imitation

[Friv]

my son is 6 months old, and does not imitate facial expressions or sounds. he has been cooing since he was 2 months, and babbles mamamamama and sometimes a b or p sound. but i keep reading that even as newborns if you make faces they will imitate you (tongue out, etc.). the only thing he JUST started doing is shaking his head back and forth when grandpa does it--sometimes. and of course smiling in response to my smile since he was about a month old. thoughts? otherwise, he's super social--eye contact, smily, laughs, loves to play, etc. physically advanced--sitting up and has been for a while, etc. i can't help worrying about autism.

[gwen1350]

How did this resolve?  this perfectly describes my 7 month old. Been worried too.

[Athena_M]

If he is making eye contact then there probably is no autism.  His development sounds normal.  He will probably start imitating more in a couple of months. I know it is hard not to worry, but he sounds like a normal little baby.  

[KarenDiane]

I don't think you'll find a clear sign of autism at 6 months. My first child is autistic and when I think back to her baby days, she was not social. She was only happy if she was swinging or rocking. Some sort of repetetive motion. She did not sleep well and she was easily startled. But remember, even if your child does have autism, it doesn't change who they are.

[Friv]

thank you for responding. we have a well baby visit in 2 weeks, but i have gotten myself really freaked out in the meantime. he is my first child. i just can't find any book that doesn't mention this imitation thing as starting really early--like at birth! is this an early sign of autism? i feel like i can't even enjoy my son at the moment because i'm so worked up about this! i'm watching him wave his hand funny and stressing about that! is the lack of imitation a delay? of course everyone comments on how "social" he is--because he grins and laughs and loves to be around people and play, etc. if he were autistic, would there be a clearer sign?

[William L. Holcomb, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

The first thing to consider is that at such a young age there is a great deal of variability in development and the achievement of milestones.  Most of what you describe sounds very typical.  My recommendation is to continue to provide him with the same experiences that you would any infant and see what happens.  I am also assuming that he will being going to the pediatrician for the usual well-baby checkups.  I think you can raise your concerns to the doctor and see what he or she has to say.  If this is your first child, there isn’t really anyone to compare him to (i.e., if he had an older sibling who lagged on some milestones, but then developed without any problems, there won’t be much cause for concern).  Be prepared for a “he’s doing just fine” answer, because he probably is. On the other hand, don’t hesitate to continue to raise your concerns to your doctors if you don’t see any improvement.