How To Tell If Your Kid Is Autistic

Please Let My Child Play With Your Child

A study done in Australia found that 42% of teens and adults on the Autism Spectrum do not feel comfortable leaving their own home because they often feel others treat them negatively. Not only is this heartbreaking for the affected individuals, it also leads to further misunderstanding and stigma about autism by the general public. Children with autism like to play with their peers, and largely benefit from being included in things like play dates and sports teams.

Free Autism Signs Printable Cheat Sheet

I know that we just covered a TON of information, and I want to make sure that you have a simple way to check the important signs that your child may be autistic, so I created a free printable cheat sheet just for you!

With all of the signs listed and broken up by category, you can easily use this and highlight those that fit your child.

Bring this to the pediatricians office, your IEP meeting, or to a therapy evaluation so that you have a visual reminder of what youve noticed at home with your child.

To , you just need to click the image below, answer a few super simple questions and your cheat sheet will hit your email in no time!

About Kaylene

We Know Best When It Comes To Our Autistic Children

All parents know their own children best, but this statement is especially true of parents of children on the Autism Spectrum. Most parents of autistic children have spent countless hours researching and consulting with doctors. They know their childrens ticks and the best ways to avoid meltdowns. Autism Speaks advises other parents keep the unsolicited parenting advice to themselves, saying, Do ask the family whether theres something you can do to help, but he prepared for a no.

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Look For Support At School

Many kids with autism spectrum disorder are diagnosed by age 3 and receive early intervention services. When they turn 3, they’re eligible for additional services at their local school district with the help of an individualized education program .

The IEP may include therapy for speech/language, behavior, or sensory concerns. In school, kids might get extra support through a classroom aide or during a “lunch bunch” or social skills group.

Parents meet with an IEP team to determine a child’s needs. While you can’t insist on certain services, you can appeal the IEP if you feel that the plan doesn’t meet your child’s needs. The IEP is reviewed and updated each year, but you can ask for updates before that to make sure your child is meeting goals.

Not all kids with autism need an IEP. Those who do not qualify for an IEP can get educational assistance through a 504 education plan, which provides for accommodations in a regular classroom that improve a child’s learning experience.

What Can Mimic Autism

Developmental delays such as language, speech, or hearing problems can often be mistaken for autism. There are also a number of specific disorders that are characterized by similar behavioral symptoms to autism. According to the Autism Research Institute, Williams Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, are all closely related to autism.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Symbol For Autism

You Find It Difficult To Socially Read People

Autism is, in its many forms, often about looking at the world very literally. And that means social situations can seem extremely weird, because there are a lot of unspoken rules, assumptions, communications, and other messages in any social situation, many of which may pass the autistic person by. If you feel perpetually as if you’re getting it wrong in social situations and don’t know why, you may simply be “socially deaf” to these kinds of cues.

Early Signs Of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Studies have shown that autism can be diagnosed as early as 14 months. It typically appears in the early ages of an individual.

This means that the infants first year is crucial in terms of the diagnosis of the disorder.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder show developmental differences. This can especially be seen in their social and language skills. There are certain developmental milestones babies hit while they are growing up.

Parents and caregivers should observe their childrens behaviors so as to be able to catch the disorder early on.

The 10 early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children can be as follows:

• Little to no eye contact during infancy,
• No babbling,
• Not expressing emotions,
• Not seeming attached to parents.

Subtle differences caused by autism may appear before the childs first birthday. These differences will be visible in childrens interaction with their surroundings.

When 2-months old, babies generally begin to smile at people, coo, and are able to pay attention to faces. This may not be the case for children with autism spectrum disorder. By 6 months, if a baby

• doesnt smile,
• doesnt smile as big,
• is not showing any other warm, joyful, and engaging expressions

It may be a sign of autism spectrum disorder.

By 9 months, children with ASD:

• make limited or no eye contact with anyone
• dont share sounds,
• dont smile back-and-forth with parents.

Before their first birthday, babies on the autism spectrum,

Also Check: Life Expectancy Of Autism

How To Know If Your Baby Has Autism: Signs And Symptoms

Autism is a spectrum disorder, similar to Aspergers syndrome that can appear during infancy and early childhood and causes delays in many areas of basic development such as learning to talk, play or interact with others. Autism can vary in how seriously it affects people, with some having more serious impairments than others. There are many differing opinions on the causes of autism and how best to treat it, however it is widely agreed that the earlier the condition is realized, and intervention implemented, the better it is for the child in the long term. There are several ways that you can spot signs of this disorder in young children, so in this OneHowTo article, were going to discuss how to know if your baby has autism: signs and symptoms.

Being aware of the signs and symptoms of autism in babies is considered quite important. This is due to the fact that if your infant does in fact display signs of the disorder, that treatment can be started early on in their development which therefore means the likelihood of it being effective is higher.

The signs of autism in babies can be difficult to spot. Diagnosis before the age of 24 months is rare, but symptoms can be displayed between the age of 12-18 months. One of the signs of autism is regression. If a child was communicating with basic words such as mummy or daddy and then stops using language entirely, this can be a warning sign of autism.

Early Signs Of Autism In A 5 Year Old

Once your toddler grows up, certain signs can be missed or confused with signs of growing up. You may want to consult your childs doctor if you see the following signs, which may mean your child has a developmental delay:

• Shows extreme behaviors like unusually aggressive, shy, or sad
• Doesnt show a wide range of emotions
• Usually isnt active
• Has trouble focusing on one activity for extended periods of time
• Doesnt respond to people
• Cant understand the difference between real and make-believe
• Doesnt play with peers
• Doesnt use grammar correctly
• Doesnt talk about daily activities
• Loses skills they once had

Also Check: Is Dr Shaun Murphy Really Autistic

Difficulty Responding To Kindness

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg because autistic children may also have a tough time managing their responses to adult or peer “kindness.” Perhaps these examples sound familiar:

• Grandma comes to visit. She sees her autistic grandchild, opens her arms, and asks for a big hug. The grandchild runs in the opposite direction at top speed. Grandma follows him and gives him that hug, only to be rewarded with a kick in the shins.
• Grandpa gives his autistic grandchild a gift, and his grandchild says, at an age when he or she should know better, “I don’t like this! I wanted a ___!”
• A kind peer from school agrees to a play date and finds himself ignored for several hours while the autistic host plays alone. Even worse, the guest may spend two hours being told, “Don’t touch that!”

All of these behaviors can be embarrassing, and all can lead to hurt or even angry feelings. Yet all are typical of autism, and, in most cases, result from sensory, communication, or behavioral challenges that are part of autism.

How Can You Tell If Its Autism Or Just Behavior

I get asked a lot about where that line is between autism and behavior.

The thing is, theres a question behind the question here that most people miss.

Parents ask things like

What is autism? Whats behavior?

How do I know if its a typical kid thing, or if it is an autistic trait that needs to be accommodated for?

But the real question theyre asking me is

What is the behavior I should intervene? And what is the behavior that I should leave alone?

What is the behavior I should accept? What is the behavior I should change?

And heres the thing, the fact that you are asking this question actually tells me that youre well on your way in your autism journey.

And heres why

It tells me that you know already that autism isnt a negative thing that should be changed. It tells me you already want to protect who your child is.

And at the same time, there are some behaviors that just arent actually acceptable.

And so how do you know if what your child is doing is an actual autistic trait that should be accepted and accommodated for, or if its a harmful behavior that actually should be changed.

Also Check: Methylation And Autism

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.

What’s It Like To Have Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASD affects different people in different ways. Some people can’t speak or learn. Their behavior may seem strange they may avoid other people they may pace and move their bodies in unusual ways, like flapping their hands. They may repeat lines from TV shows or movies.

People with less severe ASD are able to talk and learn. But they may have trouble:

• expressing feelings. They may seem cold and distant.
• understanding the feelings of others. They may ignore or misunderstand how other people might feel or behave in a situation.
• reading social cues. They might not understand body language or facial expression they stand too close they ignore signs of boredom or frustration.
• handling sensory information. Loud noises, bright lights, or crowds may bother them.
• handling a new routine. It might be hard for them to sit in a different seat or having a substitute teacher.

Some might get get super-focused on a single topic or hobby, some of which may be unusual .

Read Also: Can Autism Be Passed Down

Signs And Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Some people with ASD have a known difference, such as a genetic condition. Other causes are not yet known. Scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop. We still have much to learn about these causes and how they impact people with ASD.

There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people. They may behave, communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The abilities of people with ASD can vary significantly. For example, some people with ASD may have advanced conversation skills whereas others may be nonverbal. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives others can work and live with little to no support.

ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a persons life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months or later. Some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones, until around 18 to 24 months of age and then they stop gaining new skills, or they lose the skills they once had.

You Get Upset If Your Daily Routine Needs To Be Changed

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.

Also Check: Is Dr Shaun Murphy Really Autistic

Signs Of Asd Primary School Aged Children

Children are often diagnosed with autism once they get to school, when their social communication and behavioural characteristics mark their development out as different to their peers.

• Issues with conversation, perhaps dominating conversations with their favourite topic and not knowing how to take turns.
• Not being able to interpret the non-verbal communication of peers and adults.
• Unusual speech patterns, a monotonous tone or an old fashioned way of talking.
• Seeking solitude, and finding being with others very stressful and exhausting
• Being rigid in following rules at school and in sport and games
• Finding it hard to read social cues and the unwritten rules of friendship
• Having unusual interests and obsessions, no breadth of interests
• Sometimes there are unusual physical movements, such as touching, biting, rocking or finger flicking
• Having sensory issues, either heightened or lack of sense of smell, touch, taste, sound and vision
• Need to follow routines to feel secure, become very upset when expected routines change
• Having few or no real friends
• Aggression is sometimes seen, usually as a way of avoiding overwhelming situations
• Anxiety is also common, especially as children enter the teenager years

âReally didnât know until it was suggested to us by the school counsellor who recommended we have our child assessed.â

What Is Just Behavior

So instead, lets look at behavior. Because just the word behavior is kind of a loaded term.

If I asked you to list out some behaviors, what would you list? My guess is it would be things like hitting or kicking or refusal or defiance.

We typically think of behavior in the form of negative behaviors. But the fact is, behavior is simply the things we do.

So waving hi, using your voice to make sounds, and twirling your hair are all behaviors, too.

Everything humans do is behavior.

So when someone asks, is this autism or behavior? the answer is most often, yes.

But again, lets remember the question behind this question: what behaviors should I accept, and what behaviors should I change?

Also Check: What Is The Life Expectancy Of People With Autism

Our Home Is Safety Proofed

Youre probably familiar with baby proofing a house. But while most families can take down the safety gates and doorknob locks once the child ages, families with children on the Autism Spectrum often have these items and more protecting their child from their homes inherent dangers. This is because many children on the Autism Spectrum are prone to behaviors that can bring about self injury.

Unresponsive To His Or Her Name

By 12 months of age, most children will look up or respond when someone calls them by name. If a child does not, that may be indicative of autism, the CDC says. These kids may also seem not to hear their parents or other people, or they may struggle to understand or follow simple commands or instructions.

Read Also: Can Autism Be Passed Down

Signs Of Asperger Syndrome

People with Asperger syndrome are generally considered to be on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum. It is still a form of autism and is a lifelong condition.

Signs and symptoms that are typical of people with Asperger syndrome include:

• Very narrow and highly focused interests
• Great importance on rules and routines
• High standard of language skills, potentially very formal in expression
• Monotonous or repetitive speech

• Making the same noise repeatedly
• Scratching

These behaviors provide the person with a form of sensory input that the person finds appealing or helpful. There are various reasons why someone could be engaging in self-stimulatory behavior:

• They find it enjoyable
• It provides something to focus on, thereby reducing the effects of other, nearby stimuli
• It is soothing and helps with anxiety