Question about my nephew - possible delays

My DH's husband and his wife have a baby boy 5 weeks younger than my DD.  He is currently 7 months old.  We were with them this weekend for the first time in a long time.  I am worried about his development.  I think they are, too, but always just joke that in 5 weeks he will be doing what DD is doing.  He can sit up, but I have never seed a baby with absolutely no personality.  He has no expression at all.  He just sits there and looks at things. He doesn't even seem to notice his own mom and dad.  My DD is full of personality.  She laughs and smiles all the time.  People always comment about how happy she is, so I am trying not to compare the two, but he just seems like something is missing.  When she was pregnant, one test came back abnormal.  I don't think they ever got a clear answer about it.  I am an early childhood educator and constantly deal with children with various degrees of autism.  I always worry about it and watch for signs on my own kids.  After seeing my nephew this weekend, I would be worried if he were mine.  How early do signs show up and what are the signs in an infant?

[Me2mommy2b]

Signs of Autism in infants
Signs of autism in infants are more often than not detected by the child's parents.Signs of Autism in infants are not as easily recognized as they are when the child is older.All parents worry about their children. When they notice signs and symptoms of autism they may dismiss them thinking that their child is "just a bit slow developing" All occasionally need some reassurance that the quirks they see are just that.

These early warning signs of Autism do not automatically suggest autism, but are simply an Autism checklist for parents, These early signs of Autism should be monitored in all children and if exist further evaluation should occur. This aids in early detection and treatment for Autism .Your child's pediatrician should be asking questions regarding your child's developmental milestones at each regular check-up and if you have any concerns share it with your doctor.

Children with autism and other autism spectrum disorders typically display a range of identifiable symptoms. By being aware of these early signs of autism, parents can help spot the disorder at an earlier age, which greatly improves a child's overall prognosisThere is growing evidence that it is possible to spot autism in infants. It may not be possible to formally diagnose autism at this stage as Autism is usually not diagnosed until the ages of 24-36 months.However early recognition of signs of asutism in infants allows families to receive advice and support to help them adjust and respond to the child's difficulties.

All parents compare their child to other children and do notice the differences.Listed below is a checklist of the expected development of a normal infant.

By six months old infant we would expect to see the child smiling and reacting to their parents presence.

By the age of nine months the same child would reciprocate their parents smile.

By the time the child reached one year old we would expect it to be babbling and pointing to objects that attracted it's attention.

By sixteen months a child can usually use single words.

By by the age of 2 years should be able to use two word phrases.

It must be remembered that all children are individuals and as such develop at varying stages.Some children with autism develop normally and then start to lose their skills.

An infant with autism does not normally smile , does not react to the presence of its parents.Has limited or no speech.As the child becomes older other symptoms of Autism start to develop which are more obvious.

[lfb]

I forgot to add that he cried inconsolably for the first 5-6 months.  He is still really hard to comfort when he gets upset.  

[jenstam]

Does he smile at people? I noticed this about one of my best girlfriends sons early on-by 2 mos I noticed he wasn't looking around and it just got worse. This was her first child and she thought he was just very laid back. Not true. He has severe autism. He cannot talk. He's nearly 11 years old now and it is profound. You could tell something was not right with him very early on. It's just that how do you tell someone you think something is wrong with their child. I sat and waited. She did not notice or start thinking something was wrong until he was over a year old!! By that time he had no expression, no smiling, no laughter and no relating to others.

[lfb]

He will laugh but only when my brother-in-law tickles him really bad.  He doesn't smile back at people at all.  My DD sat in front of him and took toys from him and laughed all day and he had no reaction.  I know I can't say anything, but I think something is wrong.  He just has no emotion.  The thing that really gets me is the fact that his mom is a SAHM and he doesn't even act like he knows her.  My DD falls apart when I leave a room and lights up when I walk in.  

[jenstam]

It definitely sounds like something isn't right...

[Me2mommy2b]

Hmm...did they bring it to their pediatrician's attention?  Something sounds off.  I'm not sure if it's autism but something isn't right.  Does he follow objects with his eyes?  When you say no reaction, does he look like he sees but doesn't respond or stares at one thing?  Is his vision ok?  So many questions that come to my mind...It breaks my heart when I hear things like these about the little ones.  I hope they get him evaluated soon and get all the help he might need ASAP.

[spade22]

I think its important to bring up this topic with his parents even though it will be hard.  As the others have said if he gets evaluated soon he can get all the help he needs ASAP (if there is a problem) BUT if his parents are just brushing his behavior off or are too close to the situation to really think there could be an issue etc. then a little intervention/coaxing might be in order.

You also mentioned that one of his tests came back abnormal when his mother was pregnant but that was never resolved - this could be a very important clue to his diagnosis.  There are some disorders that present w/ autism-like symptoms that sometimes come w/ other quite serious problems that may not be obviously apparent at first (heart defects for example).  Again, another reason for to to get evaluated