Within the first year of life, huge changes are happening in a child's brain. The child develops very quickly, learning words, crawling, and recognizing the mother's face. Once a child has reached his first year of life, parents should begin to keep an eye out for the following factors, which may be early signs of autism. (Note: this is a list of all the symptoms associated with autism. Not all children with autism will exhibit all of these  autism symptoms. Children will exhibit a combination of some of these autism characteristics.)

 

-         Failure to speak single words by 16 months

-         Failure to say multiple words or phrases by 24 months

-         Failure to babble by the age of one

-         Failure to point or indicate by the age of one

-         Failure to respond to name by the age of one

-         Loss of language skills at any particular time

-         Indicates their needs by gesture rather than using words (may lead  an individual by the hand to an object of need rather than pointing to it)

-         No pretend or imitation play

-         Low interaction with peers; appears happier when alone

-         Does not understand tone of voice or facial expressions

-         Unaware of other’s feelings

-         Resistance to cuddling or touching

-         Unaware or indifferent to other people and surroundings

-         Short attention span

-         Resistance to learning

-         Repeats the same actions or over and over again (Example: rocking back and forth, flapping of hands, spinning)

-         Unusual posture; odd leaning of the body

-         Echolalia; repeating or echoing the same word or words

-         Cries, laughs, or shows distress for no clear reason

-         Uneven motor skills

-         High sensitivity or low sensitivity in any of the five senses

-         Physically over or under active

-         No fear of danger

-         Strong opposition to changes in schedule or routine

-         Behavioral outbursts, tantrums (usually due to unexpected change of schedule or anxiety)

-         Minimal eye contact, or none at all

-     Inappropriate attachment to objects

-     Not responsive to regular methods and verbal cues

-     May appear to have hearing problems even though they are no hearing impaired  

 

First time parents may not know what to expect as far as normal development, so in addition to keeping an eye out for these autism signs, parents should also speak with their pediatricians to make sure that the child is reaching normal developmental stages. Parents need to interact with and observe their children closely to see if any of these symptoms exist.

 

A number of these symptoms are common in other disabilities as well, which may lead to some confusion. This is why good communication with a child's doctors is essential. If a parent suspects that his or her child may be affected by a developmental disorder, it is important to work closely with a specialist to obtain a correct diagnosis and begin treatment as soon as possible. If a child receives a diagnosis of any type of developmental disorder, it is extremely important for parents to take action on the matter immediately. Especially for autism, one of the biggest factors contributing to good outcome is an early start in intervention and therapy.        

 

Sources:

 

[Dodd, Susan. Understanding Autism. Australia: Elsevier, 2005. p.11]