A baby’s first smile often occurs even before 3 months. If a baby doesn’t follow objects with its eyes by 3 months, this could be a very early indicator of autism. Observe their other facial expressions. By 9 months old, babies communicate with others by displaying certain expressions like grimacing, pouting and grinning to fit their mood.
The noise might not make any sense. It is common for babies to make repetitive sounds, but autistic babies will make different sounds and rhythms. By seven months, non-autistic children are able to laugh and make squealing sounds.
By one year, non-autistic children are able to say single words such as “Mama” and “Dada”. By age 2, most children are able to string words together. A typical 2-year-old should have a vocabulary of more than 15 words.
By 7 months, a typical child responds to simple games like peekaboo. A non-autistic child responds to its own name at about one year old. By 18 months, a typical child will start to play “pretend” games, such as pretend feeding a baby doll. Autistic children tend not to play pretend, and may appear unimaginative to onlookers. By age two, non-autistic children will imitate your words and actions. Pay attention to speech regression. Some infants meet their milestones and then lose skills at an older age.
Babies as young as 7 months old will try to attract your attention with movements. Autistic children may be less active. By 6 months old, children should turn their head towards sounds they hear. If your child does not do this they may have a hearing problem, or early symptoms of autism. Many babies start waving bye-bye and pointing to objects they want by the time they are 12 months old. If your child has not started to walk or crawl by 12 months, this is a very serious developmental disability. [12] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source By age 1, most babies will start to use gestures such as shaking their head to say “no”. If your child cannot walk by age 2, you should definitely have them evaluated by a doctor for autism and other disabilities.
They sometimes struggle with understanding and reacting to others’ feelings. Autistic children may not want to join group activities, either because it’s hard or because they aren’t interested. Autistic children may be unusual in terms of personal space: some may resist touch or not understand personal space. Another symptom of autism is when a child does not respond to being comforted by others when they are distressed.
They may have a flat facial expression, or exhibit exaggerated experiences. Autistic children may not understand or respond to other’s non-verbal cues. Autistic people may not use gestures or have trouble interpreting when others use gestures. Autistic children often don’t point to objects or respond to others pointing.
Autistic children who are verbal may use a flat or monotone voice. Some autistic kids use echolalia, or the repetition of words and phrases, to communicate and focus. For example, you may notice that if you ask them a question, they’ll repeat the question[17] X Expert Source Laura Reber, SSPSchool Psychologist Expert Interview. 15 May 2020. back to you instead of answering it. Reversing pronouns (using “you” instead of “I”) is another common trait of children who have ASD. Many autistic people don’t understand jokes, sarcasm, or teasing. Some autistic people may develop speech later, or not at all. They can live happy and functional lives, using alternative communication such as typing, sign language, or picture exchange. Early intervention can help an autistic child learn how to use these tools.
For example, a younger child might be almost obsessively fascinated with dinosaurs or trains. [19] X Expert Source Laura Reber, SSPSchool Psychologist Expert Interview. 15 May 2020. Autistic people often become fascinated with memorizing categorized facts and figures.
Don’t be surprised if a 12-year-old reads classical literature for fun and watches cartoons for young children. They may be both “behind” and “ahead” in some respects.
Autistic kids may fixate on a part of a toy, such as the wheels. One sign of autism is lining up toys in different patterns. Ordering things does not necessarily indicate a lack of imagination. Autistic children may have intense inner worlds that are not easily detected by adults. [22] X Research source
Children with Sensory Processing Disorder may become overwhelmed easily when they are overstimulated. Notice if your child hides from loud things (e. g. the vacuum cleaner), wants to leave events early, has trouble concentrating when there are distractions, is constantly active, or gets upset in loud or crowded areas. Some autistic children react strangely to strong smells, bright colors, unusual textures, and specific noises, even if those stimuli don’t seem strong to other people. [24] X Expert Source Laura Reber, SSPSchool Psychologist Expert Interview. 15 May 2020. Children with Sensory Processing Disorder will often have meltdowns or act out when they are over stimulated. Others may withdraw.
Many autistic people follow specific routines or rituals when they are playing or doing certain tasks, and autistic children may become very upset by changes in this routine.
For instance, you might notice that your child doesn’t smile when you smile, they have trouble making friends, they don’t make eye contact, or they don’t seem to understand other people’s emotions. [26] X Expert Source Laura Reber, SSPSchool Psychologist Expert Interview. 15 May 2020.
Hyperactivity (this may come and go) Impulsivity Short attention span Aggression Self-injury Temper tantrums or meltdowns Unusual eating or sleeping habits Unusual mood or emotional reactions Lack of fear or extreme fear of harmless situations Distinct facial features. In a 2011 issue of Molecular Autism, researchers found out that autistic children have distinct differences in facial characteristics. [28] X Research source The study found they had wider eyes, and a “broader upper face,” compared with typically developing children. Abnormal lung airways. In 2013, a study was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, claiming that “Bronchoscopic evaluations revealed that some children have double branching of bronchi (designated “doublets”) in the lower lungs airways, rather than normal, single branching. Retrospective analyses revealed only one commonality in them: all subjects with doublets also had autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). “[29] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
