u/Amazing_Face4692

Our son is hitting all his social milestones but our ped says he’s delayed in babbling. He makes noises and sounds, ahs and oohs, he sometimes says ga or goo and a few times over the months I’ve heard maybe one or two ma’s. But he’s not really making any consonant sounds and definitely not chain babbling yet. Mostly just grunts/groans and squeals/screeches, laughs and raspberries. He also does this fake laugh/cough for attention. It’s like a ha ha ha ha. He also says how sometimes.

Anyone else’s baby like this or older child was like this? When did they start? He’s 7.5 months now, will be 8 months late this month.

Things he does:
- sits up unassisted (cannot get himself to sitting by himself though)
- he has rolled tummy to back but never the other way, and he’s done it like maybe 5 times ever. He just doesn’t want to.
- laughs, eye contact
- he went through a short phase maybe a month ago of crying around strangers and when I was out of sight but now that seems to have passed
- smiles at peekaboo
- transfers toys between hands
- recognizes familiar people and recognizes when someone is a stranger
- looks for things he’s dropped
- I think he is clapping starting today
- responds to his name some of the time

Our son is hitting all his social milestones but our ped says he’s delayed in babbling. He makes noises and sounds, ahs and oohs, he sometimes says ga or goo and a few times over the months I’ve heard maybe one or two ma’s. But he’s not really making any consonant sounds and definitely not chain babbling yet. Mostly just grunts/groans and squeals/screeches, laughs and raspberries. He also does this fake laugh/cough for attention. It’s like a ha ha ha ha. He also says how and what sounds like hey.

Anyone else’s baby like this or older child was like this? When did they start?

Our 7.5 month old is very quiet, and does not babble. He makes screeching, squealing, grunting and groaning noises. But no ba, ma, da, etc. and no chains of those sounds either. His social skills seem fine. He enjoys looking in mirror, recognizes familiar faces and acts differently around strangers, had separation anxiety for a while but that’s gone away, he looks for toys when he drops them, I think he understands no, he hears and responds to noises (will crane his neck to find where a sound is coming from, sometimes looks when you call his name). He smiles at us, he laughs. This week he has started having split nights (was previously sleeping through the night since 3 months old) and is fussy for no reason.

I am extremely concerned about the fact he doesn’t babble and doesn’t make a lot of vowel sounds anymore either. Is this normal? Can anyone share stories of their kids not babbling till later and how and when they started? Anything proven to help? Thank you.

Hi, I want to clarify that I am going to use chatGPT to clean up my thoughts so if it sounds like chat gpt, that is why. Writing my thoughts tends to be all over the place and I want to be as concise as possible. I saved my original writing if this isn't allowed and I need to resubmit. 

OK, below is the part I used chat GPT to help me write and edit, but some is still my writing:

I’m 31 and a first-time mom to my almost 8-month-old son. He is seriously amazing, and I love him more than anything in the world.

I’m also the sibling of a 30-year-old man with severe autism. When I was growing up, he was labeled “low functioning/nonverbal,” which I believe would now be considered level 3 ASD.

My brother doesn’t speak, can’t care for himself independently, and will live in a group home permanently. I love him deeply. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel some complicated mix of fear, sadness, guilt, anxiety, or grief surrounding his life and future. I’m terrified of the day my parents are gone and I’m all he has left. And now that I’m a mother, I’m terrified of my son sharing the same fate... being in pain, needing help, and not being able to express it with words.

Growing up with my brother was hard (understatement). I developed severe anxiety and other issues I’d rather not get into online. During puberty, my brother became extremely aggressive. He kicked more than 60 holes in our walls and broke several bones (not his own), which eventually led to psych holds and placement in a group home. He’s doing much better now than he was back then, but life is still difficult for him and for my family. I hate to say this next part, but I'm certain there are parents in this sub that know what I'm talking about. My heart hurts for your children too and I want you to know that I think about and pray every day for literally everyone affected by autism. I don't know how much I believe in prayer but I still do it.

As for my son, he is almost 8 months old and still not babbling, and that has intensified these fears significantly. When he was younger, it was easier to push the thoughts aside because no one expects a newborn to babble. But now that he’s getting older, my anxiety has spiraled over the last month. He also doesn't roll, but he's a big baby. He eats pretty much anything we give him, but is struggling with figuring out foods that he has to hold and feed himself. Purees are his jam. He smiles, looks at us, sometimes looks up when we call his name, he laughs, he reaches for toys, he moves around on his tummy (no crawling yet), he makes great eye contact, he pays attention to books so long as he isn't too tired, he has hit pretty much all his milestones except for the 6 month language ones (does not back and forth make sounds with us and the lack of babbling). And now I am just consumed with "what if 9, 10 months come and nothing changes?" We have him in speech therapy, we are going to the pediatrician today to discuss the fact there have been no changes in his vocalizations since our last appointment, we are doing everything we can (I think, I hope). And yet no reassurance is good enough to help.

I hate admitting this part because I never want it to sound like I don’t love my brother. I love him so much and have always been his defender and protector, yelling at adults as a 10 year old for staring in public. But the fear of my adult family life looking like my childhood family life honestly consumes me some days. I have a therapist, a psychiatrist, and I take medication, but it feels like nothing will truly calm me down until my son is older and there’s more certainty. I just want to wake up in 2027 when he is or isn't talking and we have answers.

Instead of fully enjoying watching my baby grow, I find myself constantly scanning for signs of autism. I’ve gone down endless Google and YouTube rabbit holes that always leave me convinced something is wrong.

I also want to clarify that I don’t think this is postpartum anxiety or depression. This fear existed long before I became a mom. But until recently, it wasn’t interfering with my ability to enjoy my life or my son = the way it is now.

Anyway, I honestly don't know what I'm looking to get out of this post, or if this is the right community for it. I guess I just want advice on my anxiety, or notes of what your autistic child was like at 7.5/8 months. The internet is so broad and any normal infant behavior can be turned into autism on Google. How did you know, when did you know. Do you have typical babies that you noticed differences with your atypical child (I apologize if atypical is no longer the right verbiage). What is it like from the viewpoint of a parent? How do you calm your fears? If you have one autistic child, did you have more? Why or why not? Were they typical?

I have gone to therapy my whole life to process autism from the context of being a sister. I plan to go back to therapy to process it from the context of being a mom. But firsthand accounts from anyone here or any words you have for me that might make me feel better (or not).

Thank you for reading and taking the time. Please go easy on me. I know I need to talk to someone about this and plan to in my upcoming sessions.