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Classic Signs and Symptoms of Autism.


Symptoms of Autism usually present during the first year and a half of a child's life.
Early diagnosis of autism can make a dramatic difference with the outcome of the child’s success.
Although Autism does not typically show up until at least 14 months of age there are some earlier warning signs that can act as red flags to watch for.
All of these signs and symptoms may be indicative of several disorders so it is important to get your child properly evaluated by a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
The head growth in children with Autism seems to increase exponentially in the first twelve months.
When you have your baby evaluated at their clinic appointments, if they do not do so, ask them to measure the circumference of the child’s head and have it plotted on the growth chart so that you can see exactly where your child is in proportion with other children’s expected growth.
If your baby is still having trouble sitting up at 10-12 months and has a tendency to tip or not put their hands out to catch themselves as they fall forward then you may want to mention that at your Doctors visit.
Autistic children generally develop otherwise just like other children, then somewhere between 14 months and 3 years they start to regress.
Autistic children usually have problems in the following areas:
Communication
A number of children with Autism lose any speech that they have already developed since birth. Others speech becomes repetitive and rather than have an actual conversation, as much as a child will, they will repeat things they have heard or repeat the same words over and over again. They may also develop echolalia which basically means that the last thing that you say is what they will answer. For example if you ask if they want a hamburger or a hotdog they will say hotdog and if it was the hamburger that they really wanted they will become upset that you misunderstood them.
They also have difficulty with non-verbal communication as in reading facial expressions and have difficulty understanding humor or sarcasm.
Social Interaction
Usually Autistic children withdraw. They have difficulty making or maintaining friendships. They lose eye contact. They are happier keeping to themselves and appear uncomfortable in large settings of people. They are unwilling to be touched or held and will pull away when you try.
Unusual Way Of Playing
The Autistic child sees play objects in a different way and will use them differently than another child. They may like cars but will spin the wheels over and over again for hours. They have a tendency to organize objects and will spend hours lining them up and placing them in an order known just to them. Sometimes it is obvious to the casual observer but oftentimes not.
The child with Autism plays solitarily unless they are needing another person to use as an object e.g. they will sit on your lap at the table if they know that they need to be higher up on the chair to reach it. At these times they will simply back up and climb as they would an object.
Autistic children may engage in repetitive movements such as flapping of their hands or wriggling their fingers in front of their eyes.
They like a routine and will get upset if something is moved or if there is a change in the way things are usually done.
Note well, however, that these are just warning signs and a proper evaluation by a physician or psychologist is important to determine if it is truly Autism or another disorder.
It is also well to note that Autism is a Spectrum Disorder meaning that there can be a very large scale difference between one Autistic child and another.
Early intervention is important when dealing with this spectrum, the success of the child depends on it.

Donna Mason has been a Registered Nurse for the past 16 yrs. She is the mother of 6 children, 3 of which have varying degrees of Autism. For more information on Autism signs and symptoms, and to learn more about this mother’s battle in the fight against this misunderstood condition, visit her on the web at: http://www.autisticadventures.blogspot.com