Christine McGuinness "knew" her daughter had autism when she was six months old.
The 31-year-old model, who is married to ‘Top Gear’ presenter Paddy, recently revealed Felicity, three, had been diagnosed with the developmental disability, and Christine says she could tell Felicity had the condition as a baby, because she displayed similar physical signs to the couple’s six-year-old twins, Leo and Penelope, who also have the disability.
When asked if she had suspected Felicity’s autism, Christine told OK! magazine: "I knew from six months old. She tensed her whole body and that was something the twins used to do. I thought to myself, ‘Oh god, here we go again.’
"I kept watching her after that. Paddy and my mum would tell me to relax and not overthink things but I spent the most time with her so I kept spotting things. Sometimes I’d keep it to myself because I didn’t want to put my worries on to anyone else."
Christine admits she has no plans to have therapy after Felicity’s diagnosis, because she struggles to open up about her children’s disabilities.
She explained: "I don’t feel I have the time. I admit I’m the worst when it comes to telling people when I’m struggling. I will never say if I’ve had a bad day and, to be honest, there’s no one I feel I can speak to.
"The day Felicity got diagnosed, Paddy and I had to take separate cars as he had to be somewhere and I cried all the way home. I felt I had no one I could call because opening up about it would just make me break down. I prefer to stay upbeat so I plaster a smile on my face even when it’s hard."
Christine also revealed the family had completed the milestone of going on holiday abroad, after three years of preparation.
She said: "We went on our first family holiday abroad last summer. But that was after three years of visiting the airport and getting the children used to the runway and to the sounds of the plane.
"There’s always kids crying on flights but for us, we can’t just tell them to behave themselves because they are not being naughty. But we were so supported.
"We contacted the airport beforehand and they gave the kids sunflower lanyards so staff would know they had difficulties. We knew we were able to get off the plane right up until they closed the doors. The kids did have a little wobble but they coped so well and we had a lovely time."
Christine McGuinness ‘knew’ daughter had autism as a baby
