How To Know If My Son Has Autism

S To Take If You Believe A Teenager Has Autism

If you think your teenager has autism, is it important for you to carry out research. Sites such as Child Autism UK can help you better understand the condition and the steps to take next.

You should also contact their special educational needs coordinator to discuss the symptoms. It is also important to speak to your GP who can provide medical advice and referrals where necessary.

How Autism Is Diagnosed

In order to get an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult several medical professionals. This is not something that will be done in one appointment at your childs pediatrician. There will be a team of medical professionals that will be evaluating your child. The earlier you have your child evaluated, the more likely you will find viable treatment options for your child.

You can’t diagnose your own child. Sometimes, as a parent, you have a gut instinct that theres something thats not right. If you feel that your child is having some issues, and the physician disagrees, find another physician. You must be the voice for your child. On the other hand, if your doctor says not to worry, then perhaps you might avoid comparing your child with others. Every child is an individual who will grow and develop at their own pace. They may be late reaching some milestones while they excel at others.

Learning whether or not your child has autism is a process. This diagnosis can be a life-changing experience for both you and your child. Once you have gotten the diagnosis, you can begin treatment. On the other hand, if your child is not diagnosed with autism, you can move on to find out what is causing your childs issues.

Communication: Early Signs Of Autism

In the first year of life, childrens social and communication development is an important area to watch for early signs of autism. Social and communication development includes things like learning to smile, make eye contact, and use gestures.

Social interaction and communicationIf young children are autistic, they might:

• not consistently use eye contact to get someones attention for example, they might not always look at you and then at a snack to show you they want it, or not look back towards you when they see something that excites them
• rarely point to or hold up objects to show you things for example, they might not point to a dog and look back at you to make sure youve seen it too, or they might drop a toy in your lap and walk away instead of holding it up and looking at you
• not consistently respond to their name being called
• not consistently use gestures on their own for example, they might not wave bye-bye or clap without being told to, or without copying someone else whos waving or clapping
• not consistently smile at you or other familiar people without you smiling at them first
• rarely copy other peoples actions, like combing their hair when you do it
• not sound like theyre having a conversation with you when they babble
• not understand simple, one-step instructions for example, Give me the block or Show me the dog.

Relationships and playIf young children are autistic, they might:

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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.

Getting Started: Introducing Your Child To His Or Her Diagnosis Of Autism

Marci Wheeler, MSW

Many parents are fearful that labeling their child as having an autism spectrum disorder will make him or her feel broken, or that they may use their label as an excuse to give up and not try. Adults on the autism spectrum have found the opposite to be true. Giving your child information on the nature of his/her differences will give them a better understanding and the motivation that is needed to drive through challenges.

Discussing an autism spectrum diagnosis with your child is an important issue and one for which many parents seek advice. This article will focus on aspects of explaining your childs diagnosis to him or her, and provide resources that can assist and guide you.

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Autism Signs In Children

Spotting the early signs of autism in young children can be hard if youâre not an autism expert.

Many of these signs are common to all young children but they are seen more often in children who have autism.

Weâve listed here some common red flags for autism â if your child shows some of these then itâs time to check in with a qualified professional.

We also list typical developmental milestones which may be used as a guide to gauge a childâs development. If there are any concerns about a childâs development, or if there is a loss of any skills at any age, talk to a doctor as soon as possible.

• Does not turn head to locate sounds and appears not to respond to loud noises
• Does not push down on legs when feet placed on a firm surface
• Does not show affection to primary caregiver, dislikes being cuddled
• Does not crawl, cannot stand when supported
• Does not use gestures such as waving or pointing

• Cannot walk by 18 months or walks only on his toes, cannot push a wheeled toy
• Does not speak does not imitate actions, cannot follow simple instructions
• Does not appear to know the function of common household object such as a telephone by 15 months

Early Signs Of Autism In Children

Early diagnosis means early intervention. It helps provide your child a higher quality of life through teaching life skills with therapies and games.

There are certain signs to look out for while your child is growing up. They hit developmental milestones, indicating that their social, communicative and behavioral developments are on track.

Here are some of the early signs that your child may need to be further examined and tested by your physician.

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What Are Some Possible Signs Of Mild Autism

ASD encompasses a broad range of behavioral patterns and experiences.

Inconsistency from one ASD case to the next can make it more difficult for caregivers to fully connect the dots.

Even so, there are many common behaviors that could point to a possible ASD diagnosis. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , these may include:

Some children with ASD may appear to have a learning disability or other form of behavior disorder. They may also have co-occurring medical challenges, such as gastrointestinal discomfort, trouble sleeping, or seizures. Many individuals with autism may also have mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or an attention deficit disorder.

Repeating Phrases Or Babble

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.

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What Are The Tell

Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. It can be seen in all groups of age. The Centers for Disease Control states that the disorder does not discriminate between racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

Oftentimes, certain severe forms of ASD are diagnosed before the child turns two. However, high-functioning individuals may not be recognized and diagnosed until later ages in their lives.

• The level of science,
• Knowledge on autism spectrum disorder itself at the time,
• Lack of social and economic means they had,

This happens because autistic adults were not diagnosed when they were children.

Since autism spectrum disorder is still, in part, a mystery, studies generally focus on where the disorder stems from to figure out how it occurs in the first place. This has caused the focus to be on children. The adults who have never been diagnosed in their lives were partially left out in the research sphere.

However, in recent years, awareness of autism spectrum disorder in adults has increased significantly. This is due to the fact that the public is now aware of the signs and understands that a diagnosis can be made even later in life of a person.

Autism spectrum disorder impacts three main areas in an individuals life: the social aspect, communication, and their behaviors.

Since we understand autism more and more every day, we are now able to differentiate and diagnose more adults with ASD.

Early Signs Of Autism In Adults

Autism spectrum disorder occurs in all age groups. It is generally characterized by social and communication difficulties.

Severe forms are usually diagnosed in the first two years of a childs life. However, high-functioning individuals may not be diagnosed until later in their lives.

Here are some of the symptoms in autistic adults:

• Difficulty in regulating emotion

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Autism In Young Children

Signs of autism in young children include:

• not responding to their name
• avoiding eye contact
• not smiling when you smile at them
• getting very upset if they do not like a certain taste, smell or sound
• repetitive movements, such as flapping their hands, flicking their fingers or rocking their body
• not talking as much as other children
• repeating the same phrases

Signs of autism in older children include:

• not seeming to understand what others are thinking or feeling
• finding it hard to say how they feel
• liking a strict daily routine and getting very upset if it changes
• having a very keen interest in certain subjects or activities
• getting very upset if you ask them to do something
• finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on their own
• taking things very literally for example, they may not understand phrases like “break a leg”

Educate Yourself About Autism

New resources for understanding and living with autism appear seemingly every day.

Talk to doctors, researchers, or speech pathologists with expertise in autism to learn:

• more about autism and how it works
• whats happening in a neurodivergent brain
• how you can advocate for your teen when others dont understand or accept who they are

Read plenty of books and visit online resources, too. Here are just a few:

• Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network

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Seek Advice From Qualified Professionals

Acquire practical guidance from respective professionals on your childs condition and whether you should arrange checkup appointments for your child.

You may speak to the following healthcare and education experts for advice.

• Your childs doctor paediatrician or family nurse
• Special educational needs teachers at your childs school
• General Practitioner

Other than seeking someone for advice, take note and write a list of autism signs and problems that you think your child has. This will be helpful because you can share those concerns with your autism specialist during your discussion.

Signs Of Social Difficulties

• Appears disinterested or unaware of other people or whats going on around them.
• Doesnt know how to connect with others, play, or make friends.
• Prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled.
• Doesnt play pretend games, engage in group games, imitate others, or use toys in creative ways.
• Has trouble understanding feelings or talking about them.
• Doesnt seem to hear when others talk to them.
• Doesnt share interests or achievements with others .

Basic social interaction can be difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder. Many kids on the autism spectrum seem to prefer to live in their own world, aloof and detached from others.

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Screening Tools And Tutorials

There are some great screening tools and tutorials to help parents and carers spot the early warning signs for autism. Below are some we highly recommend. Please be mindful that they are just screening tools, and not a diagnosis.

Early autism detection – ASDetect

This is a free app that empowers parents and caregivers to assess the social attention and communication behaviours of their children younger than 2½ years .This video-led self-assessment app is based on comprehensive, rigorous, world-class research conducted at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre

The app guides parents and carers through each assessment using a combination of videos and questions, as well as activities that you can do with your child. Once you have completed an assessment, you receive both an on-screen result of either âlowâ or âhighâ likelihood of autism, as well as a comprehensive formal assessment results email. See more asdetect.org/

Early signs of autism tutorial Kennedy Krieger Institute

This free 9-minute video tutorial on ASD behavioural signs in one-year-olds. The tutorial consists of six video clips comparing toddlers who show no signs of ASD to toddlers who show early signs of ASD.

Each video is presented with voice-over explaining how the specific behaviours exhibited by the child, as they occur on screen, are either indicative of ASD or typical child development.

Challenging Behaviors In Autism

People with autism spectrum disorder may exhibit behaviors which put themselves at risk, cause difficulties for people around them or which are not socially acceptable.

Around 50 percent of people with autism engage in behavior that can cause themselves harm when they feel frustrated, overwhelmed or unwell. Such behaviors can include:

• Banging their head on walls or other objects
• Hitting themselves, e.g. hitting their head with their hands
• Poking themselves in the eye
• Pulling their hair
• Biting themselves
• Smearing feces

A person with autism who feels frustrated, overwhelmed or feeling unwell may also display physically aggressive behavior. This can include:

• Throwing objects
• Hitting, slapping or biting other people
• Pulling other peopleââ¬â¢s hair

Some people with autism eat objects that are not edible, or keep the objects in their mouth, a behavior known as pica. It is the most common eating disorder found in people with autism spectrum disorder. People may eat anything, including dirt or soap.

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Heightened Sensitivity Or Sensory Aversion

Autism can cause a childs senses to be touchy. A child may enjoy rubbing smooth or soft surfaces, or he may smell everything, Pandey says. But he may not like to be held or cuddled. Everyday sounds might be really hard for them, she says of children with autism. She mentions toilet flushes and vacuum cleaners as common irritants. They might hold their hands up to their ears, she says. A child with autism may also be very sensitive to bright light, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Can You Detect Autism In Newborns

Autism spectrum disorder can be identified in babies as young as two months old. Although subtle signs can be missed if not observed closely, there are certain red flags.

Caregivers should observe the developmental milestones of their children to be able to detect early signs of autism. Parents should be aware of the eye contact of the newborns and follow the development.

From birth, all babies will look more at the eye part of faces. According to studies conducted with babies with eye-tracking technology, lack of eye contact is one of the signs that the newborn may have autism.

The following are some of the other signs seen in newborns as they grow older.

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What Are The Common Signs Of Autism In Teenagers

The outward signs of ASD arent the same from person to person.

But the signs of autism in teens arent all that different from those in children or adults.

Heres a brief summary of the diagnostic criteria for autism according to the DSM-5:

• having difficulty with social interactions and communication, such as having conversations or misunderstanding gestures
• having intensely focused or restricted patterns of behavior, such as repetitive motor functions like hand-flapping, or a strict adherence to a daily routine to the extent of feeling distressed if these patterns are disrupted
• outward signs of autism are identifiable early in development, even if theyre not easy to spot, as they may become more apparent when the child gets older
• autism signs result in noticeable challenges adjusting to functions expected in social or workplace norms
• autism signs arent more clearly part of a different intellectual disability or developmental disorder diagnosis

These signs are also diagnosed according to their severity.

Some autistic people may show only mild forms of these signs. But others may experience severe forms that disrupt their ability to adjust to neurotypical social and communication norms.

This is why many people think its critical to get a diagnosis and get treated as early as possible.