All three stated that they believed there was more to Nicholas than just speech delay and acknowledged that he had autistic characteristics. Nicholas was also attending an early intervention school (for his delayed speech), so I called and met with his two teachers and the manager of the program. Both teachers expressed concern with his behaviour and when I mentioned the word autism they both nodded their heads and expressed that he was showing autistic characteristics. I made an appointment and spoke with his two teachers. Nicholas however was making an unusual sound “ahh, ahh” and just kept repeating it over and over again while rocking back and forth. All the children sat in a circle quietly listening to the teacher read a story. One day I was early to pick him up and sat and watched him through the window. We convinced ourselves that Nicholas was fine (children develop at different rates) and continued with our lives as normal.Ī few months later Nicholas began two year old kinder (early learners) at the local Montessori. Overall he just seemed to be in his own worldįor a few days our world felt like it was torn apart.He was obsessed with light switches and power cords… He’d sit for hours with a power cord if we let him.Nicholas had no imaginary play (actually Nicholas did not “play” at all).We could rarely sit and read him a story. He verbally stimmed (would repeat a single word over and over and over).He would often be constipated (alternating with diarrhoea).He had a dazed/drunk look in his eyes like he was drugged.He often appeared deaf and would not respond to us calling his name.He sometimes walked on his toes and flapped his hands (especially when excited).Of the few words he did have, he had lost most of them (e.g.Nicholas had delayed language development (only used a few single words at the age of two).
With shock we read the symptoms of autism and Nicholas had most of them. Nicholas’s dad and I had no knowledge of autism and went straight home and Googled it. He mentioned the word autism, but explained that he was too young for any diagnosis. Around the age of two Nicholas’s doctor expressed concern with his development. Before then he seemed to be progressing ok a little delayed in a few areas but nothing to be really concerned about. Alarm bells didn’t really sound for me until Nicholas was around two years old.
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