful progress and an increase in connection with their children through the Son-Rise program and RDI. The Professor wrote an amazing blog that discusses one possible reason why this approach can be so effective. The ABA method focuses on redirecting the repetitive behavior to something less disruptive and then reinforcing the new desired behavior. As with any autism treatment, behavior therapy is not ‘one size fits all,’ each child responds differently. What may be effective for some, can have the opposite effect on others. It’s important to research the different therapy methods, and be flexible in changing direction if you need to. Listen to your gut!
With my son, I believe the trigger for his repetitive behaviors was inflammation. Once we started biomedical treatment and his body started healing, the behaviors lessened. (Related study: http://autism-nutrition.com/repetitive-behavior-in-children-with-autism). We tried ABA therapy when he was younger, but it just wasn’t right for our son. We did, however, see many positive outcomes when we joined him in his world, something we still do today. He still occasionally focuses on his interests in a way that could be classified as atypical, and he does flap his arms when he gets excited, but the behaviors are easily redirected when they need to be and don’t impact his life negatively.
It’s been 10 years since my son’s daily blue dog ritual and even though the repetitive behaviors have almost all disappeared, I have a feeling blue dog will always be with him.
~ Frankie
Frankie is Mom to three amazing children who, along with her husband, are her heart and soul. At the age of three, her son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, and she was told his future would consist of group homes or state-run facilities. With biomedical treatment (and a lot of sweat, tears, humor and love), he’s now recovered. She tossed the rose-colored glasses, rolled up her sleeves and made his recovery her mission. She hopes his story inspires others to do the same.
Good day.
My baby is not like the average babies we have handled. Almost all people say he is advanced or acts advanced for his age. He is turning 6 months now. His Pediatrician said he is a bright baby. Before anything else I’d like to say that I do not have a problem with him being smar! Also, that I was on Levothyroxine when I was pregnant. Anyway Pedia noticed he is easily bored. He likes constant stimulation and when he’s bored he’ll be fussy. He needs new stimuli always. Pedia also noticed when he just turned 4 months I think, that he can lift his head and his back was strong when held upright (he couldn’t sit though at this stage). Also, I remember when the OB gyne delivered him she was holding him on her palm face down and he LIFTED his head up for a few seconds the OB was amazed she called him superman. About communication, he’s a very good communicator. He looks in the eye like his eyes were speaking to you, all people tells me that too. He responds to his name and smiles, and laughs when you play with him. He also sometimes smiles first when he sees us. And he’s raling to us (using ‘baby’ language). He also responds to music and noise. What I’m concerned about is recently he has been opening and closing his hans repetitively. He is alao very vigorous even when he’s sleepy while drinking milk he would still want to move and move until he falls alseep. He’s very very active now than ever. VERY ACTIVE. He was not like that before. Pedia said the signs were normal and he’s a smart baby. To lessen my anxiety she even said some babies bang their heads until age 5 and that’s normal too?! Hope you can help me. Should I get a second opinion, or observe for now? What signs ahould I look out for? Or maybe I am just anxious? I am a cancer survivor and yes I admit I became an anxious person. Any help or advice would be much appreciatef. Thanks a lot for your help. 🙂
Your child sounds a lot like my daughter. She too was strong and active. She had a lot of difficulty throughout her school years with ADHD and dyspraxia. Things I would do differently include giving her a probiotic, particularly one that contains B. infantis if possible, right after birth because of the antibiotics I received due to strep B (unfortunately, a huge percentage of children are born with antibiotics and it’s messing over their microbiomes something fierce). I stopped vaccinating her at 12 months (before MMR, fortunately), but if I had it to do again, she wouldn’t get a single one. I would also start her with a professional homeopath who has experience with today’s chronic childhood conditions. At 19, she’s an AWESOME human being, but I would like for life to have been a bit easier for her along the way.
Good day!
Thank you for your response, it means a lot. I know you have an amazing daughter. <3
My baby had antibiotics because he pooped in my womb. I was 40 weeks pregnant then. But he didn't have any in his mouth when they checked so that's a relief. They still gave him antibiotics though, they said it's a protocol. I wonder if antibiotics have anything to do with his behavior now?
Can I give him probiotics now? He is 6 months and 1+ week old. I drink Yakult regularly. But I'm not sure if it is safe for him.
I truly hope he does not have any deficit or disorder. I've been through a lot in life already at this age. I could still face anything and everything, but I pray please not my baby. Anything but not my baby. This triggers my anxiety, to be honest. 🙁
Is there anything you can advise me? Thank you in advance for your help.
For your own anxiety, I recommend learning EFT as described by Nick Ortner in The Tapping Solution (there is a book and a film). It’s amazing how much it can help. Anxiety itself is never helpful.
The antibiotic can definitely be affecting his current behavior. Yes, you can give him probiotics. There are a number of probiotics that are approved for infants. I don’t know if there are any commercially available versions, but it would be really goo if you could get b. infantis into him. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/17/opinion/babies-bacteria-breastfeeding-formula.html
You can also give him small amounts of Restore, which can help to restore integrity to the gut lining that can be compromised due to the early antibiotics.
Good day.
Thank you very much your response is always informative and helpful. I will try and find those that you recommend. I am hoping for positive outcome. 🙂
By the way may I know why you would not want to have you child vaccinated? Do vaccines have anything to do with the antibiotic? He is not yet done with his vaccines.
I feel sad for what happebed to my child and sometimes I feel guilty I thought it’s my fault that this is happening to him. But you are right nothing comes good out of anxiety it just kills your mind and body slowly. That is why I searched for help, and I thank you so much for all the things you’ve shared.
Vaccines also affect the gut microbiome, so the effects of antibiotics and vaccines are synergistic. Other environmental exposures are definitely playing into the rise in neurodevelopmental disorders, but my “gut feeling” (excuse the word play) is that the vaccines and antibiotic combination is the single biggest factor. When you listen to the stories of kids who regressed suddenly, the majority involve some combination of multiple injections while on antibiotics.
You’re so very welcome. <3
Hi, I am a mom of a 2 1/2 year old boy. Some of his behaviors concern me but is hard to distinguish if it’s just him being a typical toddler in the terrible 2 discovery stage. He has never used gestures, doesn’t point to things or clap, or has never waved. He doesn’t shake his head yes or no. He has been in daycare setting a few times and shows no interest in interacting with other children, he plays alone. His teacher tries to put him with the other kids and he moves. He doesn’t respond at times when his name is called. He will repeat many things. Sometimes he seems def or like he doesn’t hear us, but other times he doesn’t. I know he can hear fine. He has attachments to unusual objects like strings, cords, string cheese to play with, belts. He loves destroying things like turning over his play house, kitchen, and tables, but for fun not when upset. He spins in circles at times and focuses on things hard and gets upset when we try and pull him away. He likes blocks and legos, likes to stack them as high as he can. When he gets upset he kicks doors and the foot of couches. He likes opening and closing doors. He can only count to 3 and only when he wants to. He was a little later in learning to talk but does say many things now, in sentences. But mostly likes to repeat instead of respond. He recently saw a new pediatrician and she immediately recommended we have him tested for autism because she said he displays some unusual behaviors like focusing on the stool she was sitting on, he played with it entire visit. My husband doesn’t think it’s anything to be concerned about because he is learning, and thinks he is too young for an accurate disgnosis. Should I be concerned and should I ignore him and have him tested?
Definitely get him evaluated. He’s exhibiting a number of red flags for autism. He may be on the milder end of the spectrum, but being proactive, especially about his gut health could be extremely helpful for the long term.
Hi,
Thank you for your feedback.
Get him tested it doesn’t hurt! I had a lot of the same worries when my son was 18 months. He is not on the spectrum just has a speech delay diagnosis. But I got help early on and it has done wonders for him!
I have been confused about some of my sons behaviors. He is 2 and a half. He can count to 15 and knows his alphabet, colors, shapes ect. He has always been a good communicator of his needs and speaks in 3 and 4 word sentences. But he does have some odd interests. It used to be mailboxes and telephone poles. His favorite thing was to go to the mailbox and hug the pole. He would even stand and watch the mailbox from the window. Now that has passed. He went a few weeks with no odd interests but then started in with fans and loving fans. His other obsessions are trains, airplanes, trucks, and tunnels (which are more normal interests than poles and mailboxes thankfully) but sometimes I wonder if his interest is more of an obsession. It’s still a head scratcher though, because don’t kids get obsessions and enjoy familiar things? Isn’t that a universal toddler trait. He also used to get attached to certain books and would want to read the same page over and over. That passed in a couple of weeks and he moved on to a new favorite book. Normal, or no?
Yes, at that age children DO learn by repetition, so it is natural for them to get what an adult would call an obsession. As long as it doesn’t last for an extended period it is normal. It sounds like he’s doing fine.
Forgot to me mention he is obsessed with taking things out such as makeup or perfumes or boxes or anything that he sees , he takes everything out and tries putting things back in order and he would repeat this for hours if i dont intervene and stop him and then it ends up in a tantrum . Reading more and more about autism I am seriously getting scared .
Hi ,
I am usually not the concerning type of mom bur lately my 18 month old is changing slightly . His behaviour and his tantrums are getting totally out of control .
From past 6 weeks he has began to do things repeatingly , he would spend hours playing with pots and pans take them out put them back in and out and in again , not a great sleeper or a great eater . I have to distract him in order to get anyhing down his mouth . He loves teasing me or i dont know but lately he has become obsessed with turning the tv switches on and off, he sees them on and boom runs and truns it off again and it carries on for ages , if stopped or taken away he would cry his eyes out on the floor . He is mastering his pointing game with us recently and these days he points and he wants that thing , if not given he would cry for hours and eventually me and my husband we give in .He uses dummy and a comfort blanket to sleep but from last few weeks he has become obsessed with them he takes them everywhere if he doesnt see the blanket or he dummy its a tantrum . He has to take it to shower , toilet , anywhere even when we are traveling . Please let me know if i should be concerning .
Amna,
It’s quite possible that you should be concerned, but it’s impossible to know from your description. Children do engage in repetitive behaviors while they are learning. They also pick up on the attitudes around them and may do things specifically to get a rise out of their parents. They will also repeat any behavior that has been successful for them in the past. If you consistently refuse to back down because of a tantrum and he still continues them, then it may mean that there is a more biological origin for the tantrums. It may be worthwhile getting an evaluation, but it would almost certainly be worthwhile investigating some easy medical interventions that could make an important difference for your family. Books such as Almost Autism, by Maria Rickert Hong, and Outsmarting Autism, by Patricia Lemer, can give you a very good grounding in the basics of the sorts of medical conditions that may be playing into your child’s altered behavior.
hi I have a 30 month old grandson who say no words……not mom not dad not up not down nothing!! he does not babble like a normal toddler learning to talk he grunts…sometimes lately a sound like word may come out and we question if it was a yes or a no or up but it’s random….He is super smart…knows most of his (alphabet can point to them) all his colors loves other children and ppl just started making eye contact recently…He does have repetitive behaviours but we have no trouble taking him from it if we feel he has been doing it to long..Hes a great sleeper loves going to bed on his own..eats good not rambunctious he’s pretty chill for a boy…copies and interacts well with us..He can paint a wall lay down flooring shovel a step sweep and do chores better than any teenager i know these days..does not like anything sticky will not touch it ..if there is a hair on his cup he will not drink from it..BUT WILL NOT TALK!!! what is it you can see here im so confused………
oh did i mention loves to give kisses and cuddle and hugs…very affectionate
Hi my son is 18 months old. He is a happy boy that loves cuddles, peekaboo, sharing things with me and people. When we go to a park he has no problem walking up to strangers (adults or kids) to get there attention. He is very smart in figuring out things on his own. There are a few things that worry me however that point to autism. He doesn’t speak yet. He babbles all day but no words other then dada (not directly). He also doesn’t use any hand gestures yet. If he wants something he will try to get it himself. When I call his name most of the time he doesn’t respond to me. He has mild repetitive behaviors. Like putting things in a basket and taking them out. There is a little flapping and spinning (just started) behavior. He is getting a hearing test done and I am waiting for the speech therapy to start (doctor recommended). should I be worried? Or am I just over thinking it. I am a first time mom.
I would get a jump on things myself. Start reading, Outsmarting Autism, by Patricia Lemer, Almost Autism, by Maria Rickert Hong, and Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, by Kenneth Bock, can get you going.
My daughter is 25 months old. She seems to have all these signs. She definitely does things repeatedly. .opening and shutting refrigerator doors, climbing couch jumping down on her butt,repeat repeat repeat, jumping on her butt on bed..repeat repeat repeat. Turning around in circles till she falls. She has terrible melt downs where she throws her self on the floor and kicks and throws her head back..She’s already hit her head on the cement floor twice, and head banged me several times tossing her head back. She throws cups, toys, golf balls when upset..she has insomnia, very hard to get her to bed and wakes up 4-5 times a night..She’s not talking yet says maybe 5 words but not clear..I’m worried she’s going to cause harm to herself with her tantrums and hyperness. .She’s very hyper. She does tumbles and has fallen off the bed twice..again everything she does is repeatedly
Please get an evaluation from early intervention done as soon as possible. The sooner you do it, the sooner she can receive any necessary therapies. Good luck!
My son is 24 months. He’s obsessed with remotes and for eg pausing tv and restarting the theme tunes on his favourite programme over and over. When I take remote away I get the tantrum. He used to open and close doors but has moved away from that. He’s also very shy at nusery. This has brought him on and it seems to take him a while to warm up around other children. Is this toddler behaviour or cause for concern
Kind regards
Geoff
It’s hard to know for sure, Geoff. If it’s the only red flag you’re seeing, it could be that your son is simply shy and doing developmentally appropriate repetition. I would read our other blogs on red flags and see if you note any other issues. If this is the only one, I would remain watchful but not worried.
Thank you will keep an eye out on any other behaviour
I have a 17 month old son who has some repetitive characteristics but I don’t know if I’m being overly paranoid or if I have reason for concern. He is a happy boy who smiles shares wants me to be involved in his play, likes other children, and has 9 words and sounds he uses in context. But he will repeat one word over and over and over. Usually “wow” as he points to something he finds interesting although he looks at me to make sure I’m looking too. He likes to open and close doors, he flaps his hands when excited or angry, has been scratching the top of his head, recently started to spin in circles and then laugh about how dizzy he is. I read that those can all be red flags but are they typical or normal toddler behavior or is it really red flags I should be getting looked at? None of his behaviors are ritualistic though, he doesn’t NEED to do anything but will get upset and whine until redirected if say I take a container and lid he was playing with away from him.
Hi. I have a 16 month old little girl who I’m extremely worried about. She can literally sit for hours in one spot, barely blinking or moving. If she does move while sitting still she is scratching at her knees or feet while looking straight ahead. She also only says 2 words “hi and dada”. Mostly when speaking everything is dada even when introducing new words and working with her. She is very particular in her routine and when it’s interrupted she has huge fits such as forcing herself to poop or crying. Just yesterday at naptime she cried the full 3 hours none stop, most kids after the 10 minutes would connect that mommy and daddy aren’t coming in to get me and go to sleep but not her she will literally continue to cry repeatedly. With any toy she plays with she will do the same things with it as far as stacking or lining them up and she separates her food also. Should I be concerned or am I just going crazy? She isn’t walking, she isn’t talking besides those 2 words and she doesn’t interact with her peers! I seriously need answers on this one. Her doctor said by 18 months we should seek evaluation for her but I think she’s sugar coating the concerns we have.
Given what you’ve described, you should DEFINITELY seek evaluation — and soon. However, there is a lot you can do before the evaluation happens. The best overall guide is Outsmarting Autism, by Patricia Lemer. She guides you through what you need to know to get quality help for your child and not waste your time and effort on things that won’t help.
Thank you so much for your quick input. This is exactly what i need but how do i go about all this with her doctor? When you ask her to wave at people she does and she will even seek attention by saying hi to strangers? Normally when you hear of autism you hear of children not doing that but I’ve been hinting towards autism for awhile now I’ve just had no one taken me seriously. How do I break this to her father who is in complete denial at a lot of these red flags? Her emotional responses are not that of a typical child, she never truly smiles and she laughs at times but it’s more forced as if she knows we are watching her so she throws us a bone here and there. Are there any resources on how to really get him on board?
My son is 16 months and he has far fewer signs compared with your daughter. I contacted my health visitor who popped round immediately and referred him for language and speech assessment. My son seems highly intelligent yet hasn’t even started babbling yet except mama but never in context. Maybe you could try your health visitor. Good luck
My daughter is 18m months old, i am a single father and i have raised her alone since she was 5 months. every since i can remember my daughter has a few repetitive behaviors. Since she has been able to sit up on her own she has rocked back and forth. She will sit on the couch and throw herself back as if she is bouncing off a vertical trampoline. she bounces her back off the back cusion of the couch and gets thrown forward kinda like a trampoline on her back but sitting stationary on her butt. she does this for hours if she could over and over watching a movie. she does it in her high chair, booster chair anything that is soft on her back. She also repeats the same words over and over all the time. “daddy” “daddy” “daddy” “daddy”. Im very concerned. If anything its getting worse. She was also a preemie. Almost 5 weeks early but went right home never stayed in the nursery.
There is probably some reason for your concern. Do yourself a favor and read Outsmarting Autism by Patricia Lemer NOW. Follow her suggestions and your daughter will be healthier no matter what issues she may currently have. Good luck!
My son is 16.5 months old. He is obsessed with lids anc containers. If he sees a milk carton he wants it so he can screw and unscrew the lid, he also likes a hair wax container mainly because he likes to screw and unscrew the lid. Anything with lids on caintai era he likes to use. He doesnt have repetitive behaviors other than opening and closing the door in our bedroom but it’s not something he always has to do, when he was 13 months old I took him to a play house for kids and he was obsessed with a toy house and opening and closing the door I found that odd but we didn’t go back there, he has a playhouse at home but he doesn’t play with the doors on it. I’m not sure if this behavior is something I should watch out for or if he’s mastering a skill.
As long as the obsessions are short-lived and giving way to new obsessions when he has them mastered, then it is probably developmentally appropriate. Children do repeat activities while they are mastering them. In toddlerhood, it can be difficult to tell when the repetition is truly an issue for this reason.
I have an 18 month old son who knows over 30 words, 24 out of 26 ABC’s, shares, plays, and acknowledges me in all he does. I have taken the MCHAT test and has indicated “no cause for concern for autism”.
My question is whether his fascination with walking alongside edges and patterns alone is something I should worry about. When indoors, I sing a song to him while he’s doing this and often stops to finish the last word of the song and smiles. While alone outdoors, he will often ignore me.
Should I be concerned about this behavior? He’s my only child and youth make sure everything is okay. 😌
That does not sound to me like cause for concern at least for now. Children at that age can get very focused upon what it is that interests them to the exclusion of other input. If your child shares, plays, and acknowledges you, this isn’t a problem.
Try to turn your energy away from “worry” and toward doing things that promote a robust constitution and neurological system. Feed your child good food, avoid unnecessary “preventive” medical treatments, and feed your child’s mind.
My son is now 24 months and is not only following lines and looking to the side but also looking at objects from different angles. I feed him organic foods and have just started him on cod liver oil.
An evaluation has been made by both psychologist and occupational therapist and have diagnosed him with ASD. He has visual stimulation throughout the day but he is still progressing in language, social interaction, and learning. He knows about 200 words, sings to about 10-12 songs, knows 10 colors, counts to 20 and knows his abc’s.
I am terrified at the thought of him getting worse. In your experience and everyone else on this blog, how effective is therapy and will it effect his future? He is my only child and I’m very distraught.
Let me give you a little gentle, but hard-won advice. Do all you can for your son (who sounds like he’s doing quite well for someone diagnosed so young), but do it because you love him and want to give him every opportunity, not because you are terrified of him “getting worse.” Our children feel that energy of fear, but they are not developed enough to understand that it isn’t THEM that we fear, but something HAPPENING to them. They internalize the fear and can sometimes fulfill it because they actually feel that it is what they are “supposed to” do. One thing that we know for sure is that every child reacts to every sort of intervention in their own unique way. A child down the street may have the same issues, but may react to completely different interventions. You will have to watch him and see what is working and what isn’t. If it doesn’t help, don’t despair. There are many approaches that can accomplish the same general goals. For a really good grounding in some of the things that can be very effective, it’s a great idea to read Outsmarting Autism by Patricial Lemer. Your son has a VERY good headstart on these issues already. There is great potential for him to lose the diagnosis if you don’t get set into an attitude of terror. ENJOY this time with your son. (A great book that can show you the value of this is Son-Rise by Barry Neil Kaufman.)
Thank you so much. I am trying my very best to not show my despair to him. I love him dearly and as an older mom, I fear he will have difficulty as an adult.
He is extremely smart and am grateful for my miracle boy. I will fight with everything I can for him to get better.
Thank you for the advice and your book referrals. I will definitely purchase them.
It’s one thing to not show despair and another to not be feeling it. It will go so much better for both of you if you can transcend the fear. I’m going to recommend something that may help you to release that fear. It’s a technique that uses the principles of acupressure called EFT (for Emotional Freedom Technique). There’s a book and a film called The Tapping Solution, both by Nicholas Ortner, which makes it very easy to apply. I can personally say that I have released much of my fear for my kids through that technique. Good luck!
My daughter is 13 months and has a few repetitive behaviours. She always has to close doors, when sitting she’ll spin round in circles (usually 2 or 3 times), certain toys she’ll press a button over and over again to hear a phrase. Yesterday I witnessed her turning a toy off with right hand and immediately on with left hand. She done this about 20 times. She doesn’t like other kids getting too close to her. She’s not walking yet and is nowhere near walking. When holding her up to stand on her legs she’ll only do it for about 5 seconds before she’ll let her legs go from under her. She really doesn’t like being on her feet. She seems to have good understanding when you talk to her. She does make eye contact. And she does like laughing at her older brother who’s 5. Maybe I’m just overly worried and some of the behaviours are normal for her age.
Repetitive behaviors CAN be developmentally appropriate if she is learning a skill. If it seems like a ritual she MUST do, however, that could be a warning sign. The walking thing may not be an issue. Some kids do walk late. Keep an eye on her, but in the meantime there are things you can do to minimize the possibility of problems down the road. Good, high quality, organic food is important. If she has ANY digestive issues, get them addressed. Probiotics, enzymes, a product called Restore, can all be helpful in this regard. You might also want to supplement with fish oils with provide EPA and DHA for the developing brain as well as helping to bring down any inflammation that may be happening. Steer very clear of acetaminophen or paracetamol as it may be called where you are, and avoid antibiotics if at all possible. If you are still vaccinating, do not do so blindly. Seriously consider each one, especially if they contain aluminum.
Thank you for your reply. Now that you’ve explained it like that it doesn’t seem like a ritual she has to do. It is so difficult to know for sure. Will keep an eye on her. She still has some vaccinations to get. You hear so much about vaccinations that’s it’s hard to know which side to believe. Found out recently that’s she’s lactose intolerant so she’s now on soya milk.
I urge you to get the new book The Vaccine-Friendly Plan. It’s written by Dr. Paul Thomas who starts the book off with a poignant story about his childhood friend in Zimbabwe who died from complications with measles. He BELIEVES in vaccines, but he’s a smart man and actually studied a great deal of the science and the plan he advocates is MUCH likelier to keep kids reasonably healthy. I would recommend getting genetic testing before you go any further. MTHFR mutations as well as others that can affect a child’s ability to detox are important markers to pay attention to. Good luck!
I have a 2 year old grand daughter whom I think has some traits of autism. I have tried discussing this with my daughter (her mother), but to no avail. She thinks there’s nothing wrong with her and is just slow in talking and spoiled. She can say maybe a dozen words, very few 2 word combos, mostly grunts and has this chatter “ticka ticka ticka” that she does rather than tries to talk. Does not like to be around other people other than me and her parents. If you put her in a room with other kids (my other grandchildren), she screams until she can get back with me or her parents. Her play is repetitive. She’ll do the same thing over and over, in the same order, until you distract her with something else. She just started turning in circles, but will stop when she finds out it makes her dizzy. I would love to get some advice on how to handle this situation since my daughter doesn’t think she has a problem.
*sigh* It may not be QUITE autism, but it’s likely that an evaluation for Early Intervention is in order. I’m going to see if I can get you some advice from some autism moms on how it might have been best to approach them…
Thank you so much…
A friend suggested putting the child in a toddler program like music, or dance, or gym. It’s often eye-opening for a parent to see the child with neurotypical peers. Kids vary a lot in their development, but it’s easy to see yours is significantly behind when you’re in a program like that.
Still trying to get more input…
great article! anyone have any advice on telling a good friend that her child has these red flags without having them freak out? TIA
I really enjoyed your article. I found it very informative.
Reading through this article brings a few homeopathic remedies to mind, including Zincum and its salts, Kali Bichromicum, for example. If anyone is reading this and sees their child in your description, call a classical homeopath! Homeopathy can definitely help!