Concerned new parents will ask various questions relating to their baby including; do autistic babies always like to be held?

In this article we explore that question.

Autistic babies being held

The first thing to be aware of is that it is almost unheard of to be able to diagnose a baby under 12 months.

Usually diagnosis processes start at around 18 months or much later.

In regard to physical touch however an autistic baby may not show a strong preference for being held or may exhibit discomfort or resistance to physical touch, such as cuddling or being picked up.

So that is in contrast to parents who are concerned that their child demands to be held.

What it important to note however is that if your child exhibits this anti touch behaviour it does not mean that they are autistic.

Many neuro-typical children also don’t like being held as a baby. Speaking personally my son hated being held or cuddled and he has grown into a neuro-typical boy.

What you could notice

Again to clarify, if your baby engages in any of the below behaviours it categorically doesn’t mean they are autistic.

But with that said some possible early signs are below.

Limited eye contact: The baby may have difficulty maintaining eye contact or may not respond to visual cues, such as following objects or faces with their gaze.

Delayed or limited social interaction: The baby may not respond to social stimuli, such as smiling or cooing in response to social cues, or may show a preference for being alone rather than engaging with others.

Lack of response to name: The baby may not respond when their name is called or may not consistently turn towards the source of the sound.

Summary – Do autistic babies always like to be held?

The simple answer is no.

As ever there are huge caveats in that if your child does or does not like to be held they could still be autistic (or not).

The identification and diagnosis process is multi layered and conducted by trained professionals.

If you are concerned about your baby consider reaching out to a health care practitioner for expert advice.