Fretting About Mali

Mali has her MYND Institute appointment on Tuesday.

For the most part, I feel good about her. She is a different baby these past two weeks, vocalizing with consonants when she's upset and increasingly when she just feels like it; sitting up unsupported in my lap for a good few seconds before falling over; really exploring the five or six hundred bells and manipulatives on her overstimulator, er, exersaucer; keeping most of her food in her mouth when she eats; sipping and actually swallowing water from my an open cup without spilling; checking out everything in the whole world with interest. And her eyes, sadly, look like they're about to change. Instead of bright blue, they appear to be the slate blue that Leelo's turned at this same age, right before they went hazel.

Even with all the amazingness she's demonstrating, I can't help but worry about her. She's starting to make jerky movements with her arms. It could be that this is the first step towards total control of said limbs, or it could be the beginning of the type of spastic movements I noticed in Leelo when he was an infant but was told to not worry about. She appears to be very social, but is so only from non-confrontational distances. She doesn't like to look me in the eyes if I have her in my lap. Unless it's her choice. She keeps her left hand clenched tight an awful lot. She is sitting up without assuming the tripod position first--a stiff baby sign that is also a pre-autism sign?

It is a damn good thing that I have her signed up for those MYND evaluations. Otherwise I'd fret myself into a corner.

Further information on infant siblings of autistic children:

Autism Treatment Could Begin Earlier

Five Early Signs of Autism

Autism: Recognising the Signs in Young Children