Early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Autism is a disease that can be detected during the early developmental stages by a pediatrician. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), recommends that all children be screened for autism at ages 18 months and 24 months, in addition to undergoing developmental and behavioral screenings at 9 months, 18 months and 30 months. Research shows that by age 2, an ASD diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable.
Some early signs of ASD are:
- Lack of eye contact
Eye contact is a preliminary form of connection in a social setting. Autistic kids have a severe lack of eye contact.
- Lack of big smiles
The child may smile very rarely or may not show any joyful expressions.
- Lack of joint attention
Joint attention or reciprocal social interaction is when a child engages in back and forth communication between a parent or a peer. A normal child may point towards things he/she finds interesting or pays attention when someone else points towards an object or item.
4.Language delays
An autistic child finds it difficult to understand social cues and as a result will also struggle with learning speech and language. In some cases, the child may not babble at all. Other than speech delay , autistic children may display repeating of what others say for a long period.
5.Intense interest in certain objects
The child may choose to engage only with a particular toy or a set of particular toys.
6.Repetitive behaviors
Play with toys in a particular manner, such as lining up objects. They can also display repetitive movements such as hand flapping, head banging, etc.