Early Signs of Autism

By dr. gromatzky

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. Martínez-Pedraza, Frances de L., and Alice S Carter. “Autism spectrum disorders in young children.” Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America vol. 18,3 (2009): 645-63. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2009.02.002
• 2. Ozonoff, Sally et al. “The onset of autism: patterns of symptom emergence in the first years of life.” Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research vol. 1,6 (2008): 320-8. doi:10.1002/aur.53
• 3. Webb, Sara Jane, and Emily J H Jones. “Early Identification of Autism: Early Characteristics, Onset of Symptoms, and Diagnostic Stability.” Infants and young children vol. 22,2 (2009): 100-118. doi:10.1097/IYC.0b013e3181a02f7f

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2. Communication and Language Skills

Similar to social skills, difficulties with communication affects 80-93% of those with Autism therefore making age appropriate communication another strong indicator.¹Martínez-Pedraza, Frances de L., and Alice S Carter. “Autism spectrum disorders in young children.” Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America vol. 18,3 (2009): 645-63. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2009.02.002 Infants communicate by using sounds and gestures. It has been found that infants who are later diagnosed with Autism have a delay in their ability to produce sounds and have a simplified version of babbling. They also tend to not point or look at objects of interest which is an important developmental sign of communication with another person.³Webb, Sara Jane, and Emily J H Jones. “Early Identification of Autism: Early Characteristics, Onset of Symptoms, and Diagnostic Stability.” Infants and young children vol. 22,2 (2009): 100-118. doi:10.1097/IYC.0b013e3181a02f7f

The development of spoken language will vary from child to child and so using language as a measure of whether or not a child has Autism can have its limitations. That being said, about 20-25% of children with Autism are nonverbal and others may not begin to speak until 18 months. Toddlers with Autism may also struggle to combine a gesture with words. Other signs include less imitation of others, limited showing of pleasure, and engagement in less complex and purposeful play. ³Webb, Sara Jane, and Emily J H Jones. “Early Identification of Autism: Early Characteristics, Onset of Symptoms, and Diagnostic Stability.” Infants and young children vol. 22,2 (2009): 100-118. doi:10.1097/IYC.0b013e3181a02f7f