Gregg Wallace reveals that his three-year-old son has autism
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Watch: Gregg Wallace reveals that his three-year-old son has autism
Masterchef host Gregg Wallace has revealed that his three-year-old son Syd has autism and is non-verbal.
Appearing on Loose Women, Wallace opened up on the diagnosis and the impact it has had on his family.
Wallace said: “Syd has autism. He’s three, you can’t legally diagnose until they are two and half, but we knew at about a year old that we had some issues."
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He also discussed spotting some signs that his son may have the condition: “For us, He wasn’t answering to his name, he wasn’t playing peekaboo, he was running around.
"He’s got autism and something called global development delay, so he’s not speaking yet. But he is lovely and he is happy and he is cuddly and if he wants something he grabs your hand.”
Wallace also used his time on the chat show to urge parents to see a doctor if they think anything is amiss with their children: “If you think they have an issue, see someone. We can see the development, he now makes eye contact, he now interacts more, these specialists teach you to interact more.”
Syd is Wallace's third child but first with current wife Anne-Marie Sterpini who he met on Twitter. His Masterchef co-host John Torode served as his best man. Wallace's marriage to Sterpini is his fourth overall.
Signs of autism in young children include not responding to their name, avoiding eye contact and also not smiling when you smile at them. They may also get very upset if they do not like a certain taste, smell or sound, and have repetitive movements, such as flapping their hands, flicking their fingers or rocking their body.
Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV at 12:30pm.
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