Autism Symptoms Checklist: What to Look For

Imagem Asperger Square 8

"Autism is in the media now more than ever before; one in every 150 children born in the U.S. is autistic. Four times as many boys as girls have the condition, making the likelihood of a male child having autism one in 94. This is a dramatic increase from 20 years ago, but it’s not known whether it’s attributable to an improved ability to diagnose the disease or to more cases of autism in general. Usually a parent or caregiver notices that there is something about their child that doesn’t seem right. There is a strong genetic component to this complex developmental disability, although a variety of factors are suspected causes.

Autism Diagnosis by Age Three

Although many infants are diagnosed with autism, sometimes autism symptoms don’t appear until months or even years later. A child with normal language skills may regress, becoming withdrawn or aggressive. Still, most cases are diagnosed before three years of age. Autism is classified as a “spectrum disorder” with a wide range of symptoms that affect individuals in varying degrees. Three categories of development are usually affected, but autistic children will show different levels of disability in each area. Following are typical autistic indicators to watch for:

Social Interactions and Relationships

• Doesn’t respond to his or her name • Doesn’t make friends with children the same age • Very limited eye contact • Resists cuddling and holding • Lack of empathy • Lack of interest in sharing interests or achievements with others

Nonverbal and Verbal Communication

• Starts talking later than other children (up to 40% of autistics never speak) • Doesn’t make eye contact when requesting things • Difficulty initiating and maintaining a conversation • Difficulty catching on to implied meaning (such as humor); everything is taken literally • Repeats words or phrases verbatim (may repeat the same phrase over and over: echolalia)

Behavioral Adaptations

• Need for sameness or routines (upset by slightest change) • Repetitive movement (rocking, spinning, hand flapping) • Focus on a part of a toy, rather than the entire thing • Lack of spontaneous play or make-believe • Inability to stay still

Autism isn’t curable but it is treatable. Autism symptoms usually diminish with age. Studies demonstrate that early intervention leads to improved quality of life for the autistic child. For more insight, read the autism blog of an autistic woman." (by Debbie Marsh, Disaboom)