I feel for whoever has to assess him.
Obvious autism traits or not, it's certainly not an easy clinical picture - There is no doubt that SO many of his traits have come about due to his environment. Right from the get go he was treated as not "right" - For the most normal of behaviours such as not sleeping through the night at a few months old, the fact he didn't like his hair washed as a toddler and didn't like baths. And she's still doing this now - Commenting that he was afraid of a pressure washer, always reinforcing these fears to him, it was the same when he was scared of the dog, which he is now fine with. She's always made his fears into a big deal and made it harder for him to get over them, even though she may believe she is trying to help him, by making them into things, it just is completely backwards and not the appropriate way to help children navigate these issues.
He's had next to no access to socialising with other children, has been kept cooped up in a house all day every day with one adult who has a financial interest in portraying things a certain way and who has no respect for his privacy, who kept no routine in place for him, doing this, then that, and giving him everything but normal appropriate experiences for him. Buying him a double bed then sleeping in it with him, then complaining she didn't like co-sleeping and acting like she resented it towards him. Constantly reorganising and redecorating the house so he's got no consistency, which she says he really needs and struggles not having.
She'd take him to Botox appointments over play dates, has constantly filmed him even in his most private moments, sharing about his potty training and God knows what else to tens of thousands of strangers, then profiting off it. Going on holidays which were completely non engaging for a toddler and wondering why he was challenging. He was bored as fuck. Keeping him in baby bottles with the colic inserts and tiny bibs way past when he needed them, and not encouraging him to develop into next stages.
I dunno, it's a terribly sad situation. Yes he likely has autism traits, and autism absolutely is a condition and is not learned behaviour
but let's be honest, you could put the most neurotypical-brained child to ever exist into this start, and they would not develop well.
Watching this entire car crash as a late diagnosed autistic adult with my own child is awful yet I can't look away
sorry this post got very long.
. You are in your pjs on the couch or in bed numerous days midweek, you can close your work laptop with no consequence to take your son to a pet farm , you had a childminder and a grandparent both helping you this week as well as your husband working from home and on hand to help . Your Mam came up a few weeks ago to help you and cooked valentines dinner for you and Barry . You jumped on a plane home to Mammy last week where she cooked for you , ran you baths while you sipped Prosecco and cried on her shoulder . Meanwhile the rest of the adult population are juggling full-time jobs , parenting , kids with additional needs , health issues , financial issues etc , many with no help . 