Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled? – 7 Heartwarming Insights You Need to Know

Tickling is such a classic way for moms to connect with their little ones, right? But when you’ve got an autistic baby, it’s like stepping into uncharted territory. You start wondering, do autistic babies laugh when tickled?

It’s natural to have questions like do autistic babies laugh when tickled swirling around in your mind. Well, in this article, we’re diving deep into that question and more. We’ll chat about whether those adorable giggles are a thing, and what they mean for your sweet baby’s development and happiness. Plus, we’ll explore how tickling can be super beneficial for your little one’s overall well-being.

But that’s not all! We’ll also touch on some telltale signs that might hint at autism in babies, helping you navigate those early parenting waters with confidence. And let’s not forget about busting a few myths along the way because, hey, knowledge is power! So grab a cup of coffee (or tea, we don’t judge), cozy up, and let’s journey through this together!

Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled and Signs That Your Baby Is Autistic

1. Having a strong interest in a particular thing.

Could be a toy or an object that interests them

2. Autistic babies might not respond emotionally to others, unlike other children.

If you smile at them, they will smile back, or if they see other children crying they might want to also cry. An autistic baby might not be that responsive. 

Your baby between 4 and 7 months will likely turn to the sounds he hears. And react to loud sounds, unlike an autistic baby.

3. He will like doing things repeatedly.

Like rolling the tires of his toy car over and over or flipping the light switch off and on consistently. Or even play with just a part of their car. 

Even seeing a movie over and over again for as long as he desires. He might choose to eat just one particular food all day and even the next. 

4. He will likely have night terror.

Waking up in the middle of the night and crying uncontrollably. Sleeping very briefly at night. 

5. Delayed speech

It’s not everyone that has autism that has delayed speech but delayed speech is one thing that comes with being autistic. 

From 7 to a year when you call your baby, he should be able to respond by looking at you. 

At this age, your baby should be holding things to start if not walking especially at a year. He should be able to say some words even if they are not very clear. This might not be the case with an autistic baby. 

6. An autistic baby loves to follow a routine

If your child is autistic, you will notice that he doesn’t like it when you try to change his routine. For example, changing his blankets or using new bedding or clothing. Babies love to experiment and try to feel everything by putting them in their mouths, unlike an autistic child.

7. Unusual body movement 

An autistic child might have an unusual body movement like walking on the tip of his toes have a stiff arm or have his hands flapping.

8. Good eye contact 

From birth to about 3 months, your baby should be able to look at a thing and make good eye contact with you. At 3 months your baby should be able to look at a visitor and his eyes following an object. 

Also, your baby will be able to hold things and babble but if he is autistic, he will avoid any eye contact and not show any sign of a smile when smiled at. 

9. From three to seven months

At this age, your baby should be laughing and smiling and even be playing certain games with you like the peek-a-boo game. However, an autistic baby will likely not show any interest in your game or laugh with you, or show any sign of interest in the game you are trying to play with him. 

Other signs of an autistic baby may include

• Will have very serious meltdowns over the slightest things daily.

• Obsessive behavior.

Do Autistic Babies To Laugh When Tickled? Is It Normal?

Generally, tickling can be a way to bond with your baby. While tickling your baby, you will be looking at him in his eyes and laughing along with him as he laughs. 

On the other hand, tickling can be a NO as it looks intrusive for an adult but for a baby, they don’t have control over how long they get to laugh and won’t be able to tell you when to stop. 

Excessive tickling of a baby can also affect the nervous system and cause chest and stomach pain.

The good thing about this is that, if you can look out for your baby and ensure you note when you should stop then there is no harm in tickling your baby, autistic or not. 

Some autistic babies enjoy being tickled and laugh well while tickled. This is normal. What is not normal is when the tickling begins to cause chest pain and stomach pain. The involuntary laughter can make you not be able to tell when your baby is in pain and when it’s still safe. 

Tickling can lead to baby hiccups because while you tickle your baby, he stops in between his laughter and takes short breaths making him gasp for air. 

For an autistic child, because we can be sensitive, he is super ticklish. The downside to this is that it can lead to panic.

Tickling an autistic child for more than a minute can cause a meltdown or he can react by either screaming or crying. 

Also, your baby is still little and won’t be able to tell you he dislikes tickling. So, it will be you doing to him what he hates yet he gets to laugh because it’s involuntary and he has no control over what is happening.  

Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled and Is It Painful? 

The way you react when in pain and when tickled is almost the same thing. Laughing while tickled is an involuntary thing; you can’t just help but laugh. 

According to experts, being tickled triggers both your pain nerves and the nerve for touching. 

Tickling can be intrusive when you do it to your child. It tells him that it’s okay for him to be touched without his consent.

As much as it has the good side of bonding with your child, you can also look for other ways to have a good time with your baby other than tickling. Especially when your baby is up to a year old. That way he understands what’s in the game and responds accordingly.

Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled and Some Common Untrue Beliefs.

Some people believe that tickling a baby can be of great benefit to your baby’s growth and developmental milestones.

For instance, it is believed that since tickling a baby causes him to react by laughing or making sounds it can lure a baby into actual talking. 

Well, tickling is a good way to have contact with a person but tickling your baby will not make him start talking having a strong sense of touch early enough can help your baby with his verbal skills or communication skills and that will not be a 100% thing.  

You will be helping your baby better when you say some words and let him repeat those words after you while you touch some parts of him like his chin, his palm, or even his tummy.  Words that will be easy to pronounce like mummy, yummy, 

Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled and Tickling As a Recreational Activity for Babies

As much as tickling can be a good source of bonding for both you and the baby, it’s not a sign that the baby likes to be tickled. As it has been said a couple of times in this article, the laughter that comes with tickling is involuntary. I have established earlier that tickling could lead to hiccups so it can’t be a good exercise for your baby.

Tickling can make babies stutter

In addition, people believe tickling your baby can make your baby stutter later when he wants to start talking. 

This myth holds no basis. A child that wants to stutter will stutter whether tickled or not. Stuttering has no scientifically proven cause yet

Do Autistic Babies Laugh When Tickled and Other Ways You Can Bond With Your Baby

Since you aim to create a bond between you and your baby, there are lots of other things you can do aside from tickling. Here are some of them

1. Singing songs to him while he tries to fall asleep can also create bonds.

2. Gently touching his hands and feet, and gradually stretching his palms while talking to him can also create bonds.

3. When he gets older and has started understanding things, you can read him a story either randomly or a bedtime story. This is a good way to create a bond between you and your child. After each story, you can leave room for interaction and stories based on the story. 

4. Massaging your baby and breastfeeding him while holding him close to your baby’s body can create a bond.

5. There are games you can play like peek-a-boo, clapping games, pat-a-cake

6. At that tender age, you can kiss your baby on the cheek and forehead

7. Hug your baby as often as possible. It is a good way to assure him that you have him at heart always.

You might have grown up to see tickling as one of those playful practices for either a baby or an adult but it can be a painful experience for a baby and can end unpleasantly for an autistic baby.

Practice other better and healthier ways to get your baby to bond with you and to get that smile you want from your baby. 

Are Autistic People Very Ticklish?

An Autistic baby is ticklish. Many autistic people can be tickled by just about any part of their body. Ear, feet, neck, underarm.

In some cases just threatening to tickle them gets them tickled and you see them giggle. They are highly sensitive people, this could be why they easily react to loud sounds and noise. 

Are There Benefits In Tickling A Baby’s Feet?

There are good sides to tickling a baby’s feet, some include the following

It helps your baby’s nervous system to develop 

Your baby will understand the tender sensation and be able to tell that it’s pleasant. 

Tickling the feet of your baby can be a way of stimulating the foot muscles.

Tickling your baby’s feet prepares your baby for any kind of surprise that he or she may encounter. 

Tickling your baby’s feet creates room for contact between your baby and you the parents

See a doctor

If you think your child is autistic and you have noticed some unusual signs in your child’s developmental milestones. Whether it be delayed speech, stiff arms, poor motor skills lack of response to external emotions, or obsessive behavior. 

If it turns out that your baby is autistic or not, it would have been better for a professional to say your baby is autistic or not.

Last Words

The causes of autism are yet to be fully established so there is no need to beat up yourself if you find out that your baby is autistic. An autistic child has nothing to do with being a perfect parent or not. 

You can’t just conclude that your baby is autistic just based on your observation. If you notice any abnormalities in your baby, you have to consult your baby’s physician to do a proper assessment of your baby and be properly diagnosed.

If it is confirmed early enough, the better for you and your baby. So you know what to do and how to adjust your schedule to help him live a normal life. 

Tickling an autistic baby can be pleasant and unpleasant. Some autistic babies enjoy being tickled and laugh while tickled which is normal. Some autistic babies will take your tickling for some seconds and then panic in between the tickling.

Autistic babies are quite sensitive so you ought to be careful while dealing with them so you don’t have an extreme meltdown you might regret causing.