Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How Do You Know If Your Kid Has Autism

Don't Miss

You Get Upset If Your Daily Routine Needs To Be Changed

How Do You Know If Your Child Has Autism: Best Treatments

If you’re a routines person, with everything just so and a very specific way of getting to each of your tasks in the morning, and if you get seriously upset if those routines become obstructed, you may have a place on the autism spectrum. Routines are, for the autistic, often a way to cope with overwhelming amounts of information and sound, and a very necessary way to get through every day.

You Are Often Focused On Small Details Rather Than The Big Picture

The autistic brain is good at certain things and not at others. It’s exceptionally detail-oriented, able to pick up on a lot of tiny information at once, but it finds it harder to put together into a big picture. A 2013 study from NYU indicated that autistic brains process information in a different way than non-autistic ones, possibly because of lower levels of oxytocin, which both influences our social bonding and helps our brains sort and prioritize information.

How To Tell A Child They Are Autistic

wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 11,372 times.

Introducing autism with a positive attitude can help your child accept that they are different and influence whether a diagnosis holds them back or helps them succeed.

Also Check: Does Autism Shorten Your Lifespan

Develops Symptoms After Early Childhood

Your child developed and behaved like most children until they reached the age of 6 or older. Then symptoms that seem to point to autism sprang from nowhere.

In order to for be diagnosed with autism, your child must have first shown symptoms at an early age, even if those symptoms only caused problems in later years. A brand new symptom at age 12 or 14 may look a little like autism, but the likely cause is something else.

What Age Does Autism Usually Show Up

How to test for autism how do you know if your child has ...

The behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in the childs development. Many children show symptoms of autism between 12 and 18 months of age or earlier, but in others autism may not become obvious until the age of 2 or 3 years. The age of diagnosis, as well as the range and severity of symptoms, can vary widely and so professional evaluation is critical.

You May Like: Low Functioning Aspergers

Engage In Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, is one of the most researched and most widely accepted forms of behavior therapy for children with autism. There are many strong proponents of ABA, citing its empirical base. ABA practitioners believe that behavior is a function of a environment. By manipulating the environment around a child, we can provide the structure to help them learn and develop new skills.

Another popular therapy for social and behavioral skills is FloorTime, which involves child-directed, play-based therapy.

Difference Of Autism Signs In Boys And Girls

The symptoms of ASD may range from mild to extreme, and there is no definitive list of symptoms that are sure to be shown by each and every child. On top of that, since boys are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder four times more than girls , classic symptoms may be described in a way to refer more to the boys.

The symptoms are generally the same for the both. But, an autistic girl may be:

  • quieter
  • hide their feelings better
  • good at imitating social behaviors.

This can make the impairs seem much less noticeable compared to the case of boys. Also, the autism traits in girls are reported less by their teachers.

It is important to note that not all children with autism show all of the signs. In addition, many children who actually dont have autism may show a few of the symptoms and signs. That is why professional evaluation is of utmost importance.

There are certain developmental milestones children reach in terms of their language and social abilities. Caregivers should take notice of these milestones. They should observe children closely during the first few years of their lives. These are crucial times in terms of early diagnosis and intervention. Although not reaching a milestone at a specified time or achieving it late does not necessarily mean that the child has autism, it may be a sign of a developmental delay.

Come along with 200k+ families!

Let’s communicate better!

Don’t Miss: How Much Does Nick Eh 30 Make

Signs Of Autism In Young Children

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder are usually clear by two or three years old. The range of behaviors and skills covered here may become apparent between two years old and five years old.

Some signs that a child has autism spectrum disorder may include:

  • Not expressing emotion or only a limited range of emotions
  • Difficulty interpreting different emotions in others
  • Not seeming attached to parents
  • Lacking interest in playing social games or the company of other children
  • Interest in playing with one particular toy or object
  • Echolalia, repeating other peopleââ¬â¢s words or phrases
  • Repeating own words over and over
  • Using formal language and expressions, rather than the slang of their peers
  • Not developing language skills at all
  • Difficulty toilet training
  • Challenging behaviour, such as banging head on wall or picking at skin
  • Engages in behavior such as flapping hands, rocking or twirling

Children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty interpreting what other people are thinking and feeling, and often miss social cues. A child with autism may not be able to tell the difference between an adult who says ââ¬Åcome hereââ¬ï¿½ while happy and smiling, and an adult who says ââ¬Åcome hereââ¬ï¿½ while angry and frowning. This can be confusing and creates the impression the child is not connecting with people.

Repeating Phrases Or Babble

How do you know if your child with autism has a redox problem?

While many young kids babble or repeat themselves, Pandey says young children with autism may repeat the same jargony phrase over and over again in the exact same wayalmost like theyre singing the verse of a song. I had one child who would repetitively count the way he heard it on Elmo, she says. This is known as scripted language, she adds. Repeating a phrase or babble with odd rhythms or in sing-song voice are also warning signs, Mayo Clinic experts say.

Read Also: Toys For Toddlers With Autism

What To Do If Youre Worried

If your child is developmentally delayed, or if youve observed other red flags for autism, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician right away. In fact, its a good idea to have your child screened by a doctor even if he or she is hitting the developmental milestones on schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children receive routine developmental screenings, as well as specific screenings for autism at 9, 18, and 30 months of age.

Schedule an autism screening. A number of specialized screening tools have been developed to identify children at risk for autism. Most of these screening tools are quick and straightforward, consisting of yes-or-no questions or a checklist of symptoms. Your pediatrician should also get your feedback regarding your childs behavior.

Prenatal Factors That May Contribute To Autism

Taking antidepressants during pregnancy, especially in the first 3 months.

Nutritional deficiencies early in pregnancy, particularly not getting enough folic acid.

The age of the mother and father

Complications at or shortly after birth, including very low birth weight and neonatal anemia

Maternal infections during pregnancy.

Exposure to chemical pollutants, such as metals and pesticides, while pregnant.

More research on these prenatal risk factors is needed, but if youre pregnant or trying to conceive, it cant hurt to take steps now to reduce your babys risk of autism.

Reducing the risk of autism: Tips for expectant mothers

Take a multivitamin. Taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. Its not clear whether this will also help reduce risk of autism, but taking the vitamins cant hurt.

Ask about SSRIs. Women who are taking an SSRI should talk with a clinician about all the risks and benefits of these drugs. Untreated depression in a mother can also affect her childs well-being later on, so this is not a simple decision to make.

Practice prenatal care. Eating nutritious food, trying to avoid infections, and seeing a clinician for regular check-ups can increase the chances of giving birth to a healthy child.

Source: Harvard Health Publications

You May Like: Level 2 Autism Symptoms

How Is Asd Treated

One of the biggest challenges is finding the most effective form of treatment. The choices seem endless and differentiating one from another can be daunting. Parents often rely on therapists to direct and administer treatment, but many parents want to learn as much as possible so theyre in the best position to help their child. The most common treatments include applied behavioral analysis, relationship-building strategies, speech/language, and occupational therapy, counseling, and social skills groups.

To learn more, read our ASD Overview article.

Your privacy is important to us. All results are completely anonymous.

Early Signs Of Autism In A 3 Year Old

How To Know If You Are Autistic

As your kid grows older, certain signs become a little bit less clear compared to the first few months. You can get a better idea by checking the developmental milestones to see if your child is behind on some.

  • Some autism red flags for 3 year olds are as follows:
  • Prefers being alone,
  • Doesnt like physical contact
  • Has difficulty in understanding feeling
  • Doesnt respond when their name is called
  • Is not able to form sentences
  • Speaks in flat tone

Read Also: What Is The Symbol For Autism

When You Have An Interest It’s Intense And All

Obsessions are a very common part of autistic experiences. They tend to involve learning everything possible about one particular thing or range of things, from television shows to objects to people. It can either be an entire topic or something seriously specific, too. It’s not the same as being a super-fan, though a “special interest,” as it’s termed for the autistic, is an integral part of your identity and how you live your life, and is pursued in every avenue possible. One study calls them “intense, interfering, and idiosyncratic,” which sounds like a trio of children’s book characters. And pursuing your special interest is also deeply comforting.

Early Signs Of Autism

Signs of autism in babies

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder, which means that signs become apparent as a child does not develop as expected, for example developing speech or learning to crawl later than expected.

As such, there are few signs of autism that are noticeable in newborns. However, if a baby fails to reach the developmental milestones expected at two months old, four months old, six months old, nine months old and a year old, this could be one of the first signs of autism or another developmental condition.

Good to know: Not all babies reach developmental milestones at the exact same time. It is normal to have some variation in development. If in doubt about a childââ¬â¢s development, check with a doctor.

Some of the early signs that a baby under one year old may have autism spectrum disorder include:

  • Not babbling by four months old
  • Not smiling by five months old
  • Not laughing by six months old
  • No interest in games like pat-a-cake or peek-a-boo by eight months old
  • Not responding to their name by 12 months old
  • Not looking at objects pointed out by other people by 12 months old
  • Being upset by loud noises
  • Not looking to a parent for comfort in new situations
  • Being happy to play alone for long periods of time
  • Not making eye contact

Signs of autism in toddlers

Some of the signs that a toddler, between one year old and two years old, may have autism spectrum disorder include:

Don’t Miss: Life Expectancy Of Someone With Autism

Failure To Recognize Facial Expressions And Not Making Eye Contact Can Be Early Signs Of Autism

From an early age, children learn to make eye contact with their parents, smile when they are being smiled at, and point or wave at things they find interesting, such as an animal at the zoo or a favorite toy.

Children on the autism spectrum have a harder time recognizing emotion in facial expressions and may show little to no emotion themselves. When something startling occurs , its actually normal for a child to look to their parent and in seconds process their facial expression to identify what emotion is being conveyed. This is done as a way to verify if they too need to be concerned with what just happened. With an autistic child, however, there is often no reaction at all, which for a parent, can be very puzzling and concerning.

Older children with ASD will often look at the ground or let their eyes wander when an adult is speaking to them making eye contact is often a key struggle for children with ASD.

Because children on the spectrum have trouble reading facial expressions, they may fail to react or even react inappropriately when a parent or sibling is expressing joy, anger, or sorrow.

Restricted Or Repetitive Behaviors Or Interests

How To Tell Your Child They Are Autistic

People with ASD have behaviors or interests that can seem unusual. These behaviors or interests set ASD apart from conditions defined by only problems with social communication and interaction.

Examples of restricted or repetitive interests and behaviors related to ASD can include:

  • Lines up toys or other objects and gets upset when order is changed
  • Repeats words or phrases over and over
  • Plays with toys the same way every time
  • Is focused on parts of objects
  • Gets upset by minor changes
  • Has obsessive interests
  • Flaps hands, rocks body, or spins self in circles
  • Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel

You May Like: Fragile X Syndrome Vs Autism

What Early Signs Of Autism Should I Watch For In My Child

While the causes of autism remain mysterious, the early signs of autism don’t come out of nowhere. Most parents of autistic children recognize language delays at around 18 months of age. In fact, there are a few red flags that parents can look out for in their child much earlier than that. The American Academy of Pediatrics says some subtle, early signs of autism to look for before baby is 12 to 18 months old include:

  • Your child doesn’t turn when you say his or her name by 12 months
  • Your child doesn’t turn to look when you point and say, “Look at”
  • Your child doesn’t point to show you interesting objects or events
  • Your child doesn’t engage in back-and-forth baby babbling
  • Delay in smiling and laughing
  • Your child doesn’t make and keep eye contact with people

Other early signs of autism that warrant evaluation by your pediatrician include the following :

  • No babbling, pointing or other gestures by 12 months
  • No single words by 16 months
  • No two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months
  • Loss of language or social skills at any age

Learn To Listen Without Your Ears

Learn to listen with your eyes. Having a delay in speech development or being nonverbal does not mean your child isnt communicating. Everything we do, even silence, is communication. The sooner you understand how your child communicates, the easier it will be to interact and respond to their language.

Speech therapy may focus on a number of aspects, including:

  • articulation
  • nonverbal communication
  • social pragmatics

Just remember: Everything your child does it trying to tell you something, so be sure to listen!

Recommended Reading: Level 4 Autism

Prepare For Early Intervention

While there is a critical period in child development from ages 0 to 3 years, you should look into different therapies for your child at diagnosis. There is no cure for autism, but there are therapies that can help create foundational skills for your child to build on as they grow and develop.

While early intervention is recommended, its never too late to determine if your child is eligible for certain therapies, including:

  • speech therapy

Signs In Boys Vs Girls

How Do You Know If a Child With Autism Has a Mental Health ...

The symptoms of autism are generally the same for both boys and girls. However, because autism is diagnosed in boys far more often than girls , classic symptoms are often described in a skewed manor.

For example, an excessive interest in trains, the wheels on trucks, or strange dinosaur trivia is often very noticeable. A girl who doesnt play with trains, trucks, or dinosaurs might display less noticeable behaviors, like arranging or dressing dolls in a particular way.

High-functioning girls also have an easier time mimicking average social behaviors. Social skills may be more innate in girls, which can make impairments less noticeable.

Don’t Miss: Autistic In Hindi

How Does Autism Affect Communication

About 40% of kids with autism spectrum disorders donât talk at all, and between 25% and 30% develop some language skills during infancy but then lose them later. Some children with ASD start talking later in life.

Most have some problems with communication, including:

  • Delayed speech and language skills
  • Flat, robotic speaking voice, or singsong voice
  • Echolalia
  • Problems with pronouns
  • Not using or rarely using common gestures , and not responding to them
  • Inability to stay on topic when talking or answering questions
  • Not recognizing sarcasm or joking
  • Trouble expressing needs and emotions
  • Not getting signals from body language, tone of voice, and expressions

More articles

Popular Articles