Hey Friends, here's how we can support you, and how you can support us ❤ Get our Free Book - www.7-ahead.com/freebook Join our ASD Club - www.7-ahead.com/asdclub Apply for One-On-One Coaching - www.7-ahead.com/autismblueprintapplication
@@teresahershey7273 that is hard to tell, but they can learn to communicate in some form, but what I would suggest is to talk to them, like explain to them what you are doing or what they are watching or what you see etc... and take them out and to different activities even if you take them to a park and have them watching kids play. They will learn from watching kids play and communicate.
I really appreciate your videos! I watched a video of yours for the 1st time about a year and a half ago when I thought that my daughter might be on the spectrum. She was not even 12 months yet at the time. She was later diagnosed at 18 months. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and being an advocate for what neurodiversity looks like! You’re awesome!
it's so nice to see this as an autistic adult and be able to remember times in my own childhood when i obsessed over the feeling of hair or paintbrushes on my face, and how i slept between my mattress and the wall so frequently as a child.
Parents are going to see this and think "oh my goodness my child has autism!" Tip toes, self stimming, being shy, putting things in mouth are all totally typical signs of development. Plus, every child develops at a different pace and many of these things are phases. I'm all for early intervention but I think parents can be....trigger happy when it comes to wanting to diagnosis something right away. Or comparing your two children as a means to labeling and finding that reason as to "why" they're different. They're different because they're different people🤷🏼♀️. I really do comment with the most respect as I have experience and passion for individuals with ASD and parents🩵 but this video was somewhat alarming, and I really don't want parents to overreact if their child isn't like the older child, or their child self stims, etc. We all self stim lol (heck we're all on the spectrum). I had to bring this point to the conversation though. I do mean well🩵.
Thank you for commenting. You are probably right, there will be many who will over react and get their kid tested and it will turn out that they aren’t Autistic, but for every person who does that, there will also be a parent who sees for the first time that their kid may have autism and they get tested and they actually are. So I feel it’s worth it, to share still, hopefully it doesn’t cause too much anxiety for parents of neurotypical kids, but there are so many parents who just don’t see the signs and miss that window of early intervention opportunity, simply because they don’t know what to look for. And I love that you said, “heck we’re all on the spectrum” I totally agree. ❤️
Actually no, we are not all on the spectrum, that’s a sound bite of equal value to “oh what genius super skill does ur autistic child have?” Imho any parent with an autistic child will watch this and may notice one or more up to all 12 of these indicators. My neurotypical child ticked 2 of these signs but not ‘consistently’ which is the key word. ‘Trigger happy for a diagnosis’ also belittles the stress and sleepless nights and yes most definitely comparing your children to their siblings that parents go through even considering if their beautiful, amazing, perfect child may not actually be neurotypically perfect. Parents need to listen to their intuition, absolutely compare their child (that is how a diagnosis is reached) become informed (like watching this video) and absolutely seek professional medical advice at the earliest opportunity. Excellent video btw such a lovely family.
Thank you. ❤️ When I said, I agree that we’re all on the spectrum what I meant was that all of us can, and should try to relate to people who are autistic and not treat them as if they’re that different. We are all human. When I look at my kids, I see a lot of myself in them and even they’re autistic traits. 😊 I was just trying to be inclusive.
As an autistic adult, you’re undermining the importance of early diagnosis. No, a lot of those things are not neurotypical normal development. Telling parents they are trigger happy because they want to make sure their child is properly getting the services they need early so they don’t spend their whole life misunderstood that VERY HORRIBLY affects their own self worth and mental health is harmful. If I was diagnosed early on then maybe I wouldn’t have had so many moments in my life of wanting not to live anymore. Maybe if my parents had “jumped the gun” I would have understood myself better and people around me would have been more tolerant, more accepting, and I could have received the coping skills needed of being autistic in a world not meant for me. Plus, it is also insulting that you look at early signs and say, “Oh that’s alarming” like being autistic is a bad thing. No, gaslighting autistic and autistic families looking for answers is the only alarming thing.
One thing to note for parents with girls is that they present differently to boys. My son was developing normally until 18 months. Talked early but then started gesturing instead of talking and started lined things up. He also constantly chews things, he is a prolific drawer and could read and write early. My older daughter was flagged for ADHD when my son was diagnosed but when we went through the testing they instantly asked how long she had an accent. Apparently this was a symptom no one picked up on, all the sensory issues though we missed like not liking nails cut, hair brushed or not liking any tooth paste flavour all signs we missed. We also missed that she was using her intelligence to mask problems she couldn't work out. She read and wrote early but the masking was the main thing with her. She would hold it all together all day but lose it at home because masking and overthinking all day was exhausting. She also mimics people when she doesn't know what to do in a situation. My youngest is also showing signs but like her sister and her brother is reading and talking early. She is showing signs of both of my older kids. She lines up things like my son and collects random things and sleeps with them a bit like how you had pictures of your son. She plays with toys by grouping them but then walks away rather than playing with them. I also find random things in random places like socks etc.
Is reading and writing early always a sign of autism? My child has speech (language delay) and started reading early around 3 years of age and writing around 3.8 (self learnt). No sensory issues
Love love love this video. Thank you so much for sharing!! My daughter is almost 5 and has been diagnosed with moderate autism. I’m learning EVERYDAY to understand her. All the best
My son would run or gallop as we called it back and forth through the house all the time when he was little. He didn't sleep well so he'd do it late at night. We lived in a mobile home park at the time and our neighbors thought their house was haunted😂 He's 18 now and still does it sometimes but only a few laps at a time.
My son had some of the autistic traits but not all of them (for example, he was very obsessed with items or activities to a point that it's painful to watch). There wasn't as much of awareness of autism when he was a toddler. He did have a lot of problems communicating and socializing with people growing up. He got in trouble at school when he didn't listen to instructions when he was little. His psychiatrist when he was in late teen didn't think he was autistic. Just extremely introverted and had other issues. He was diagnosed with ADHD later when he was in his mid 20s. It was difficult and required a lot of patience dealing with him. It is God's grace that he is a healthy, intelligent and responsible young man now in his late 20s. I can't imagine how difficult it is to deal with multiple autistic kids (and kid with ADHD).
@@7Aheadfamily Thank you🥰 We are doing very well. I just want to say that you are an awesome mom and I also wish the very best for you and your family!!!
Hey! I have adhd and wasn’t diagnosed till I was 17. I’m 25 now withy my first baby. I hope he doesn’t have it because it is very hard to learn with different brain chemistry but I’m sure your son is doing awesome! Adhd people may get attached to things and obsess over things but they are some of the most fun people!
my grandson hates taking pictures and comes out trying to run away or looking down on all of them. He is seven and I'm sure he has autism. I hope my son and daughter in law get him the help he needs. Thank you for the video. it was very helpful.
Nice videos! I appreciate how you talk about the topic in a healthy way! ❤ I am also autistic, but officially diagnosed as an adult. In France, we are late in terms of autism diagnosis and proper knowledge. In my family, we are 3 out of 4 siblings on the spectrum. My brother and I are 2e, my sister has also ADHD (ADHD came first) and my other brother is supposedly NT ("supposedly" because for small things, we share similarities). Now we are all adults, still with challenges at times but what I can say is that... This idea of light/heavy autism, is BS. Especially if used to predict how much one can achieve or learn "despite autism" looking at a child. Often, development can be surprising. According to my mother, I was the most socially challenged at the age of your kids. She had to fight to keep me at school in early childhood. All you describe, except the physical development and independence was similar to your eldest son. Today, I have a job and live by myself, though socially, I am still a work in progress. For my other siblings with ASD? Soon leaving home (one working as a cook and the other on his way to study computer sciences).
Thanks for your videos. I have a 9YO autistic daughter, and I'm watching your videos to see if there are any signs of autism in her two younger brothers (I'll have to put in a concerted effort to test and observe them). However, what I find striking is how many of the signs I remember doing as a small child (I have some very early memories, including stimming with my mother's hair on my face, rubbing my face on her rabbit fur coat, and rubbing my face on the wool of my sheepskin - even now I tend to stim by "beard stroking" whether I'm bearded or shaven). I haven't been diagnosed, but out of curiosity, in the last few days I've done some online tests, and every one of them points to needing to be tested by a professional. If only 40+ years ago there was the awareness of ASD as there is now! Anyway, apparently, one of the things my mother would do to occupy my mind as a very young child was to stick a piece of adhesive tape to one of my fingers, and it would keep me occupied for quite a while, taking it off one finger, only to find it stuck to another. Apparently, I was a very easy child to raise, which resonates with what you've said in at least one video. The info you're giving has turned out to be just as useful for a man in his late 40s as it is for children. What an unexpected surprise!
Walking on tippy toes, wearing his clothes inside out, only liking certain fabric feels, and the list goes on. It's been a wonderful adventure, and I've learned a whole new "language". He is almost 13 now.
Thank you for sharing this, it was really informative :) I love how you showed us the comparisons between the behaviors and the levels of autism present and made the point that some of the behaviors may also be exhibited mildly in neurotypical kids. Bless you and your lovely family
Thank you so much for commenting and watching the video. 😊 We’re glad it was helpful. We’ll be doing a live stream this Friday with question and answer if you want to join. 😊
I think this is an excellent video especially for those who cringe at the thought that their child may be autistic. As a teacher we shldnt talk much we simply hv to send videos to those in denial. I'm proud of you. You took everything in stride and can teach us..❤❤❤
Your family is awesome, currently going through the process of getting my 2 and a half year old assessed, we can relate so much so your videos because my son is a perfect blend between both Ezra and Simon and after watching so many of your videos I suspect an outcome of level 2 autism but ill leave that for the professionals to decide when the times right but I wouldn't change him for the world.
my son never was a container baby-he hated the usual bouncy toys and walkers and his car seat, right from the hospital, but he sleeps between my husband and i and he sleeps all night. He is a sensory seeker for sure and I would say that 7/10 times hes not looking at the camera, either because of his autism or because of moms excellent camera skills!
I bet you have great camera skills! That is so great that he sleeps all night co-sleeping. Thank you so much for sharing. All these precious kids are so different from each other, it’s so good to share.
Sorry, this is the same person again but I am happy to know that there are different levels of autism my grandson. I believe is more on the mild side like Simon but I’m very happy that you’re sharing all this information. Thanks again
Hello from the United Kingdom. My six year old son has autism and it's looking likely that our youngest twin also has asd. Possibly both also have ADHD. Our son didn't really speak until he was 5. He babbled a lot before he was about 14 months and then nothing. We turned to ABA when he was four and within 12 months it changed everything for us. He still stims, mouths inappropriate things (crayons are banned in this house), collects random things, lines up stuff, is sensory seeking etc, but he is the most loving little man, we adore him and everything we do is for our kids. Our daughter was still a late talker, but was speaking at two years old. She doesn't do the joint attention thing and her social skills are lacking. We're working on it though. I just wish there was more understanding from other people. She is a very physical and loud child, always climbing on things and people, but again she is incredibly loving and funny. It's exhausting and relentless, but I love my little family with every fibre of my being. I just wanted to share.🙂
Being a mom of child with ASD 1, I wish I knew these signs sooner. My daughter was diagnosed at age 17… looking back at all of these signs 🙈 she had all of them! I didn’t know what to look for, but I also just parented according to her needs. My poor girl suffered with masking for years . I’m happy to say that today, she no longer masks and we both have a better understanding of her needs. Thank you for this ♥️
@@radiancecarmen5712 when she was little she didn’t make good eye contact. She was super smart early; singing the alphabet song at 14 months. Her first word at 7months. She lined up her toys, she put them all back in the exact spot that she found them. She walked in circles. She didn’t like hugs from anyone but me. She hated being tickled. She needed her food to not touch. She hated certain lighting. Food textures bothered her. She wore her socks inside out because of the seam on the toes. She asked a TON of questions like “why is red used for stop and green is for go “ at age 4. She was reading at 2nd grade level at age 3. So many things. I just thought she was bright and had some quirks. For her ticks ( or stem) she rubs her hands, shakes them or makes fists. She is a picker too. She hears music in color ( synosteshia )… her diagnosis is ASD 1, ADHD, Anxiety disorder, sensory disorder, visual sensory and she has a defect in her left eye that requires prisms in her glasses. I hope this helps 🥰
Thank You for this info. My sisters grandson was diagnosed with Autism. He is 3 1/2 yrs. You just showed me that no eye contact, not smiling for th camera was associated with autism. I didn’t know. His twin brother will be tested soon. He had been trying to eat wood and plastic. Both when they were just walking would walk on their tippy toes. I think that was a sign. The boy with autism is being schooled threw the state. I will continue to follow you so I may understand autism. Thank You and God Bless you and your family.
Holly and Adam just an add on I guess from the tight spaces reference, do Ezra and/or Simon crave compression like with a weighted blanket or vest? I just mention this as it is also another atypical sign. Anyway, it was a great bullet point overview of what is an incredibly complicated and wide ranging subject. I think your complete family unit is awesome and that is how God created y’all. You are such amazing, caring and patient parents.
Thank you so much. Ezra and Simon both love to wrestle and be tickled and enjoy hard compressions, but they don’t keep blankets on them. I assume they may like the weighted blanket when they get older.
Yeah you guys are absolutely brilliant!! both as parents and intellectually. The way you guys have observed and understood your kids is amazing! This list is crazy good and I think even when you mentioned the tight spaces it goes in hand with the compression aspect. My nephew has so many of these signs!
Fascinating, thank you! I highly suspect I'm on the spectrum as well. I don't think I used to eat things that aren't food because my sense of taste doesn't seem to be that strong but I definitely had to smell everything! I had to go to the hospital once because I inhaled a lego.^^
omg the mommy’s hair is on point 😂 my daughter might be on the spectrum but hasn’t been diagnosed yet since she’s under 2 but we already have an idea that she might be. She still is unresponsive to her name and she absolutely LOVES my hair in particular 🥲
Thank you for sharing. Happy you felt the video was helpful. I am sitting on our couch in the living room going through our comments and My son, Simon is playing with hair right now. He’s smelling it! 😀
Thank you for this very interesting video. When our grandson was two years old our daughter started saying he was autistic and we were thoroughly confused. She claimed the doctors were suggesting this. They supposedly said he was "behind in his speech" but he spoke clearly and in complete sentences. As a matter of fact, we thought he was advanced in his speech. (We have three children and I used to work in daycare, in the toddler room, so I've heard many children learn to speak.) Then she said he "wouldn't climb on things", but when he came to our house he would run right outside, climb the slide and go down it all by himself. The last "symptom" she gave was that he didn't like being sprayed in the face with water. Our answer was, "Who in the world likes to be sprayed in the face with water?!" I also wanted to ask HOW did you find out he doesn't like being sprayed in the face, because she tends to be on the cruel side, but didn't ask because she was already upset that we were challenging her. A few months later she completely cut ties with us for about two and a half years because we kept saying we didn't believe he was autistic. We didn't see the grandkids that entire time. I guess I should point out that we had already suspected she had Munchausen disorder until she had her daughter, then suddenly all her problems miraculously left, but there was always something "wrong" with our granddaughter. After her son was born, both she and her daughter were fine, other than our granddaughter having ADHD--which she definitely does, just as her mother, and grandfather do--but our grandson supposedly had/has all sorts of things wrong with him, which gives us reason to believe she might have Munchausen by Proxy. Our grandson had/has NONE of these behaviors you listed. He just turned six two days ago and he does have severe emotional issues and is very violent, but their home is also incredibly toxic. We've only recently learned just how toxic. (They've only been back in our lives for the last year, and we've been cut out again for communicating with her ex-boyfriend.) Last month she left the children with their father, who is just as terrible to the kids, full-time and moved into her own place without them. Before she moved I was on the phone with her while she was driving and she was telling me about the new apartment she found. She said that she told the kids' father that she did not want her son to be there, ever. I asked what he said, and she said "He said 'I don't want him either.'" Then it occurred to me that the kids were in the car. I asked her if our grandson was in the car at that moment and she paused for a long time and said, yes but he's on his tablet. (Which means nothing, of course. I believe he heard her.) I just found out from her ex-boyfriend (with whom she had a third child) that she regularly told the older kids they were "stupid" and "worthless", and would slap them in the face all the time. She tried to get CPS to take our grandson (I heard this directly from her), but the father is not willing to give up full custody. Because of the serious emotional issues both kids have, most of the family rarely sees them. Both my husband and I are currently battling cancer and going through chemo (me for the past three years, my husband for the past two years) so there's no way we can take them. Other family members are not in a position to take them, either. As terrible as it sounds, the best thing for these kids right now would be to get away from both parents and go into a good foster home with loving people. It's a very heartbreaking situation. Thankfully her youngest child is in the custody of her father. She just turned one last month and is very happy and well-adjusted. We will do everything we can to make sure our daughter never gets custody of her, or at this point, even unsupervised visitation. Your video has solidified my opinion that my grandson is not autistic. Now I can only pray that he and our granddaughter are rescued from the terrible environment they're in and get the help and love they need before they're damaged beyond repair.
I think the video of your family and insights into possible signs of autism is great. Thank you for sharing your firsthand experiences, heartfelt thoughts, and concerns. VERY HELPFUL! GOD bless your family. Please stay loving and healthy.❤
My grandson is Autistic we noticed it Early and his pediatrician also noticed something was going on....He will be 3 in December and he is the love of my life so sweet he loves to play and he runs all day his favorite thing is a spatula it is in his hands until he falls asleep...And he likes to line up items that are the same size and color...But if you put a toy down with different shapes and sizes he can match them perfectly....He only eats certain things I try with him but he will gag...I feel for him because I love to cook and he is in the kitchen with mom or me when we cook that's where the spatula comes in....lol hugs to your little guys...
@@7Aheadfamily hello my name is Rebecca I wanted to know if you could give some information on potty training your boys.... My grandson will be 3 in December and his mom is having a girl in October and I want to know if you can give some tips so I can help her get him out of diapers..... Thank you so much
Yeah, we probably should do a video on this topic. We were actually looking at doing a collaboration with another TH-cam channel on the subject, so will keep you posted on that. 😊
Thank you! I knew our 4th daughter was less neurotypical than her sisters but the doctor was not overly concerned. She would not eat food. Only nurse. By one year she only ate cheerios and bananas. Nothing else besides nursing. She was late with milestones. Crawled unusual. Walked at 16.5 months finally. She would rather race around in circles in a trike in the house, pace on top toes or line toys up. If she “played” it was often reciting what the characters in a movie did (Cars) for months. She was slow and or late with scissors, handwriting, catching a ball, riding a bike (barely & briefly at age 9) tying shoes (13) showering (13) etc. she is gifted and seemed to learn to mask early. She was missed a few times and finally just before turning 16 last year she was DX something I knew when she was 8 months old. Because of that she got no extra support outside of me. I was blessed to stay home 23 of last 27 years raising our girls. She was blessed to only do 3 days pre-k when the administration sd something was very wrong; she screamed for three hours straight each day! So I began homeschooling. She now does online high school this past school year for 10th grade. I had to write my own curriculum to work around her autism as well as anxiety and ADHD. I wish more people knew the signs and symptoms and doctors were giving more support early on so that people could feel as comfortable as possible. I could go on and on. I feel certain I am on the spectrum too. But at age 45 a psychiatrist said I couldn’t be because I looked at her and I was too old to “help” anyways! It helps to understand yourself & kiddos so you and they do not have to conform to societies boxes and can be comfortable living your way. I do poor with loud sounds, certain textures of clothes or food and strobing lights. I am learning to integrate vs isolate more and adapt new ways like I will be bringing cotton balls AND ear plugs to the first movie we have seen in 13 years tmrw!
My older daughter of my two girls learned to mask at a very young. But she didn’t walk until she was 14 months old. It was the same for my youngest child (also a girl) too. All three of my children are not neurotypical, but all at different levels. My older daughter didn’t actually get diagnosed until she was in her late 20’s and it was because she was curious about if she was. One huge indicator for us was when she needed to complete drivers training in high school. One instructor was so annoyed with her because she was unable to follow his vague instructions while in the vehicle. It took him referring her to a special needs teacher who also taught the driver’s training course to work with my daughter one on one. She finally was able to grasp the concepts she needed. My biggest reason for watching this video is that I’m an early childhood educator. I work with children 12 months to 3 yrs old, and whenever I bring up concerns with my students to my admin they want to explain away my concerns. I just know the sooner I can get my students help the better they will progress. Thanks for this video.
Not sure, I understand, can you explain more? The only way to really find out if someone has autism is to be evaluated by a professional, which we always state in our videos.
It made me sad when you said that Simon learned to do eye contact well. Just because he can do it, doesn’t mean it’s good for him. Wye contact is intense to me, even as an adult, and I’ve been finding ways to do it less because it can be stressful. Also, looking away when talking helps me to think; when I am focused on eye contact, I lose track of the conversation etc. I’m coming from a place of concern, not judgement. Your kids are obviously loved and well-taken care of. ❤
Hey guys, absolutely love this video! Its spot on! I was wondering if you guys have looked into verbal apraxia which is when there's difficulty with the motor speech production. My nephew who has autism, I believe, also has verbal apraxia, though its a bit hairy to distinguish because both conditions make speech difficult. Like is it more severe autism/ nonverbal vs less severe asd with verbal apraxia. But ofc its possible to have both and with therapy more geared towards the apraxia (sometimes they use tools in the mouth so they know how to move their tongue/lips) it possibly could help!
Yes! Ezra was diagnosed with Apraxia of speech when he was 2 years old. And you are right, when we found that out we changed the way we did our speech therapy.
@@7Aheadfamily Oh okay, and Simon? both him and my nephew talk the same way (very eager to speak, can copy inflections/body lang, seem to understand speech, but not quite saying the words all the way😅) so i figure yeah maybe theyre "nonverbal/preverbal" but what about verbal with apraxia ?
Simon hasn’t been diagnosed with Apraxia, but we are definitely keeping that in mind. He’ll start preschool in the fall and we’re excited to see what happens then. Thanks for sharing this with us
Autism too often is missed by parents and pediatricians, let alone EI professionals. I’m an EI professional for over 25 years. ASD has better outcomes with early detection and early treatment. I hope she keeps educating and if parents are concerned, have a discussion. Too often, there is no discussion and the child is the one who misses out.
My son is 5 and was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 and I knew he was autistic before his second birthday. Took me years to get him finally assessed and diagnosed but he did have a speech pathologist and a Developmental Interventionist since 2 & 1/2 which helped initially. I love this video and wish I seen it sooner. ❤
Sounds like you have a very similar story. ❤️ I think you will really like the video that we are going to upload this Saturday as it goes a little more in depth on this story. Thank you so much for watching and Commenting. Much Love
Hi I found your page bc I’m going to be living in an RV with my kiddos.. (6 of them yikes) and myself. I am in awe! I also have one autistic child so far. He’s 4, non verbal level 2 but needs to reevaluated at age 6. My kids are 13,8,5,4,2,1 and I’m going through divorce so my mother in renting me her Rv she has in her house. Was looking at ideas on how to compartmentalize and make it easier to live. Love your page and your kiddos are adorable. I agree with the listed things you mentioned. Watching some of it made me think of my JJ 🥲🫶🏻 thank you for sharing! Totally subscribed!
@@7Aheadfamily yes that’s the first video I watched but the autism thing caught my eye then I kept watching more! Haha. Love how everything looked and well organized. You gave me a bunch of ideas with the sticker tags and names! Haha. Thanks again friend! Like wise
Shaking hands, is more with expression of emotions, kids can’t do it at that age, chewing things…well that’s kids…just from that video sound like my daughter has at least 5 symptoms but no way she is Autistic
That’s good that you see that. Thank you for sharing. Keep in mind my son has all of these symptoms and many more. So we are just trying to be helpful since many parents who don’t know the signs may not recognize autism early on.
Do NOT listen to ANYONE trying to make you feel some way about the wonderful work you are doing for your kids because they are too ridiculous to understand what you are going through! I have three children. One has no issues that we know of, one who is high functioning but on the spectrum with ADHD, and one who is between mid and mild I am working with now (he is two, which is why I found your video looking up things to help him). This is a real thing now. If older generations want to pretend that this is not a thing now, go ahead, just quit acting like this with us. Sure, they were dealing with it too, just there was no label so they think it’s over diagnosis or it’s to please the insurance and medical companies. NO it’s not! We now have a system to govern this, and just because you did not does not mean WE do not see it now where we can help our children succeed! Sorry for the rant, but you’re doing God’s work within your family and to help all of us, and thank you so much! God bless your family! 🙏🏻❤️
😊Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in 3 specific areas. An individual must have struggles in all of these three areas in order to be autistic: social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. So you’re right, a lot of people have many of the signs, but you have to have struggles in all three areas in order to have autism. Hope that makes sense.
@@7Aheadfamilymy whole family is. Some of us have dual ADHD as well. Naturally, since my parents didn't get a diagnosis when young, they didn't know what to look for in my sister and I. It runs in families too.
I showed some of these when I was 2. My dad just found some old videos a couple of years ago. I did a lot of side eyes and not looking at the camera and obsession with just one object. I would also stim by rocking and putting my hands up in fists when I was happy.
My nephew is 3 and showing signs of autism. I’ll share this video with my sister. One thing he does which is refer to himself by name which I think is very cute. He also has rigid behavior, an extreme need for schedule and routine, tons of side eye pictures on the camera, and lots of anxiety.
Love your big family. I get stressed a lot with my 6 year old girl that has autism 😢 I try to be SO PATIENCE but it’s hard for me 😭 but I know we can do it ❤
Thank you for this, I have 3 years old daughter and i have had some suspicions from her behaviours and took her to 2 different psychiatrists and 2 pediatrician until she was 2 and half years old. None of them addressed her symptoms as autism seriously. Only one psychiatrist said it could be ADHD but very litlle chance still. She still have poor eye contact and bad sleep. Altough she improves her social skills, she is still not like neurotypical kids i assume. There is still a question mark on my mind and i keep searching about it. Your channel is really helpful. I compare my girl to your Simon. I think my daughter's traits is even milder than Simon but Simon's eye contact may be better than my daughter.
Thank you so much for sharing!❤️ Sounds like you are doing the right things to get as many opinions as possible! 😊 Keep us posted with your progress. ❤️
I’m in Uk and here they are not so keen to confirm a diagnosis without a couple of years of paediatric consultant involvement, plus speech and language and occupational therapist input. We ‘knew’ our son was different at about 18 months, he hit all his development milestones on target or really early I.e. walking at 10 months then almost overnight changed into a different child. Babbling/early words stopped, no interest in visitors or social engagement, no imaginative play (mouthed every toy and had no concept of the toy’s purpose (I.e. a toy kitchen to pretend making dinner) avoided eye contact, ran up and down room, sleeping pattern changed radically, refused to eat foods he had previously enjoyed, the list goes on! He had his first S and L appointment on his 2nd birthday, (this was after our health visitor had told me our toddler definitely did not have autism because she was watching him and dad rolling a ball backwards and forwards) then he was able to be referred to occ health and paediatric’s but not diagnosed officially until 4 and a half and that was with me aggressively pushing for appointments and insisting he be assessed. Luckily we already had him in an amazing preschool for kids with SEN. It may be similar process where you live? Maybe professionals are reluctant to diagnose at a young age in case they do misdiagnose. Autism traits can mirror or overlap so many other frameworks for diff diagnosis, like FactorX, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, etc. as a stand-alone disorder and the triad of impairments on a spectrum condition must be challenging even for professionals to apply to a child they may only know from a page of A4 medical notes and 1 or 2 consults with mum and the child. My advice would be to keep pushing for a diagnosis and support for your daughter to get the correct diagnosis even if it’s not autism. I kept a diary of sorts which I took to my sons appointments which was a record anything that I thought was significant, partly because I didn’t want to forget anything important and also because I wanted the medical professionals to have as much information as possible. It’s kind of hard for them not to take mum’s concerns seriously when u say, I have never seen him point, he never looks interested in visitors to the home, he does not play with his sister only alongside her, he has stopped x, y, z. I really hope your situation is resolved for you both. Good Luck. ❤️
That is some of the best advice I’ve heard. Where we live some people don’t want to assess kids younger than 2 years old. But after a three month wait list we got a clinical psychologist who really knew his stuff and taught me a lot. Ezra most likely has more than just Autism, we’ll see as he grows up. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
I have a friend with an autistic grandchild. She says one of her favorite things is to climb in Grandma’s bed and use the remote to fold it up like a taco. Yep, she likes tight spaces!
My 17yo will find every right space and sit…. Found him in a laundry hamper the other day. ;) it made me smile. Haven’t found him in the laundry in a few years.
The problem with my daughter is... Therapist I took her to kept saying she was delayed because of being in an orphanage for two years. So we didn't get a real diagnosis until after 7 yrs old. They said she was delayed ... That was it. Grrr. I really thought she did have it ... One doctor said her head was smaller...but never said much more. 🤦😡 Finally in '21 we had her tested and it did show high functioning autism.
I never thought this until my son was in year 3 and his teacher said to me then i picked up signs of it wouldnt change him for the world and my mum dad have always thought i have it 2 but when i was younger autisim wasnt known as much ❤
I love how you guys say "Needs a little more support" rather than "He has less abilities" or "He needs help at all times." It shows us, the viewers, that Autism isn't a disability, it's just an extra ability. That's a message that really needs to be spread, and you guys are doing a great job at that! It makes me happy that Simon and Ezra have parents that support them very well :D
I'm Canadian & a developmental support worker. The words disability & handicapped are politically incorrect. They are developmentally challenged & that covers all be it physically or mentally. They have challenges as do most of us. I supported a woman & she hated being called handicapped. When I started work they were getting rid of a these expressions, as well as mentally retarded. That makes my blood boil. That was 30 years ago. Some people use these names out of ignorance (lack of knowlege) but there are still those that are just plain rude. Autism is definitely a challenge, it's just to what degree. Which this mom explained very well. I have a grandson 14 that is both ADHD & high in the autism spectrum, I have a great nephew 5, that is stage 3 in the autism spectrum & a nephew who 21 who is high in the spectrum as well. Our family recognized the signs & symptom at an early age & had to fight to get a proper diagnosis but in the mean time were working with them at home. My girls were young when I started working with the challenged so they grew up around it & were trained so they could babysit alot of the children I supported.. So many people are in denial. There is no shame in being autistic, most are very intelligent & with support can live & lead productive lives. My 21 yr old nephew who struggled academically is now a heavy equipment operator & making amazing money. There isn't any machinery that he can't fix or operate. He has found his comfort zone. My grandson is entering high school & is involved in a program designed for him, he is going to design video games. He can watch any video game once, play it & beat it. My 5 yr old great nephew who has been diagnosed stage 3 autistic & non verbal has started school & is now starting to say some words, he has a computer he uses to communicate otherwise. SUPPORT is so important. These boys are doing great because their parents recognized it & got proper support. What works for one may not for another. This is where professional support really helps. Support of family & friends is important too. Hats off to this family, they are doing an amazing job. It's very stressful but also very rewarding. I turned 65, 3 yrs ago retired for 6 months & couldn't handle it. I went back to work. I LOVE MY JOB❣️ it's so rewarding. God bless this beautiful family.❤❤😊
Wow, thank you so much for sharing your story and for being so kind ❤️. We are so glad to have you in the community and appreciate your knowledge and perspective on autism. ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily I love watching your family. You've got it together. I'm so proud of you & your hubby. I know some days can be very challenging. Your children are lucky to have such great parents I wish I lived near you, I would be more than happy to do some respite to give you 2 some me time.❤
You are so welcome! It’s so important to get a diagnosis as early as you can, and if the answer is no, that he isn’t Autistic, then it’s really nice to know that too. ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily he's 3 and does everything your Ezra does. We finally got the ball rolling for his assessments, so I believe the next one we'll find out what level he is. He's non verbal, but totally understands what we are telling him. He just started pointing but only in picture books. He is also a big collector of random stuff which we like to call them his treasures Lol!
My baby girl cried a lot. She did not bond with me. She hold her ears around the slightest noise. Eats only dry food . She just starts to copy words at 2 1/2. But uses them outside of context to try and have conversation. However she has super memory. . Very clumsy with her fingers. Obsessed with water book and pencil. She either put toys in a straight line or stock then on each other like a tall building. Love small spaces. Don't engage socially .hits her face and head repeatedly when she is angry.. don't like noise . Etc
I have doctors and therapist ignore my plea about autism with my kid and the usual answer they gave me is that it's unlikely and very rare for a kid to have autism. My kid does literally almost everything Ezra does. So, now I literally took matters into my own hand and sought out private practice to examine my kid to officially diagnose my kid. I'm still just praying my child is just not smart, slow learning, or a late bloomer. I'm convinced my kid has autism. Too many signs.
Yep. I've pretty much grown out of it. It was really bad when I had my school pictures taken. I only had two pictures that actually turned out pretty good.
My parents saw the signs that I was autistic when I was still a baby. But the doctors they went to kept saying that I wasn’t autistic after just one-short test. I was finally diagnosed when I was almost 20 and my parents were like ‘Finally!’. My parents have always tried to understand me, even without a diagnosis, because they could tell right away and didn’t live in denial or tried to force me to be “normal”. They did teach me basic manners and how to take care of myself, which are normal life lessons regardless.
My son is three and I’ve always known but the doctors tried to tell me that he just a toddler but it’s to a point now where I know for a fact now im trying to figure all this out so I can learn to treat it at his comfort! Ty for this video it helped so mich
True, anyone can walk on tippy toes, but we actually dive into this in depth in this video about the numbers of autistic children, who have that tendency to walk on their tippy toes vs Neuro typical child …
My 4 year old autistic daughter has been walking on her tippy toes since she started walking at 8 months old. She walks on them 90% of the time. You can even see where she does it in her shoes, there’s a crease now. My adhd child walks on his too but nothing like my daughter.
Hi. I would see the symptom of being reserved when he does not point to the cake, but once the instruction is given out or asking him, he is able to point. The reason of pointing has to be read carefully, pointing because of informing the only you to see, or pointing for everyone to see or pointing means want it? As in this case, everyone is knowing or sees the cake, this is not the exact situation where pointing is necessarily. He is unsure of the cake is for showing purpose since everyone see it. Though being reserved is more appropriate on adult. As for the tight space on how people sees, I would say is a comfort place. Where sensory stuff can be relaxed. Since he is small, we see it as a tight space. If he is an adult, we called it a room. Who wants to live in a big hall or stadium anyway? In Tokyo or New York or Hong Kong, it is a tight space. Hahaha.
So sorry you are having a difficult time. It is often non easy. That is one reason why we share the videos we do, to bring hope to many. Know you are loved by us and let us know if you need anything. Also, stay tuned next week as we will be announcing some things that may be exciting and helpful to you in the near future.
This made me feel so bad for these children. Focusing on these things on a baby is absolutely ludicrous. Every human is different. It's like you want to find something and when you keep looking, you always find something. 😢 Please stop this.
Just curious, how much of our channel have you watched? I would encourage you to watch the journey from the beginning, and see if you have a change of heart.
@@7Aheadfamily it dose happen I try too pay attention a little more because I have friends that have a way of talking with out talking. I find when some one can make choices and you have a little time pay attention too theme that’s most important part.
I am loving this video ot help me to understand a lot about my two kids that are on the ASD. I love the idea that you and your family is willing to share with us.. ❤❤
We haven’t done one like that yet. We’ve been pretty focused on Autism. The older kids are pretty independent.but that’s a great idea. Thanks for letting us know what you would like to see.
I am a nanny and I am about 70% sure that the 3 year old I am taking care of is on the spectrum… she is verbal but doesn’t keep eye contact super great, she flaps her hands and opens her mouth very wide into an O shape when she’s hyper focused or super excited, she is very scared of changes, she is scared of any unknown noises even if she is the one to make the noise by dropping something, lacks socialization (she prefers to play alone or with only her few trusted adults), very hyperactive behavior especially little bursts of running around
You are in a tricky situation. It all depends on your relationship with the parents. You could bring it up casually, or bluntly, it just depends on how you feel the parents will handle it. Since she is already 3yearsold, she needs early intervention to help her. You may bring that up, first. Say that she could qualify for early intervention, and then a professional would evaluate her. That is funded by the state or city depending on the state. Are you in the US? And most likely the parents need help learning about Autism to help them know how to best support her. But the first natural response for most parents is denial. So they may still be in that stage. Good luck, and let us know how it goes. if they don’t believe you or take you seriously, that is unfortunate for the girl, but don’t be too hard on them. My husband was in denial for an entire year before he came to the fact that Ezra was Autistic. ❤️
Hola tengo un hijo de 5 anos diagnosticado con espectro autismo su pediatra es de Oklahoma city, mi hijo camino al los 13 meses pero empezamos a notar que caminaba de puntitas , se paraba frente al televisor y lo llamábamos por su nombre y el no volteaba como si no escuchará, después lo lleve con su pediatra en el estado de Texas donde vivíamos y me mandó con un especialista pediátrico, no pudimos verla ya que ella murió del covid, también mi hijo no comía muchos alimentos solo los tocaba con sus manitas y si le gustaba probaba, ahora en Oklahoma me están ayudando mucho con el , la maestra dice que es un nino muy inteligente está con otros ninos regulares, ahora come diferentes tipos de comida , le gusta mucho el huevo y el elote , Cherry's, gelatina, naranja , mi pregunta es 7 ahead como Ezra y Simon tienen su rutina para dormir? Gracias!
Parents if they have an autistic child should always know that if they're realizing that there is always the chance he is developing rather more different then you can imagine and if your child develops autism you might wanna seek help from doctor.
You’re right, everyone does develop differently, however, we’ve had three children without autism and two with, and there is a difference, here’s a little bit more about Ezra and Simon’s diagnoses.
Ezra ‘s story… 5 Signs of Autism in Babies th-cam.com/video/_U1G1d0fWU8/w-d-xo.html Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old th-cam.com/video/uGl3bLiDHJg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for making this list. I’m not a medical doctor but I think Simon issues autistic at all. I think he is just super chill and a cool kid. Also, Idk if I missed it but is he verbally?
Simon’s autism is actually hard to see sometimes. Usually it shows when plans change or when something seems unfair to him. He has some high anxiety that we usually don’t really show on the videos. And he is currently nonverbal but we think he will speak.
I knew a kid in school who chewed his pencils all the time, swallowed a quarter once in 5th grade! He grew up never any trouble in school and is a well adjusted adult. Not necessary to label all your kids, let them be who they are.
Thank you for sharing. Sometimes a label isn’t a bad thing though. If it helps others understand and support our kids, and help our kids understand and give grace to themselves. Instead of being afraid to label, we hope to help create a world where labels are a way to increase understanding. ❤️
Simon learned quick by example and lots of repetition. We would point at what he wanted and then he got it. Ezra’s took about a year to learn how to point. We actually took his fingers and put them in a pointing position and had to do it for him for the first little while. Then for several weeks he would do it himself, but he had to concentrate pretty hard. And then once he learned how to do it, he still had to be very motivated to point for us.
I would keep things away from my daughter's reach that she really wanted but where she can see along with other stuff. Initially she would stand there and say mmm mmm. So, I would say if you would point with a finger and tell me which item you want, I would give you. She quickly learnt how to point. She is 5 now and was diagnosed at 3. But, I knew from about 20 months that she was different. She didn't say her words until 2.5 and called me mom only after that. She talk now and asks very clearly what she wants. But she doesn't do any conversations like what happened at school or talk about anything that she saw or learnt that day. She reads very well for a 5 year old and has a remarkable memory.
Most of this sounds like typical baby behavior. My nephew does a lot of these things especially the head shaking and he doesn’t even have autism. I think some people just get too carried away and exaggerate sometimes.
That can happen. I think it’s good to know the signs just in case your child has many of these signs, not just some. The head shake is neurotypical behavior, but Ezra, our son would shake his head for an hour at a time, I think that’s where the difference comes in, it’s the intensity of the behavior or the odd amount, timing or frequency. For example, All kids run around, but our son, Simon, runs every night from wall to wall for so long, sometimes even two hours.
As a mother you would know if your child has Autism. It’s not easy. No one wants their kids to be diagnosed with Autism but it’s easier for kids who actually have them to be diagnosed earlier, They can get the help they need.
When my son, he’s now 25, was very young, one of his stemm’s was chewing. Bottle nipples, pacifiers, sippy cup nozzles, then he started chewing on his shirts.
Wow. I am impressed that you are still breastfeeding. Ezra didn't like to feed on me at all, but Simon loved it. and he was and is such a little snuggle-bug. I fed him till he was 2 and I felt that was a long time. What would you like us to talk about in our next videos? what would serve or help you? Do you like more vlog style videos, like our latest one, when our 3-year-old has his first day of preschool at an Autism Preschool? Or do you like more educational style videos about Autism?
@@7Aheadfamily Yes, I would be interested on the vlog first day at preschool. You can mix it up with educational as well. Do you have videos on how to navigate in a public space like going shopping etc?
I’m just curious if all the children are up to date on their shots according to the cdc vaccination schedule? Did you follow the alternative vaccine schedule or CDC schedule? Thanks
We did different things with each of the kids each time. I was on top of things with the older kids, but Ezra we were late on some, he got sick when he was one year old, and was hospitalized so he didn’t get his one year shots till he was like 18-months-old. Simon was really sick when he was 2-weeks-old and then Covid hit so he got a lot of his shots later, after he was 2-years-old. We just kept him home since Covid was happening.
I'm autistic myself, and it's really hard for me to differentiate between what is autistic and what is normal behaviour. All of these things seem really normal to me?! Based on this video, I'm not sure if I could tell if my son is autistic.
Very well said, we actually have quite a few videos like this that just show examples from our children, but by no means, should this be used to diagnose. The only way to get a diagnosis is from a professional. We hope that this does bring awareness to the subject, however. Thank you for watching and commenting ❤️
Ezra ‘s story… 5 Signs of Autism in Babies th-cam.com/video/_U1G1d0fWU8/w-d-xo.html Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old th-cam.com/video/uGl3bLiDHJg/w-d-xo.html 12 Signs of Autism Under 2 years th-cam.com/video/1ZWHa-7cUt0/w-d-xo.html 12 Signs of Autism in 3-year-olds th-cam.com/video/JQFdhWkS1sQ/w-d-xo.html 12 Signs of Autism in a 4-year-old th-cam.com/video/KUBOi2VcvZU/w-d-xo.html 12 Signs of Autism in a 5-Year-Old th-cam.com/video/alEfowPErQ4/w-d-xo.html 12 Signs of Autism in a 6-Year-Old th-cam.com/video/alEfowPErQ4/w-d-xo.html 3 Signs Your Child has ADHD and Autism th-cam.com/video/1I-sB1lpwwQ/w-d-xo.html Signs of Mild Autism, Severe Autism, No Autism | Compared th-cam.com/video/YS-ThGQlEX8/w-d-xo.html
Hey Friends, here's how we can support you, and how you can support us ❤
Get our Free Book - www.7-ahead.com/freebook
Join our ASD Club - www.7-ahead.com/asdclub
Apply for One-On-One Coaching - www.7-ahead.com/autismblueprintapplication
Can a non-verbal child with autism learn to talk?
Thank you for sharing
@@teresahershey7273 that is hard to tell, but they can learn to communicate in some form, but what I would suggest is to talk to them, like explain to them what you are doing or what they are watching or what you see etc... and take them out and to different activities even if you take them to a park and have them watching kids play. They will learn from watching kids play and communicate.
The children seem fine to me ; the parents seem to have the need to have children that have "Autism" .
Also, maybe the child doesn't want to slide down the toy, instead he sit's at the top .
I really appreciate your videos! I watched a video of yours for the 1st time about a year and a half ago when I thought that my daughter might be on the spectrum. She was not even 12 months yet at the time. She was later diagnosed at 18 months. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and being an advocate for what neurodiversity looks like! You’re awesome!
Thank you so much for sharing. 😊
it's so nice to see this as an autistic adult and be able to remember times in my own childhood when i obsessed over the feeling of hair or paintbrushes on my face, and how i slept between my mattress and the wall so frequently as a child.
Parents are going to see this and think "oh my goodness my child has autism!" Tip toes, self stimming, being shy, putting things in mouth are all totally typical signs of development. Plus, every child develops at a different pace and many of these things are phases. I'm all for early intervention but I think parents can be....trigger happy when it comes to wanting to diagnosis something right away. Or comparing your two children as a means to labeling and finding that reason as to "why" they're different. They're different because they're different people🤷🏼♀️. I really do comment with the most respect as I have experience and passion for individuals with ASD and parents🩵 but this video was somewhat alarming, and I really don't want parents to overreact if their child isn't like the older child, or their child self stims, etc. We all self stim lol (heck we're all on the spectrum). I had to bring this point to the conversation though. I do mean well🩵.
Thank you for commenting. You are probably right, there will be many who will over react and get their kid tested and it will turn out that they aren’t Autistic, but for every person who does that, there will also be a parent who sees for the first time that their kid may have autism and they get tested and they actually are. So I feel it’s worth it, to share still, hopefully it doesn’t cause too much anxiety for parents of neurotypical kids, but there are so many parents who just don’t see the signs and miss that window of early intervention opportunity, simply because they don’t know what to look for. And I love that you said, “heck we’re all on the spectrum” I totally agree. ❤️
Actually no, we are not all on the spectrum, that’s a sound bite of equal value to “oh what genius super skill does ur autistic child have?” Imho any parent with an autistic child will watch this and may notice one or more up to all 12 of these indicators. My neurotypical child ticked 2 of these signs but not ‘consistently’ which is the key word. ‘Trigger happy for a diagnosis’ also belittles the stress and sleepless nights and yes most definitely comparing your children to their siblings that parents go through even considering if their beautiful, amazing, perfect child may not actually be neurotypically perfect. Parents need to listen to their intuition, absolutely compare their child (that is how a diagnosis is reached) become informed (like watching this video) and absolutely seek professional medical advice at the earliest opportunity. Excellent video btw such a lovely family.
Thank you. ❤️ When I said, I agree that we’re all on the spectrum what I meant was that all of us can, and should try to relate to people who are autistic and not treat them as if they’re that different. We are all human. When I look at my kids, I see a lot of myself in them and even they’re autistic traits. 😊 I was just trying to be inclusive.
As an autistic adult, you’re undermining the importance of early diagnosis. No, a lot of those things are not neurotypical normal development. Telling parents they are trigger happy because they want to make sure their child is properly getting the services they need early so they don’t spend their whole life misunderstood that VERY HORRIBLY affects their own self worth and mental health is harmful. If I was diagnosed early on then maybe I wouldn’t have had so many moments in my life of wanting not to live anymore. Maybe if my parents had “jumped the gun” I would have understood myself better and people around me would have been more tolerant, more accepting, and I could have received the coping skills needed of being autistic in a world not meant for me. Plus, it is also insulting that you look at early signs and say, “Oh that’s alarming” like being autistic is a bad thing. No, gaslighting autistic and autistic families looking for answers is the only alarming thing.
👍
One thing to note for parents with girls is that they present differently to boys. My son was developing normally until 18 months. Talked early but then started gesturing instead of talking and started lined things up. He also constantly chews things, he is a prolific drawer and could read and write early.
My older daughter was flagged for ADHD when my son was diagnosed but when we went through the testing they instantly asked how long she had an accent. Apparently this was a symptom no one picked up on, all the sensory issues though we missed like not liking nails cut, hair brushed or not liking any tooth paste flavour all signs we missed. We also missed that she was using her intelligence to mask problems she couldn't work out. She read and wrote early but the masking was the main thing with her. She would hold it all together all day but lose it at home because masking and overthinking all day was exhausting. She also mimics people when she doesn't know what to do in a situation.
My youngest is also showing signs but like her sister and her brother is reading and talking early. She is showing signs of both of my older kids. She lines up things like my son and collects random things and sleeps with them a bit like how you had pictures of your son. She plays with toys by grouping them but then walks away rather than playing with them. I also find random things in random places like socks etc.
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing in detail. We don’t have the experience like you do with girls on the spectrum. This information is very useful.❤️
Is reading and writing early always a sign of autism? My child has speech (language delay) and started reading early around 3 years of age and writing around 3.8 (self learnt). No sensory issues
It’s not a very common sign, but if you want to get a professional opinion, go for it.
@@7Aheadfamily okay thank you 😊
❤️❤️❤️
Love love love this video.
Thank you so much for sharing!! My daughter is almost 5 and has been diagnosed with moderate autism. I’m learning EVERYDAY to understand her. All the best
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
My son would run or gallop as we called it back and forth through the house all the time when he was little. He didn't sleep well so he'd do it late at night. We lived in a mobile home park at the time and our neighbors thought their house was haunted😂 He's 18 now and still does it sometimes but only a few laps at a time.
That sounds just like Simon. 😊 He was doing his laps for like an hour last night. Does your son like to run, or go for runs now that he’s older?
My son had some of the autistic traits but not all of them (for example, he was very obsessed with items or activities to a point that it's painful to watch). There wasn't as much of awareness of autism when he was a toddler. He did have a lot of problems communicating and socializing with people growing up. He got in trouble at school when he didn't listen to instructions when he was little. His psychiatrist when he was in late teen didn't think he was autistic. Just extremely introverted and had other issues. He was diagnosed with ADHD later when he was in his mid 20s. It was difficult and required a lot of patience dealing with him. It is God's grace that he is a healthy, intelligent and responsible young man now in his late 20s. I can't imagine how difficult it is to deal with multiple autistic kids (and kid with ADHD).
Thank you so much for sharing!❤️ We wish both you and your son the very best! 😊❤️😊
We’re sorry to hear your son didn’t get a lot of support from school or his psychiatrist.❤️❤️ Thank you again for sharing his story!😊😊
@@7Aheadfamily Thank you🥰 We are doing very well. I just want to say that you are an awesome mom and I also wish the very best for you and your family!!!
Thank you!❤️❤️❤️
Hey! I have adhd and wasn’t diagnosed till I was 17. I’m 25 now withy my first baby. I hope he doesn’t have it because it is very hard to learn with different brain chemistry but I’m sure your son is doing awesome! Adhd people may get attached to things and obsess over things but they are some of the most fun people!
my grandson hates taking pictures and comes out trying to run away or looking down on all of them. He is seven and I'm sure he has autism. I hope my son and daughter in law get him the help he needs. Thank you for the video. it was very helpful.
Thank you for sharing. It can be very difficult for parents to get through the denial stage. Sorry that may be the case here.
Ezra has a great cord collection!! Thanks for all the information!
Your welcome!❤️❤️❤️
Nice videos! I appreciate how you talk about the topic in a healthy way! ❤
I am also autistic, but officially diagnosed as an adult. In France, we are late in terms of autism diagnosis and proper knowledge.
In my family, we are 3 out of 4 siblings on the spectrum. My brother and I are 2e, my sister has also ADHD (ADHD came first) and my other brother is supposedly NT ("supposedly" because for small things, we share similarities). Now we are all adults, still with challenges at times but what I can say is that... This idea of light/heavy autism, is BS. Especially if used to predict how much one can achieve or learn "despite autism" looking at a child. Often, development can be surprising.
According to my mother, I was the most socially challenged at the age of your kids. She had to fight to keep me at school in early childhood. All you describe, except the physical development and independence was similar to your eldest son. Today, I have a job and live by myself, though socially, I am still a work in progress.
For my other siblings with ASD? Soon leaving home (one working as a cook and the other on his way to study computer sciences).
❤
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing about yourself and your family. I wonder what our family will look like when our kids are all adults.
Thanks for your videos. I have a 9YO autistic daughter, and I'm watching your videos to see if there are any signs of autism in her two younger brothers (I'll have to put in a concerted effort to test and observe them). However, what I find striking is how many of the signs I remember doing as a small child (I have some very early memories, including stimming with my mother's hair on my face, rubbing my face on her rabbit fur coat, and rubbing my face on the wool of my sheepskin - even now I tend to stim by "beard stroking" whether I'm bearded or shaven). I haven't been diagnosed, but out of curiosity, in the last few days I've done some online tests, and every one of them points to needing to be tested by a professional. If only 40+ years ago there was the awareness of ASD as there is now! Anyway, apparently, one of the things my mother would do to occupy my mind as a very young child was to stick a piece of adhesive tape to one of my fingers, and it would keep me occupied for quite a while, taking it off one finger, only to find it stuck to another. Apparently, I was a very easy child to raise, which resonates with what you've said in at least one video. The info you're giving has turned out to be just as useful for a man in his late 40s as it is for children. What an unexpected surprise!
Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️
Walking on tippy toes, wearing his clothes inside out, only liking certain fabric feels, and the list goes on. It's been a wonderful adventure, and I've learned a whole new "language". He is almost 13 now.
Wow, thank you for sharing.❤️
Thank you for sharing this, it was really informative :) I love how you showed us the comparisons between the behaviors and the levels of autism present and made the point that some of the behaviors may also be exhibited mildly in neurotypical kids. Bless you and your lovely family
Thank you so much for commenting and watching the video. 😊 We’re glad it was helpful. We’ll be doing a live stream this Friday with question and answer if you want to join. 😊
I think this is an excellent video especially for those who cringe at the thought that their child may be autistic. As a teacher we shldnt talk much we simply hv to send videos to those in denial. I'm proud of you. You took everything in stride and can teach us..❤❤❤
Thank you for commenting❤️❤️
Your family is awesome, currently going through the process of getting my 2 and a half year old assessed, we can relate so much so your videos because my son is a perfect blend between both Ezra and Simon and after watching so many of your videos I suspect an outcome of level 2 autism but ill leave that for the professionals to decide when the times right but I wouldn't change him for the world.
Thank you so much! 😊 We wish you and your son the very best! ❤️❤️❤️
Awesome Holly and Adam!!!!
Thank you!
May God make things easy and happy for you and your family.... and God bless you ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️
my son never was a container baby-he hated the usual bouncy toys and walkers and his car seat, right from the hospital, but he sleeps between my husband and i and he sleeps all night. He is a sensory seeker for sure and I would say that 7/10 times hes not looking at the camera, either because of his autism or because of moms excellent camera skills!
I bet you have great camera skills! That is so great that he sleeps all night co-sleeping. Thank you so much for sharing. All these precious kids are so different from each other, it’s so good to share.
God bless your beautiful family. Thank you for sharing
You are so kind, thank you 🙏
Sorry, this is the same person again but I am happy to know that there are different levels of autism my grandson. I believe is more on the mild side like Simon but I’m very happy that you’re sharing all this information. Thanks again
We’re very glad you’re watching and finding it beneficial. :-) Thanks so much for watching and commenting. 😊
Great detailed video. You have a beautiful family 💕 💞
Thank you so much! ❤️
Hello from the United Kingdom. My six year old son has autism and it's looking likely that our youngest twin also has asd. Possibly both also have ADHD. Our son didn't really speak until he was 5. He babbled a lot before he was about 14 months and then nothing. We turned to ABA when he was four and within 12 months it changed everything for us. He still stims, mouths inappropriate things (crayons are banned in this house), collects random things, lines up stuff, is sensory seeking etc, but he is the most loving little man, we adore him and everything we do is for our kids. Our daughter was still a late talker, but was speaking at two years old. She doesn't do the joint attention thing and her social skills are lacking. We're working on it though. I just wish there was more understanding from other people. She is a very physical and loud child, always climbing on things and people, but again she is incredibly loving and funny.
It's exhausting and relentless, but I love my little family with every fibre of my being.
I just wanted to share.🙂
Thank you so much for sharing and choosing to vulnerable. Sending love from Utah!
Being a mom of child with ASD 1, I wish I knew these signs sooner. My daughter was diagnosed at age 17… looking back at all of these signs 🙈 she had all of them! I didn’t know what to look for, but I also just parented according to her needs. My poor girl suffered with masking for years . I’m happy to say that today, she no longer masks and we both have a better understanding of her needs. Thank you for this ♥️
Thank you for watching, and commenting, and sharing your story. ❤️ so glad to have you here.
If you don't mind me asking what were her signs of autism?
@@radiancecarmen5712 when she was little she didn’t make good eye contact. She was super smart early; singing the alphabet song at 14 months. Her first word at 7months. She lined up her toys, she put them all back in the exact spot that she found them. She walked in circles. She didn’t like hugs from anyone but me. She hated being tickled. She needed her food to not touch. She hated certain lighting. Food textures bothered her. She wore her socks inside out because of the seam on the toes. She asked a TON of questions like “why is red used for stop and green is for go “ at age 4. She was reading at 2nd grade level at age 3. So many things. I just thought she was bright and had some quirks. For her ticks ( or stem) she rubs her hands, shakes them or makes fists. She is a picker too. She hears music in color ( synosteshia )… her diagnosis is ASD 1, ADHD, Anxiety disorder, sensory disorder, visual sensory and she has a defect in her left eye that requires prisms in her glasses. I hope this helps 🥰
Thank you for sharing ❤️
@@Dbellerive22605 yes thank you 🙏🏽
Thank You for this info. My sisters grandson was diagnosed with Autism. He is 3 1/2 yrs. You just showed me that no eye contact, not smiling for th camera was associated with autism. I didn’t know. His twin brother will be tested soon. He had been trying to eat wood and plastic. Both when they were just walking would walk on their tippy toes. I think that was a sign. The boy with autism is being schooled threw the state. I will continue to follow you so I may understand autism.
Thank You and God Bless you and your family.
Thank you so much for sharing. 😊 God bless you and yours.
Holly and Adam just an add on I guess from the tight spaces reference, do Ezra and/or Simon crave compression like with a weighted blanket or vest? I just mention this as it is also another atypical sign. Anyway, it was a great bullet point overview of what is an incredibly complicated and wide ranging subject. I think your complete family unit is awesome and that is how God created y’all. You are such amazing, caring and patient parents.
Thank you so much. Ezra and Simon both love to wrestle and be tickled and enjoy hard compressions, but they don’t keep blankets on them. I assume they may like the weighted blanket when they get older.
Yeah you guys are absolutely brilliant!! both as parents and intellectually. The way you guys have observed and understood your kids is amazing! This list is crazy good and I think even when you mentioned the tight spaces it goes in hand with the compression aspect. My nephew has so many of these signs!
Thank you so much!❤️ We love hearing your thoughts!😊
my son keeps blanket on him..everyday
That’s awesome, yeah I think we need to try that out. 😊
Fascinating, thank you! I highly suspect I'm on the spectrum as well. I don't think I used to eat things that aren't food because my sense of taste doesn't seem to be that strong but I definitely had to smell everything! I had to go to the hospital once because I inhaled a lego.^^
Thank you for sharing. ❤️
omg the mommy’s hair is on point 😂 my daughter might be on the spectrum but hasn’t been diagnosed yet since she’s under 2 but we already have an idea that she might be. She still is unresponsive to her name and she absolutely LOVES my hair in particular 🥲
Thank you for sharing. Happy you felt the video was helpful. I am sitting on our couch in the living room going through our comments and My son, Simon is playing with hair right now. He’s smelling it! 😀
Thank you for this very interesting video. When our grandson was two years old our daughter started saying he was autistic and we were thoroughly confused. She claimed the doctors were suggesting this. They supposedly said he was "behind in his speech" but he spoke clearly and in complete sentences. As a matter of fact, we thought he was advanced in his speech. (We have three children and I used to work in daycare, in the toddler room, so I've heard many children learn to speak.) Then she said he "wouldn't climb on things", but when he came to our house he would run right outside, climb the slide and go down it all by himself. The last "symptom" she gave was that he didn't like being sprayed in the face with water. Our answer was, "Who in the world likes to be sprayed in the face with water?!" I also wanted to ask HOW did you find out he doesn't like being sprayed in the face, because she tends to be on the cruel side, but didn't ask because she was already upset that we were challenging her. A few months later she completely cut ties with us for about two and a half years because we kept saying we didn't believe he was autistic. We didn't see the grandkids that entire time.
I guess I should point out that we had already suspected she had Munchausen disorder until she had her daughter, then suddenly all her problems miraculously left, but there was always something "wrong" with our granddaughter. After her son was born, both she and her daughter were fine, other than our granddaughter having ADHD--which she definitely does, just as her mother, and grandfather do--but our grandson supposedly had/has all sorts of things wrong with him, which gives us reason to believe she might have Munchausen by Proxy.
Our grandson had/has NONE of these behaviors you listed. He just turned six two days ago and he does have severe emotional issues and is very violent, but their home is also incredibly toxic. We've only recently learned just how toxic. (They've only been back in our lives for the last year, and we've been cut out again for communicating with her ex-boyfriend.) Last month she left the children with their father, who is just as terrible to the kids, full-time and moved into her own place without them. Before she moved I was on the phone with her while she was driving and she was telling me about the new apartment she found. She said that she told the kids' father that she did not want her son to be there, ever. I asked what he said, and she said "He said 'I don't want him either.'" Then it occurred to me that the kids were in the car. I asked her if our grandson was in the car at that moment and she paused for a long time and said, yes but he's on his tablet. (Which means nothing, of course. I believe he heard her.)
I just found out from her ex-boyfriend (with whom she had a third child) that she regularly told the older kids they were "stupid" and "worthless", and would slap them in the face all the time. She tried to get CPS to take our grandson (I heard this directly from her), but the father is not willing to give up full custody. Because of the serious emotional issues both kids have, most of the family rarely sees them. Both my husband and I are currently battling cancer and going through chemo (me for the past three years, my husband for the past two years) so there's no way we can take them. Other family members are not in a position to take them, either. As terrible as it sounds, the best thing for these kids right now would be to get away from both parents and go into a good foster home with loving people. It's a very heartbreaking situation. Thankfully her youngest child is in the custody of her father. She just turned one last month and is very happy and well-adjusted. We will do everything we can to make sure our daughter never gets custody of her, or at this point, even unsupervised visitation.
Your video has solidified my opinion that my grandson is not autistic. Now I can only pray that he and our granddaughter are rescued from the terrible environment they're in and get the help and love they need before they're damaged beyond repair.
My heart goes out to you that truly sounds horrific. Hope things will work out so that the children are taken care of.
@@7Aheadfamily Thank you.
❤️
❤
😊
I think the video of your family and insights into possible signs of autism is great. Thank you for sharing your firsthand experiences, heartfelt thoughts, and concerns. VERY HELPFUL! GOD bless your family. Please stay loving and healthy.❤
Thank you for being so kind!💕💕
My grandson is Autistic we noticed it Early and his pediatrician also noticed something was going on....He will be 3 in December and he is the love of my life so sweet he loves to play and he runs all day his favorite thing is a spatula it is in his hands until he falls asleep...And he likes to line up items that are the same size and color...But if you put a toy down with different shapes and sizes he can match them perfectly....He only eats certain things I try with him but he will gag...I feel for him because I love to cook and he is in the kitchen with mom or me when we cook that's where the spatula comes in....lol hugs to your little guys...
Thank you for sharing! That’s so sweet. ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily hello my name is Rebecca I wanted to know if you could give some information on potty training your boys.... My grandson will be 3 in December and his mom is having a girl in October and I want to know if you can give some tips so I can help her get him out of diapers..... Thank you so much
Yeah, we probably should do a video on this topic. We were actually looking at doing a collaboration with another TH-cam channel on the subject, so will keep you posted on that. 😊
Very helpful that the symptoms were not the common ones that I find pretty broad or common to every child so it is hard to measure. Thanks!
Happy to help. ❤️
Thank you! I knew our 4th daughter was less neurotypical than her sisters but the doctor was not overly concerned. She would not eat food. Only nurse. By one year she only ate cheerios and bananas. Nothing else besides nursing. She was late with milestones. Crawled unusual. Walked at 16.5 months finally. She would rather race around in circles in a trike in the house, pace on top toes or line toys up. If she “played” it was often reciting what the characters in a movie did (Cars) for months. She was slow and or late with scissors, handwriting, catching a ball, riding a bike (barely & briefly at age 9) tying shoes (13) showering (13) etc. she is gifted and seemed to learn to mask early. She was missed a few times and finally just before turning 16 last year she was DX something I knew when she was 8 months old. Because of that she got no extra support outside of me. I was blessed to stay home 23 of last 27 years raising our girls. She was blessed to only do 3 days pre-k when the administration sd something was very wrong; she screamed for three hours straight each day! So I began homeschooling. She now does online high school this past school year for 10th grade. I had to write my own curriculum to work around her autism as well as anxiety and ADHD. I wish more people knew the signs and symptoms and doctors were giving more support early on so that people could feel as comfortable as possible. I could go on and on. I feel certain I am on the spectrum too. But at age 45 a psychiatrist said I couldn’t be because I looked at her and I was too old to “help” anyways! It helps to understand yourself & kiddos so you and they do not have to conform to societies boxes and can be comfortable living your way. I do poor with loud sounds, certain textures of clothes or food and strobing lights. I am learning to integrate vs isolate more and adapt new ways like I will be bringing cotton balls AND ear plugs to the first movie we have seen in 13 years tmrw!
Wow, what a story. I am sure you have a lot of wisdom from all your experiences. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
I was completely touches by your video and your bravery to approach the issue. May God help you take Care of your kids.
Thank you for being so kind!💕💕💕
My older daughter of my two girls learned to mask at a very young. But she didn’t walk until she was 14 months old. It was the same for my youngest child (also a girl) too. All three of my children are not neurotypical, but all at different levels. My older daughter didn’t actually get diagnosed until she was in her late 20’s and it was because she was curious about if she was. One huge indicator for us was when she needed to complete drivers training in high school. One instructor was so annoyed with her because she was unable to follow his vague instructions while in the vehicle. It took him referring her to a special needs teacher who also taught the driver’s training course to work with my daughter one on one. She finally was able to grasp the concepts she needed.
My biggest reason for watching this video is that I’m an early childhood educator. I work with children 12 months to 3 yrs old, and whenever I bring up concerns with my students to my admin they want to explain away my concerns. I just know the sooner I can get my students help the better they will progress. Thanks for this video.
Thank you so much for sharing. I am sure you have a lot of wisdom from all of your experiences. ❤️
Amazing video and so helpful to see varying levels within your fam - and those differences…
Glad it was helpful!❤️❤️❤️
Finally a video with real autism, not just people who need a diagnosis for evertyhing.
Thanks for watching and commenting ❤️. We appreciate that 😊
Kind if feel like the opposite, self diagnosing your kids. I have an autistic daughter. It isn't great to label kids who function well.
Not sure, I understand, can you explain more? The only way to really find out if someone has autism is to be evaluated by a professional, which we always state in our videos.
2 with autism. You must be very busy Mom. All these different words that express their challenged. Good luck. Hard work.
Thank you ❤️
Great thumbnail!
thank you! I love this picture of Ezra
It made me sad when you said that Simon learned to do eye contact well. Just because he can do it, doesn’t mean it’s good for him. Wye contact is intense to me, even as an adult, and I’ve been finding ways to do it less because it can be stressful. Also, looking away when talking helps me to think; when I am focused on eye contact, I lose track of the conversation etc. I’m coming from a place of concern, not judgement. Your kids are obviously loved and well-taken care of. ❤
Thank you for being so kind!💕💕
Hey guys, absolutely love this video! Its spot on! I was wondering if you guys have looked into verbal apraxia which is when there's difficulty with the motor speech production. My nephew who has autism, I believe, also has verbal apraxia, though its a bit hairy to distinguish because both conditions make speech difficult.
Like is it more severe autism/ nonverbal vs less severe asd with verbal apraxia. But ofc its possible to have both and with therapy more geared towards the apraxia (sometimes they use tools in the mouth so they know how to move their tongue/lips) it possibly could help!
Yes! Ezra was diagnosed with Apraxia of speech when he was 2 years old. And you are right, when we found that out we changed the way we did our speech therapy.
@@7Aheadfamily Oh okay, and Simon? both him and my nephew talk the same way (very eager to speak, can copy inflections/body lang, seem to understand speech, but not quite saying the words all the way😅) so i figure yeah maybe theyre "nonverbal/preverbal" but what about verbal with apraxia ?
Simon hasn’t been diagnosed with Apraxia, but we are definitely keeping that in mind. He’ll start preschool in the fall and we’re excited to see what happens then. Thanks for sharing this with us
@@7Aheadfamily Awee, im excited for him!! thank you for your insight!❤
Your welcome! ❤️❤️❤️
Truly appreciate this video. Thank you
Thank you for watching and commenting ❤️. Glad you found it useful.
I got autism and I love you your kids and I live in ohio I am enjoying this weather we are in 80 and 85
That is really nice weather. It is quite a bit cooler where we are, but the sun is out. Do you like Summer? what is your favorite season?
@@7Aheadfamily I love summer and summer because I watch cleveland guardians baseball
That is fun! I love Summer too, Spring is my favorite. Do you play baseball, or just like to watch it?
@7-Ahead I love tom Hamilton I love to listing to him call the game I love the browns and cavilers and the cleveland guardians
Sounds great! 😄 Do you watch any other sports? Holly's Parents love baseball too.
Autism too often is missed by parents and pediatricians, let alone EI professionals. I’m an EI professional for over 25 years. ASD has better outcomes with early detection and early treatment. I hope she keeps educating and if parents are concerned, have a discussion. Too often, there is no discussion and the child is the one who misses out.
Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️💜❤️ Yeah, it sadly happens like that a lot.
My son is 5 and was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 and I knew he was autistic before his second birthday. Took me years to get him finally assessed and diagnosed but he did have a speech pathologist and a Developmental Interventionist since 2 & 1/2 which helped initially. I love this video and wish I seen it sooner. ❤
Sounds like you have a very similar story. ❤️ I think you will really like the video that we are going to upload this Saturday as it goes a little more in depth on this story. Thank you so much for watching and Commenting. Much Love
Is your son speaking in sentences now?
No, Ezra is not speaking at all, Simon can say a few things, but has a long way to go as well.
@@7Aheadfamily I’m sorry to hear this,
My 6 year old struggles too 🥲
We wish you guys the very best! ❤️❤️❤️
Hi I found your page bc I’m going to be living in an RV with my kiddos.. (6 of them yikes) and myself. I am in awe! I also have one autistic child so far. He’s 4, non verbal level 2 but needs to reevaluated at age 6. My kids are 13,8,5,4,2,1 and I’m going through divorce so my mother in renting me her Rv she has in her house. Was looking at ideas on how to compartmentalize and make it easier to live. Love your page and your kiddos are adorable. I agree with the listed things you mentioned. Watching some of it made me think of my JJ 🥲🫶🏻 thank you for sharing! Totally subscribed!
Thank you so much for sharing. We used to live an RV. This video might give you some ideas…
RV Tour | Family of 7 Living in a Remodeled Class A RV Full-time
th-cam.com/video/_be-pSAGGhY/w-d-xo.html
God bless you and your beautiful family. ❤️❤️❤️
@@7Aheadfamily yes that’s the first video I watched but the autism thing caught my eye then I kept watching more! Haha. Love how everything looked and well organized. You gave me a bunch of ideas with the sticker tags and names! Haha. Thanks again friend! Like wise
I am so excited we found eachother!
Shaking hands, is more with expression of emotions, kids can’t do it at that age, chewing things…well that’s kids…just from that video sound like my daughter has at least 5 symptoms but no way she is Autistic
That’s good that you see that. Thank you for sharing. Keep in mind my son has all of these symptoms and many more. So we are just trying to be helpful since many parents who don’t know the signs may not recognize autism early on.
Do NOT listen to ANYONE trying to make you feel some way about the wonderful work you are doing for your kids because they are too ridiculous to understand what you are going through! I have three children. One has no issues that we know of, one who is high functioning but on the spectrum with ADHD, and one who is between mid and mild I am working with now (he is two, which is why I found your video looking up things to help him).
This is a real thing now. If older generations want to pretend that this is not a thing now, go ahead, just quit acting like this with us. Sure, they were dealing with it too, just there was no label so they think it’s over diagnosis or it’s to please the insurance and medical companies. NO it’s not! We now have a system to govern this, and just because you did not does not mean WE do not see it now where we can help our children succeed!
Sorry for the rant, but you’re doing God’s work within your family and to help all of us, and thank you so much! God bless your family! 🙏🏻❤️
Omg im pretty sure me, my wife, child, brothers, mom, dad, friend, boss, coworkers and family dog are autistic!! Thank you for the signs!
😊Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in 3 specific areas. An individual must have struggles in all of these three areas in order to be autistic: social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. So you’re right, a lot of people have many of the signs, but you have to have struggles in all three areas in order to have autism. Hope that makes sense.
@@7Aheadfamilymy whole family is. Some of us have dual ADHD as well. Naturally, since my parents didn't get a diagnosis when young, they didn't know what to look for in my sister and I. It runs in families too.
I showed some of these when I was 2. My dad just found some old videos a couple of years ago. I did a lot of side eyes and not looking at the camera and obsession with just one object. I would also stim by rocking and putting my hands up in fists when I was happy.
My nephew is 3 and showing signs of autism. I’ll share this video with my sister. One thing he does which is refer to himself by name which I think is very cute. He also has rigid behavior, an extreme need for schedule and routine, tons of side eye pictures on the camera, and lots of anxiety.
Wow, that’s quite a bit of signs. Thanks for sharing. I hope this can be helpful to your sister. Thanks for sharing the video.
That is neat to be able to watch old home video of yourself when you were so young.
@@7Aheadfamily thank you for making these videos. They are super helpful!
Of course. And please let us know what kind of videos you find most helpful, so we know what to make in the future.
Love your big family. I get stressed a lot with my 6 year old girl that has autism 😢 I try to be SO PATIENCE but it’s hard for me 😭 but I know we can do it ❤
Good for you! It can be hard sometimes. But you have a good attitude!
I work with downs kids frequently and they truly are the most beautiful souls on this planet.
Love it! ❤️
I have a brother with autism that it is hard for him to communicate and interact with other people.
Thank you for sharing! 😊 We’d love to here more!❤️❤️
@@7Aheadfamily ok!
😊❤️😊
Thank you for this, I have 3 years old daughter and i have had some suspicions from her behaviours and took her to 2 different psychiatrists and 2 pediatrician until she was 2 and half years old. None of them addressed her symptoms as autism seriously. Only one psychiatrist said it could be ADHD but very litlle chance still. She still have poor eye contact and bad sleep. Altough she improves her social skills, she is still not like neurotypical kids i assume. There is still a question mark on my mind and i keep searching about it. Your channel is really helpful. I compare my girl to your Simon. I think my daughter's traits is even milder than Simon but Simon's eye contact may be better than my daughter.
Thank you so much for sharing!❤️ Sounds like you are doing the right things to get as many opinions as possible! 😊 Keep us posted with your progress. ❤️
So what can we do.. train her in home or speech therapy
All of the above. I would recommend doing all you can though your local providers to give your child as much learning as possible.
I’m in Uk and here they are not so keen to confirm a diagnosis without a couple of years of paediatric consultant involvement, plus speech and language and occupational therapist input. We ‘knew’ our son was different at about 18 months, he hit all his development milestones on target or really early I.e. walking at 10 months then almost overnight changed into a different child. Babbling/early words stopped, no interest in visitors or social engagement, no imaginative play (mouthed every toy and had no concept of the toy’s purpose (I.e. a toy kitchen to pretend making dinner) avoided eye contact, ran up and down room, sleeping pattern changed radically, refused to eat foods he had previously enjoyed, the list goes on! He had his first S and L appointment on his 2nd birthday, (this was after our health visitor had told me our toddler definitely did not have autism because she was watching him and dad rolling a ball backwards and forwards) then he was able to be referred to occ health and paediatric’s but not diagnosed officially until 4 and a half and that was with me aggressively pushing for appointments and insisting he be assessed. Luckily we already had him in an amazing preschool for kids with SEN. It may be similar process where you live? Maybe professionals are reluctant to diagnose at a young age in case they do misdiagnose.
Autism traits can mirror or overlap so many other frameworks for diff diagnosis, like FactorX, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, etc. as a stand-alone disorder and the triad of impairments on a spectrum condition must be challenging even for professionals to apply to a child they may only know from a page of A4 medical notes and 1 or 2 consults with mum and the child.
My advice would be to keep pushing for a diagnosis and support for your daughter to get the correct diagnosis even if it’s not autism. I kept a diary of sorts which I took to my sons appointments which was a record anything that I thought was significant, partly because I didn’t want to forget anything important and also because I wanted the medical professionals to have as much information as possible. It’s kind of hard for them not to take mum’s concerns seriously when u say, I have never seen him point, he never looks interested in visitors to the home, he does not play with his sister only alongside her, he has stopped x, y, z.
I really hope your situation is resolved for you both. Good Luck. ❤️
That is some of the best advice I’ve heard. Where we live some people don’t want to assess kids younger than 2 years old. But after a three month wait list we got a clinical psychologist who really knew his stuff and taught me a lot. Ezra most likely has more than just Autism, we’ll see as he grows up. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
I have a friend with an autistic grandchild. She says one of her favorite things is to climb in Grandma’s bed and use the remote to fold it up like a taco. Yep, she likes tight spaces!
That is so cute! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your family time with us. Appreciate the information ❤
You are so welcome! thanks for watching, and commenting!
Head shaking is common self soothing technique and lots of toddlers do it.
Very true. ❤️
What a precious Family :D
Thank you
Ezra is such a beautiful baby ❤
Thank you! I still dream of him as a baby. -Holly
My spectrum son is almost 21 and still has most of these behaviors.
Wow. Thanks for sharing
My 17yo will find every right space and sit…. Found him in a laundry hamper the other day. ;) it made me smile. Haven’t found him in the laundry in a few years.
That sounds familiar, does he like tight spaces? Ezra will always find a tight space to get into, and they both love to sleep in tight spaces.
The problem with my daughter is... Therapist I took her to kept saying she was delayed because of being in an orphanage for two years. So we didn't get a real diagnosis until after 7 yrs old. They said she was delayed ... That was it. Grrr. I really thought she did have it ... One doctor said her head was smaller...but never said much more. 🤦😡 Finally in '21 we had her tested and it did show high functioning autism.
Thank you for sharing. That sounds very frustrating. ❤️
The most important thing is "Don't think it as a disability think it as a different ability" that's all that matters😊
I agree. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️😊❤️
I never thought this until my son was in year 3 and his teacher said to me then i picked up signs of it wouldnt change him for the world and my mum dad have always thought i have it 2 but when i was younger autisim wasnt known as much ❤
So glad you could join us here. Thanks for watching and commenting. ❤️
I love how you guys say "Needs a little more support" rather than "He has less abilities" or "He needs help at all times." It shows us, the viewers, that Autism isn't a disability, it's just an extra ability. That's a message that really needs to be spread, and you guys are doing a great job at that! It makes me happy that Simon and Ezra have parents that support them very well :D
Thank you so much for your kind words. ❤️
I'm Canadian & a developmental support worker. The words disability & handicapped are politically incorrect. They are developmentally challenged & that covers all be it physically or mentally. They have challenges as do most of us. I supported a woman & she hated being called handicapped. When I started work they were getting rid of a these expressions, as well as mentally retarded. That makes my blood boil. That was 30 years ago. Some people use these names out of ignorance (lack of knowlege) but there are still those that are just plain rude. Autism is definitely a challenge, it's just to what degree. Which this mom explained very well. I have a grandson 14 that is both ADHD & high in the autism spectrum, I have a great nephew 5, that is stage 3 in the autism spectrum & a nephew who 21 who is high in the spectrum as well. Our family recognized the signs & symptom at an early age & had to fight to get a proper diagnosis but in the mean time were working with them at home. My girls were young when I started working with the challenged so they grew up around it & were trained so they could babysit alot of the children I supported.. So many people are in denial. There is no shame in being autistic, most are very intelligent & with support can live & lead productive lives. My 21 yr old nephew who struggled academically is now a heavy equipment operator & making amazing money. There isn't any machinery that he can't fix or operate. He has found his comfort zone. My grandson is entering high school & is involved in a program designed for him, he is going to design video games. He can watch any video game once, play it & beat it. My 5 yr old great nephew who has been diagnosed stage 3 autistic & non verbal has started school & is now starting to say some words, he has a computer he uses to communicate otherwise. SUPPORT is so important. These boys are doing great because their parents recognized it & got proper support. What works for one may not for another. This is where professional support really helps. Support of family & friends is important too. Hats off to this family, they are doing an amazing job. It's very stressful but also very rewarding. I turned 65, 3 yrs ago retired for 6 months & couldn't handle it. I went back to work. I LOVE MY JOB❣️ it's so rewarding. God bless this beautiful family.❤❤😊
Wow, thank you so much for sharing your story and for being so kind ❤️. We are so glad to have you in the community and appreciate your knowledge and perspective on autism. ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily I love watching your family. You've got it together. I'm so proud of you & your hubby. I know some days can be very challenging. Your children are lucky to have such great parents
I wish I lived near you, I would be more than happy to do some respite to give you 2 some me time.❤
That’s so kind of you. ❤️ we wish you were closer too. 😊
Thank you for sharing this. My grandson is showing a few of these signs now and he will be 3 in Dec. Definitely going to share this with my daughter .
You are so welcome! It’s so important to get a diagnosis as early as you can, and if the answer is no, that he isn’t Autistic, then it’s really nice to know that too. ❤️
My grandson Ezra is autistic too, still waiting on the level but we think he's level 3.
Wow! 😊 That’s so cool! How old is he? ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily he's 3 and does everything your Ezra does. We finally got the ball rolling for his assessments, so I believe the next one we'll find out what level he is. He's non verbal, but totally understands what we are telling him. He just started pointing but only in picture books. He is also a big collector of random stuff which we like to call them his treasures Lol!
Wow! They are really similar aren’t they! ❤️ We wish you guys the best of luck on your journey! ❤️
@@7Aheadfamily thank you, and thank you for sharing your video!
You bet! Thanks for watching and commenting. ❤️
My baby girl cried a lot. She did not bond with me. She hold her ears around the slightest noise. Eats only dry food . She just starts to copy words at 2 1/2. But uses them outside of context to try and have conversation. However she has super memory. . Very clumsy with her fingers. Obsessed with water book and pencil. She either put toys in a straight line or stock then on each other like a tall building. Love small spaces. Don't engage socially .hits her face and head repeatedly when she is angry.. don't like noise . Etc
Thank you for sharing, if you have any questions feel free to ask❤️
Thank you for this video.
Have you tried to do some heavy metal detoxification? It really helped me.
Glad you liked the video❤️
I have doctors and therapist ignore my plea about autism with my kid and the usual answer they gave me is that it's unlikely and very rare for a kid to have autism. My kid does literally almost everything Ezra does. So, now I literally took matters into my own hand and sought out private practice to examine my kid to officially diagnose my kid. I'm still just praying my child is just not smart, slow learning, or a late bloomer. I'm convinced my kid has autism. Too many signs.
Thank you for sharing!💕
I ABSOLUTELY hated having my picture taken when I was little. My mom has quite a few pictures of me not looking at the camera and I'm not autistic
That’s funny. Thank you for sharing. Did you grow out of it, or do you still not like pictures?
Yep. I've pretty much grown out of it. It was really bad when I had my school pictures taken. I only had two pictures that actually turned out pretty good.
Well, to be fair, most school pictures don’t turn out the way we want them to. ❤️❤️❤️
That's true
Most of mine were a disaster. I especially in middle school! Lol! ❤️
Sending love and prayers from the UK 🇬🇧 God Bless 👏💜👍🙏🤗♿️
#ForeverPromotingPositiveDisabilityAwareness
Thank you!💕💕💕
My parents saw the signs that I was autistic when I was still a baby. But the doctors they went to kept saying that I wasn’t autistic after just one-short test. I was finally diagnosed when I was almost 20 and my parents were like ‘Finally!’. My parents have always tried to understand me, even without a diagnosis, because they could tell right away and didn’t live in denial or tried to force me to be “normal”. They did teach me basic manners and how to take care of myself, which are normal life lessons regardless.
Thank you so much for sharing. I am so happy that you have such wise parents.
My son is three and I’ve always known but the doctors tried to tell me that he just a toddler but it’s to a point now where I know for a fact now im trying to figure all this out so I can learn to treat it at his comfort! Ty for this video it helped so mich
Thank you so much for sharing!❤️❤️❤️
Walking on tip yes is typical of all toddlers so not a true sign of autism.
True, anyone can walk on tippy toes, but we actually dive into this in depth in this video about the numbers of autistic children, who have that tendency to walk on their tippy toes vs Neuro typical child …
Toe Walking Mild Autistic 2-year-old gets Braces
th-cam.com/video/pMxUlKdtPmg/w-d-xo.html
It's a true sign, my son is 4years autistic and he is always walking on tip py toes
@gloriamaposa9434 Thanks for sharing
My 4 year old autistic daughter has been walking on her tippy toes since she started walking at 8 months old. She walks on them 90% of the time. You can even see where she does it in her shoes, there’s a crease now. My adhd child walks on his too but nothing like my daughter.
Hi. I would see the symptom of being reserved when he does not point to the cake, but once the instruction is given out or asking him, he is able to point. The reason of pointing has to be read carefully, pointing because of informing the only you to see, or pointing for everyone to see or pointing means want it? As in this case, everyone is knowing or sees the cake, this is not the exact situation where pointing is necessarily. He is unsure of the cake is for showing purpose since everyone see it.
Though being reserved is more appropriate on adult.
As for the tight space on how people sees, I would say is a comfort place. Where sensory stuff can be relaxed. Since he is small, we see it as a tight space. If he is an adult, we called it a room. Who wants to live in a big hall or stadium anyway? In Tokyo or New York or Hong Kong, it is a tight space. Hahaha.
Thank you so much for sharing. ♥️
I just hope Ezra and Simon have the most fulfilling life possible
Yes! ❤️ you took the words right out of my mouth. I agree.
You are such a brave lady my son is also mild autistic n i m vry depressed n hv no interest in life.
So sorry you are having a difficult time. It is often non easy. That is one reason why we share the videos we do, to bring hope to many. Know you are loved by us and let us know if you need anything. Also, stay tuned next week as we will be announcing some things that may be exciting and helpful to you in the near future.
@@7Aheadfamilythank you🥲
My son is 3 years old
You bet ❤️ much love
Same age as Simon. ❤️
This made me feel so bad for these children. Focusing on these things on a baby is absolutely ludicrous. Every human is different. It's like you want to find something and when you keep looking, you always find something. 😢 Please stop this.
Just curious, how much of our channel have you watched? I would encourage you to watch the journey from the beginning, and see if you have a change of heart.
Watch the Journey in Order
th-cam.com/play/PLLCliYhgnblbPFMKfjbsN_P4r_pF3qaHE.html
I think he pointed out the same shoes with his feet he was pointing with his feet. But it’s cool that his brother is helpful as well.
Yes! I think you’re right. I didn’t realize it till I was editing the video and I felt bad that I hadn’t noticed in the moment
@@7Aheadfamily it dose happen I try too pay attention a little more because I have friends that have a way of talking with out talking. I find when some one can make choices and you have a little time pay attention too theme that’s most important part.
So true ❤️. Thank you for sharing.
My daughter had those signs till 2 and half now she is totally fine naturally she is 4 now.
That is great. Thanks for sharing.
I am loving this video ot help me to understand a lot about my two kids that are on the ASD. I love the idea that you and your family is willing to share with us.. ❤❤
Thank you so much! ❤️😊❤️ we’re so glad to have you here and we wish you guys the very best. 😊
@7Aheadfamily thanks I truly appreciate it
You’re welcome! ❤️❤️❤️
Can you do a morning routine or a night time routine were you film Mark and the other child including you two?
We haven’t done one like that yet. We’ve been pretty focused on Autism. The older kids are pretty independent.but that’s a great idea. Thanks for letting us know what you would like to see.
I am a nanny and I am about 70% sure that the 3 year old I am taking care of is on the spectrum… she is verbal but doesn’t keep eye contact super great, she flaps her hands and opens her mouth very wide into an O shape when she’s hyper focused or super excited, she is very scared of changes, she is scared of any unknown noises even if she is the one to make the noise by dropping something, lacks socialization (she prefers to play alone or with only her few trusted adults), very hyperactive behavior especially little bursts of running around
I’m not sure how to bring it up to her parents as I feel like they don’t notice it… should I not say anything? Will it come off as rude?
Yes. That is enough signs to get her assessed, for sure.
You are in a tricky situation. It all depends on your relationship with the parents. You could bring it up casually, or bluntly, it just depends on how you feel the parents will handle it. Since she is already 3yearsold, she needs early intervention to help her. You may bring that up, first. Say that she could qualify for early intervention, and then a professional would evaluate her. That is funded by the state or city depending on the state. Are you in the US? And most likely the parents need help learning about Autism to help them know how to best support her. But the first natural response for most parents is denial. So they may still be in that stage. Good luck, and let us know how it goes. if they don’t believe you or take you seriously, that is unfortunate for the girl, but don’t be too hard on them. My husband was in denial for an entire year before he came to the fact that Ezra was Autistic. ❤️
Hola tengo un hijo de 5 anos diagnosticado con espectro autismo su pediatra es de Oklahoma city, mi hijo camino al los 13 meses pero empezamos a notar que caminaba de puntitas , se paraba frente al televisor y lo llamábamos por su nombre y el no volteaba como si no escuchará, después lo lleve con su pediatra en el estado de Texas donde vivíamos y me mandó con un especialista pediátrico, no pudimos verla ya que ella murió del covid, también mi hijo no comía muchos alimentos solo los tocaba con sus manitas y si le gustaba probaba, ahora en Oklahoma me están ayudando mucho con el , la maestra dice que es un nino muy inteligente está con otros ninos regulares, ahora come diferentes tipos de comida , le gusta mucho el huevo y el elote , Cherry's, gelatina, naranja , mi pregunta es 7 ahead como Ezra y Simon tienen su rutina para dormir? Gracias!
Thank you for asking. We have a video of the bedtime routine. th-cam.com/video/veqihCXPiWQ/w-d-xo.html
Careful playing with cords, a lot of them are coated in PVC plastic which contains lead!
Also Simon playing with your hair is so cute! 😊
Yes, thank you. Hair is a lot better than chords. 😊
Yes, thank you for the warning. 😊
Thanks for being transparent. All of your children are beautiful.
Thank you so much!❤️❤️❤️
Parents if they have an autistic child should always know that if they're realizing that there is always the chance he is developing rather more different then you can imagine and if your child develops autism you might wanna seek help from doctor.
Thanks for your input!
This looks like typical child development, all kids develop differently. You look for something wrong you will always find it.
You’re right, everyone does develop differently, however, we’ve had three children without autism and two with, and there is a difference, here’s a little bit more about Ezra and Simon’s diagnoses.
Ezra ‘s story… 5 Signs of Autism in Babies
th-cam.com/video/_U1G1d0fWU8/w-d-xo.html
Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old
th-cam.com/video/uGl3bLiDHJg/w-d-xo.html
Amen
❤️
It’s typical until it becomes EXCESSIVE. How hard is that to comprehend?😂
Thank you for making this list. I’m not a medical doctor but I think Simon issues autistic at all. I think he is just super chill and a cool kid. Also, Idk if I missed it but is he verbally?
Simon’s autism is actually hard to see sometimes. Usually it shows when plans change or when something seems unfair to him. He has some high anxiety that we usually don’t really show on the videos. And he is currently nonverbal but we think he will speak.
Here is more on his diagnosis
Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old
th-cam.com/video/uGl3bLiDHJg/w-d-xo.html
My son would come home from high school with ink stains everywhere. From chewing pens. They both chew toilet paper.
Thank you for sharing! ❤️❤️❤️
I knew a kid in school who chewed his pencils all the time, swallowed a quarter once in 5th grade! He grew up never any trouble in school and is a well adjusted adult. Not necessary to label all your kids, let them be who they are.
Thank you for sharing. Sometimes a label isn’t a bad thing though. If it helps others understand and support our kids, and help our kids understand and give grace to themselves. Instead of being afraid to label, we hope to help create a world where labels are a way to increase understanding. ❤️
My daughter wont ever look at the camera i started noticing her autism very early on shes 6 now
Interesting. Simon and Ezra usually won’t look at a camera either, though Simon has much better eye contact than Ezra. ❤️
Wow great video? Can you tell me how you’ve trained the boys how to point using the index finger?
Simon learned quick by example and lots of repetition. We would point at what he wanted and then he got it. Ezra’s took about a year to learn how to point. We actually took his fingers and put them in a pointing position and had to do it for him for the first little while. Then for several weeks he would do it himself, but he had to concentrate pretty hard. And then once he learned how to do it, he still had to be very motivated to point for us.
I would keep things away from my daughter's reach that she really wanted but where she can see along with other stuff. Initially she would stand there and say mmm mmm. So, I would say if you would point with a finger and tell me which item you want, I would give you. She quickly learnt how to point. She is 5 now and was diagnosed at 3. But, I knew from about 20 months that she was different. She didn't say her words until 2.5 and called me mom only after that. She talk now and asks very clearly what she wants. But she doesn't do any conversations like what happened at school or talk about anything that she saw or learnt that day. She reads very well for a 5 year old and has a remarkable memory.
That is awesome. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you for sharing.
Nice video :)
Thanks!❤️❤️❤️
Most of this sounds like typical baby behavior. My nephew does a lot of these things especially the head shaking and he doesn’t even have autism. I think some people just get too carried away and exaggerate sometimes.
That can happen. I think it’s good to know the signs just in case your child has many of these signs, not just some. The head shake is neurotypical behavior, but Ezra, our son would shake his head for an hour at a time, I think that’s where the difference comes in, it’s the intensity of the behavior or the odd amount, timing or frequency. For example, All kids run around, but our son, Simon, runs every night from wall to wall for so long, sometimes even two hours.
I agree but also consider the children that never get assessed, they grow up to be adults suffering in society not knowing why....
There are many comments in this channel alone from adults just like that. So we know it happens.
As a mother you would know if your child has Autism. It’s not easy. No one wants their kids to be diagnosed with Autism but it’s easier for kids who actually have them to be diagnosed earlier, They can get the help they need.
Agreed, getting the diagnosis gets you the ability to give your kids better help and more resources.
When my son, he’s now 25, was very young, one of his stemm’s was chewing. Bottle nipples, pacifiers, sippy cup nozzles, then he started chewing on his shirts.
Thank you for sharing!
My one just got diagnosed and still breastfeeding. She’s 3.
Wow. I am impressed that you are still breastfeeding. Ezra didn't like to feed on me at all, but Simon loved it. and he was and is such a little snuggle-bug. I fed him till he was 2 and I felt that was a long time. What would you like us to talk about in our next videos? what would serve or help you? Do you like more vlog style videos, like our latest one, when our 3-year-old has his first day of preschool at an Autism Preschool? Or do you like more educational style videos about Autism?
@@7Aheadfamily Yes, I would be interested on the vlog first day at preschool. You can mix it up with educational as well. Do you have videos on how to navigate in a public space like going shopping etc?
We have one on travel, but we will add that to our list. Shopping and being in public. Great idea. Thank you!
5 Tips for Autism Travel | Record! 1010 Miles in 1 Day
th-cam.com/video/at6sR4a3qW0/w-d-xo.html
I’m just curious if all the children are up to date on their shots according to the cdc vaccination schedule? Did you follow the alternative vaccine schedule or CDC schedule? Thanks
We did different things with each of the kids each time. I was on top of things with the older kids, but Ezra we were late on some, he got sick when he was one year old, and was hospitalized so he didn’t get his one year shots till he was like 18-months-old. Simon was really sick when he was 2-weeks-old and then Covid hit so he got a lot of his shots later, after he was 2-years-old. We just kept him home since Covid was happening.
I'm autistic myself, and it's really hard for me to differentiate between what is autistic and what is normal behaviour. All of these things seem really normal to me?! Based on this video, I'm not sure if I could tell if my son is autistic.
Very well said, we actually have quite a few videos like this that just show examples from our children, but by no means, should this be used to diagnose. The only way to get a diagnosis is from a professional. We hope that this does bring awareness to the subject, however. Thank you for watching and commenting ❤️
Ezra ‘s story… 5 Signs of Autism in Babies
th-cam.com/video/_U1G1d0fWU8/w-d-xo.html
Simmons story… Diagnosis of Mild Autism in 2-year-old
th-cam.com/video/uGl3bLiDHJg/w-d-xo.html
12 Signs of Autism Under 2 years
th-cam.com/video/1ZWHa-7cUt0/w-d-xo.html
12 Signs of Autism in 3-year-olds
th-cam.com/video/JQFdhWkS1sQ/w-d-xo.html
12 Signs of Autism in a 4-year-old
th-cam.com/video/KUBOi2VcvZU/w-d-xo.html
12 Signs of Autism in a 5-Year-Old
th-cam.com/video/alEfowPErQ4/w-d-xo.html
12 Signs of Autism in a 6-Year-Old
th-cam.com/video/alEfowPErQ4/w-d-xo.html
3 Signs Your Child has ADHD and Autism
th-cam.com/video/1I-sB1lpwwQ/w-d-xo.html
Signs of Mild Autism, Severe Autism, No Autism | Compared
th-cam.com/video/YS-ThGQlEX8/w-d-xo.html
Diagnosing autism before the age of five is a big no-no. It assigns a mental health disorder to normal parts of development.
Thanks for commenting! Unlocking the Mystery | How Early Can You Diagnose Autism?
th-cam.com/video/24qOsvhJl4s/w-d-xo.html
Where you able to watch that video? How would you define autism?