Dealing with a Grandson who shows signs of autism -

I don’t think it’s the parents who have to come to that conclusion/ diagnosis. It will be picked up when he starts Nursery and further referrals by the GP will be required. The children of 2 close friends were diagnosed with autism about 25 years ago. They are both doing well and earning a decent living.

I would also get him outside for walks NannaNell what 3 year old doesn’t like leaves, sticks, ducks or spotting a bus, dependent on where you live.

Many in my family have ADD, not the same as autism, but easily distracted. I entertain them all with the same routine- lots of walks, cooking/stirring/cutting shapes/eating. We make tents/forts in their play room. We use torches and search. We colour. We read books. We never watch telly - too upsetting.

There may be signs of autism, his parents are very young and may be unaware of symptoms. He is in nursery now so hopefully if autism is there it will be picked up.
You are a loving and caring GM , he is lucky to have you. If symptoms continue could you speak to your DS/ DIL about your concerns? Not to say " I worry about him being autistic" but perhaps " I am a bit concerned that he is not speaking and that he he is always on tippy toes , do you think he should see a doctor"? If there is a problem a diognosis is better early rather than late. I am well aware that these symptoms may not be a sign of autism but a professional assessment might be an idea -there is nothing to lose by doing that. Good luck.

Greenfinch

My DGS who has autism loved fidget spinners when he was very young. I believe they are less popular now but you can still buy them. They are therapeutic for some children.

You can buy lots of very good 'fidget' toys now - I've even seen a fidget toy advent calendar for sale this year. The Works normally has a range of fidget toys which are very affordable.

He gags at food that I know he likes
He rarely speaks

Is he tongue-tied? The GP should be able to tell and it is a simple procedure to correct this.

Tiptoe walking does not *necessarily indicate autism and some children do this and will grow out of it.

My DGS who has autism loved fidget spinners when he was very young. I believe they are less popular now but you can still buy them. They are therapeutic for some children.

🤔 they weren't there the first time.

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Oh, the pictures didn't post.

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Would he sit and do some very simple puzzles if you sit beside him doing another one? Wooden ones where the pieces fit into a shape, perhaps of cars or trucks?

I found some in Lidl too, centre aisle. They may be getting toys etc in for Christmas.

If he doesn’t really see anyone outside of his home, I wonder why, he may well be slow to engage and speak as his parents will probably preempt his needs.
I would just cater for his age group with toys.

Indigo8

Duplo is made by Lego and is bigger.

Yes, Duplo is very good for little fingers. We had a big box of it (I bought it in TK Maxx) which has now gone to the charity shop.
You could use the lid of the box as a base to build on.

There is no one size fits all re activities etc. Toys that spin or turn may engage him e.g. spinning tops, puzzles with cogs, roll a ball toys ( going down a spiral ramp) etc
Bead track toys are often popular.

If he’s attending Nursery now the staff may observe any difficulties with speech and language skills, social interaction skills and sensory needs. They may speak to parents and suggest Speech and Language therapy and outside agency involvement such as a specialist teacher.

Re food, please be led by parents and your Grandson. When you say he gags on food you know he likes, the difficulty may be related to texture, brand or even how it’s presented. Please don’t introduce new foods or hide foods as this can lead to refusal of accepted foods in children with restricted diets.
You could research ARFID or Sensory Processing Disorder. Both are diagnosable but you may find tips for activities and dos and don’ts.

You could do ready steady go activities and anticipation rhymes pausing for a reaction. Repetitive rhymes and books are good. He may enjoy interactive board books especially tactile ones or Things That Go books. Some may have wheels that turn.

Sounds like you will have lots of fun together.

You can often pick Lego pieces up in charity shops. It’s v expensive if bought new.

Duplo is made by Lego and is bigger.

Please do not label your gs,my friends were so worried about their GC who wasn,t walking by 18 months they convinced themselves he had serious issues the meant he would never walk
He,s a perfectly normal happy 4 year old now.Children develope at different rates and shouldn,t be compared to others …ever.
My beautiful gd always walked on her tiptoes…she,s 13 now and has a great collection of high heeled shoes and boots…she just wasn,t happy about her brother and sister being taller than her.Her latest bargain buy are red stilletoes.She takes after me !

Toe walking is an indicator of possible autism. If your gs is going to nursery it’s probable that they will mention anything they notice to the parents.
He may be too young still but Lego or the junior bigger Lego might be worth looking out for. You can do it together side by side rather than facing each other.

Be guided by his parents. Don't force food on him but give him food you know he will eat but also offer one new food. Or put a range of food on the table and let him choose. Routine is good. If you know something is going to change, warn him beforehand. What toys does he like? Buy at least two of each in case one breaks or goes missing. I follow a man on twitter who has an autistic child and is autistic himself. He has loads of good ideas