The Early Signs of Autism
Some of the early signs and symptoms that parents and Pediatricians look for to alert them that a child needs further evaluation for autism include:
- not smiling by six months of age
- not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
- not using single words by age 16 months
- not using two word phrases by 24 months
- having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills
Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact, and as they get older, act as if they are unaware of when people come and go around them, as you can see in this autism screening quiz.
Keep in mind that autism usually isn’t diagnosed until about age 3, although some experts believe that some children begin to show subtle signs as early as six months of age.
There is also an autism study that showed that some children with autism had abnormal brain growth. Specifically, they had a smaller than average head size at birth (at the 25th percentile), but then had a period of rapid head growth during which their head size moved up to the 84th percentile by age 6-14 months. But rapid head growth is not a sign in all kids with autism.
In general, if you are concerned about your child’s development, especially if you think that they might have autism, you should talk to your Pediatrician and consider a more formal developmental evaluation.
Getting An Evaluation
One of the frustrating things that occurs when parents think something is wrong with their child’s development is that they may be told ‘not to worry’ or that they ‘should just wait.’ Experts think that it is better for parents to trust their instincts and get their child evaluated if they think that they aren’t developing normally. This guide from First Signs is a good resource for parents trying to share their concerns with their Pediatrician.
Your local early childhood development program may also be able to do an evaluation if you are concerned about your child’s development.
