autism in baby

Recently, I've started noticing some autism-like symptoms in my baby, and it's made me question if my actions might be contributing to this. I often let my baby have a lot of screen time because it keeps them occupied and gives me some time to myself. I thought it was harmless, but now I'm worried it might be affecting my baby's development. I also rarely talk to my baby, thinking they won't understand and that it's a waste of time. I now realize that this might have been a mistake, as I've read that talking to children is crucial for their language and social development. And also, whenever something goes wrong, my immediate reaction is to yell at my baby. I know it's not the best approach, but in the heat of the moment, it feels like the only way to handle things. Oh, if this may add, I've decided not to send my baby to any early childhood programs or baby schools because I thought it was a waste of money. Now, I'm questioning if this decision is affecting my baby's social skills and overall development. Seeing other kids their age developing differently has made me anxious and regretful. I can't help but wonder if my choices are the reason for my baby's autism-like symptoms. I'm feeling a lot of guilt and fear that I've made irreversible mistakes. I'm reaching out to this community for support and advice. Have any of you faced similar concerns? What steps did you take to address them? How did you help your child if they were showing signs of developmental delays? I want to do everything I can to support my baby's growth and development from now on.

Anonymous

7 Replies

Write a reply

Hi there! As far as I know, autism is a neurological disorder. Till now researchers can't really pinpoint what causes autism. But screen time definitely does not cause autism. However, screen time does cause children to show signs of autism that others might think or see as autism. Such signs are like: - lack of social skills (caused by lack of interaction with humans as they are constantly on their devices) - delayed speech (no opportunities to interact and communicate with people or have two-way conversations, therefore speech is compromised) - short attention span (they are able to only be stimulated by fast images on screens, therefore things other than devices are not stimulating enough for them so they lose interest fast) - throwing tantrums (since they are addicted to screen time, if any of these vices are removed from them they will throw tantrums as they are not taught to regulate their emotions properly) These are mostly like habits that they pick up along the way. Thankfully if baby is still young, you can throw these habits away slowly and wean them off screen time. Slowly replace screen time with more hands-on, sensorial things like a kitchen play set, loose parts play, or even bring them out the see and explore nature. Encourage your baby to interact with other kids at those outdoor or Indoor playgrounds like kidstopia, kidsstop, etc. You can also try to interact and communicate more with baby. Talk to him/her daily, read books. The burden shouldn't always be on you. Your husband and maybe if baby has siblings they can also read to him/her. It takes a lot of effort to ensure baby develops holistically. Educators do not advocate for screen time, but we mothers can't help it sometimes. You can always limit screen time or introduce alternative activities. But if you worry that baby might actually be showing signs of autism, you can get baby referred to KKH via polyclinic. Hopefully they can assist you from there.

6 Replies

Home Baby what symptoms parents watch out