Indicators of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are already visible in children under one year of age. Sometimes, these signs are difficult to distinguish and a parent may confuse them with hearing problems. In fact, certain children could also have hearing loss or simply be "late bloomers", a very delicate expression used by US pediatricians to define children who have language difficulties, but with normal intellectual and socio-affective development. If your child is showing some typical symptoms of autism, the first step is to go to the pediatrician, who will evaluate the child and monitor his progress at each checkup. You can be screened to officially diagnose autism when your baby is 18 months of age. However, it would be necessary to study the general delays in development as early as 9 months. Early diagnosis is an important tool for the growth of the child.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Recognizing the Signs of Autism in Infants
Step 1. Notice the expressions on your child's face
Normally, from 7 months of age, babies express joy and smile when they are happy.
- Often, a baby's first smile can occur even before the age of 3 months.
- If a baby hasn't followed objects with his eyes since he is 3 months old, this attitude could be an early indicator of autism.
- Look at the other facial expressions.
- From 9 months of age, babies communicate with others through certain expressions such as grimaces, pouts and smiles to communicate their mood.
Step 2. Notice if he starts babbling
Neurotypic babies babble around 7 months.
- The sounds they make may not make any sense.
- It is normal for children to make repetitive sounds, but autistic children do so in different ways and rhythms.
- At 7 months of age, non-autistic babies are able to laugh and scream.
Step 3. Consider when the child starts talking
Some children with autism have a delay in speaking or never learn to speak at all. About 15-20% of autistic people do not speak, even if this aspect does not involve a total lack of communication.
- For one year, non-autistic children have been able to pronounce single words, such as "mom" and "dad".
- From age 2, most children are able to join words together. Usually a 2 year old should have a vocabulary of more than 15 words.
Step 4. Check the child's reactions to words and play
An autistic child may not respond to their name or avoid playing with others.
- From 7 months, a baby reacts to simple games, such as cuckoo.
- A non-autistic child responds to his name from 24 months onwards.
- From 18 months, a child normally begins to "pretend" when he plays: for example, he pretends to feed a baby doll. Autistic children tend not to play this way and can appear unimaginative to the viewer.
- From the age of two, non-autistic children imitate the words and actions of adults.
- Pay attention to linguistic regression. Some children follow the path of the evolutionary stages and then lose the skills acquired at a later age.
Step 5. Examine your child's movements
Typically, babies point to objects from 7 months of age. Put a toy out of your child's reach to see if he points out.
- Babies as young as 7 months try to attract the attention of others by moving. Autistic children may be less active.
- From 6 months of age, they turn their heads in the direction of the sounds they hear. If your child doesn't behave this way, they may have a hearing problem or have a first autistic symptom.
- Around the age of 12 months, many babies begin to wave their hand to say hello and point to the objects they want.
- If your baby hasn't started walking or crawling by 12 months, it could be a rather severe developmental disability.
- From the first year of age, most children begin to use gestures, such as shaking their heads to say "no".
- If your child is unable to walk around the age of 2, you should definitely have him examined by your doctor who will diagnose if he has autism or other disabilities.
Step 6. Look for signs of self-stimulation
Self-stimulation serves a variety of purposes, including calming down and expressing emotions. If your child gestures with his hands, rocks his body, or turns in circles all the time, this is a probable sign of autism.
Method 2 of 2: Identify the Signs of Autism in Older Children
Step 1. Observe how your child interacts with others
Autistic children are unable to make friends with their peers. They may feel the desire to have friends, but they don't know how, or they are not interested at all.
- Sometimes they have a hard time understanding and reacting to what others are feeling emotionally.
- Autistic children may not want to join group activities, either because it is difficult or because they are not interested.
- Autistic children may ignore the concept of personal space: some may resist physical contact or not understand the boundaries that define personal spaces.
- Another symptom of autism occurs when there is no reaction to comforting gestures or words from another person during a difficult time.
Step 2. Note your child's non-verbal communication
Autistic children may feel uncomfortable when eye contact is made.
- They may show an expressionless face or have exaggerated manifestations.
- Autistic children cannot understand or react to other people's non-verbal cues.
- Autistic people cannot use gestures and have difficulty interpreting when others use them.
- Autistic children often do not point to objects or react when others point their fingers in the direction of something.
Step 3. Pay attention to your child's verbal communication
Children with language deficits or delays in language development may be autistic.
- Autistic children who express themselves verbally have a dull or monotone voice.
- Some autistic children tend to echolalia, or to mechanically repeat the words and phrases of others, to communicate and concentrate.
- Inverting pronouns (using "you" instead of "I") is another common trait in children with autism spectrum disorders.
- Many autistic people don't understand jokes, sarcasm or jokes.
- Some autistic people may develop language skills late or not completely. These people can live adequately happy lives, using alternative ways of communicating, such as typing, sign language or image exchange. Early intervention can help an autistic child learn how to use these tools.
Step 4. Recognize if your child has special interests
A passion for something in particular, such as computer games or car license plates, can indicate autism. Autistic people are fascinated by certain aspects, studying them with passion and sharing the information they have gathered (with enthusiasm or without) with anyone who shows a willingness to listen.
Often people with autism are won over by facts and numbers that they memorize and catalog in a certain way
Step 5. Consider whether your child's interests are "age-appropriate"
The emotional development of autistic people differs from that of their neurotypical peers, and this can lead them to become passionate about different things.
Don't be surprised if a 12-year-old boy reads classic literature for fun and watches cartoons for children. In some respects it may be "behind", while in others it may be "superior"
Step 6. See how it plays
Autistic children tend to play differently than neurotypical children, focusing more on schematization than on imaginary play. They may exhibit an unusual aptitude for construction games.
- Autistic children can become fixated on a certain part of the toy, for example the wheels.
- Putting toys of different models in line is a typical sign of autism.
- However, the aptitude for ordering objects does not necessarily indicate a lack of imagination. Autistic children can have a rather intense inner world, not easily identifiable by adults.
Step 7. Pay attention to how the child reacts to sensory stimuli
Many autistic children have a sensory processing disorder, a condition in which the senses may be affected by hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity.
- Children with sensory processing disorders can easily feel overwhelmed when overstimulated.
- Notice if the child hides when he hears loud noises (e.g. vacuum cleaner), wants to leave early when around people, has trouble concentrating when there are distractions, is constantly active, or gets angry in noisy or crowded environments.
- Some children with autism react strangely to strong smells, bright colors, unusual textures of fabrics, and unusual noises.
- Some children with sensory processing disorders often have nervous breakdowns or react poorly when overstimulated. Others may drift away.
Step 8. Watch out for breakdowns
In appearance they are similar to whims, but they are not born on purpose and cannot be controlled once started. They occur when a burden of repressed stress erupts. Sometimes they are triggered by sensory overload.
Step 9. Examine your child's habits
Many autistic children need to follow a routine in order to feel safe, and they become greatly distressed if this pattern is broken. For example, your daughter may insist on sitting in the same chair every night when dinner is needed, or insist on eating what's on her plate in a particular order.
Many autistic people follow a particular routine or specific rituals when they play or perform certain tasks. Children with autism can become overly upset if changes occur in their habit patterns
Step 10. Pay attention to mistakes that happen in social contexts
While all children can behave rudely or inappropriately, on the other hand those who are autistic do it more frequently and act with an astonished and sorry attitude when they notice it. This is because people with autism spectrum disorders do not learn social norms that easily, so they may need to be taught explicitly what is appropriate and inappropriate.
Step 11. Look for other symptoms
Autism is a complex disability that affects each person differently. Here are some symptoms found in some autistic people:
- Hyperactivity (can be fluctuating)
- Impulsiveness
- Limited attention threshold
- Aggression
- Self-harm
- Outbursts of anger or nervous breakdowns
- Unusual eating or sleeping habits
- Unusual mood or emotional reactions
- Lack of fear or panic in harmless situations
Advice
- Do careful research on autism and related disabilities before jumping to a conclusion. For example, what appears to be autism may be a sensory processing disorder.
- Some children are so-called "late bloomers", subjects with linguistic difficulties, but who have delays in with normal intellectual and socio-affective development.
- If you are concerned that your child exhibits some of these behaviors, take them to the pediatrician for an evaluation.
- Early intervention has been shown to be highly effective in allowing autistic children to integrate into school and interact with their peers.
- Give yourself time to reflect, correct and deal with the situation.
- Contrary to popular belief, autism does not ruin the lives of children and their families. Everything will be OK.
Warnings
- Never agree to a method that, in your opinion, can make even a neurotypical child uncomfortable (for example, the silence game) or classified as torture (for example, electric shock).
- Beware of anti-autism campaigns and organizations, as they can spread destructive messages that damage the child's self-esteem. Research an autism association carefully before exposing your child to this risk.
