Signs of Autism in Children

Autism prevalence is on the rise.

A CDC report released in 2006 outlines the growing number of reported cases of autism, with an occurence of 1%, or 1 in every 110 children having some form of ASD. This is a large increase in the approximately 1 in every 2000 (0.5%) children that was reported in the 1980's, and the approximate 7 or 8 per 1000 children reported in the 1990's. By this report, if 5 million children are born every year in the United States alone, 45,625 of those children will eventually be diagnosed with some form of ASD. This is not all, however, as other studies have reported the prevalence of 0.6% to over 1% in Asia and Europe, with some reports outlining an occurence of 2.6% in South Korea: see this chart.

Identifying the signs of autism in children is essential

Early intervention is key in treating autism. Every year untreated is a year of development that shapes the future of a child's life. There are landmarks in development that, if not reached, may be signs of some form of developmental disorder, including ASD. These signs, broken down by age group, are as follows:

0-2 Years (Infant) Autism Signs

• Not smiling by six months of age
• Not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
• Lack of eye contact
• No response via head orientation or attention to their own name
• Low attention to objects presented to them
• Repetetive behaviors or movements
• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving.
• No spoken words.
• No meaningful two-word phrases that don't involve imitating or repeating.

2-5 Years (Toddler) Autism Signs

• Does not consistently respond to his/her name.
• Cannot tell you what he/she wants with words or gestures.
• Doesn't follow directions.
• Seems to be deaf at times.
• Seems to hear sometimes, but not others.
• Doesn't point or wave bye-bye (past 15 months) or use other gestures such as shaking his head "yes" or "no" appropriately and back and forth in conversation.
• Used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn't.
• Throws intense or violent tantrums.
• Has odd movement patterns such as flapping arms or shaking body, especially when excited.
• Shows other odd visual behaviors such as staring repeatedly at spinning wheels on a toy or shifting his eyes to the side as he runs.
• Seems hyperactive much of the time; is always "on the go."
• Is often uncooperative or oppositional during daily routines.
• Doesn't know how to play with toys. Might spin or line them up excessively.
• Doesn't smile when smiled at.
• Doesn't make eye contact. He/she seems to look right through/past you.
• Gets "stuck" on things over and over and can't move on to other things.
• Seems to prefer to play alone.
• Gets things for him/herself only without asking for help.
• Is very independent for his/her age.
• Seems to be in his/her "own world."
• Seems to tune people out.
• Shows very little interest in other children.
• Or may interact inappropriately with other children.
• Walks on his/her toes.
• Shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules (i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants).
• Spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order and gets upset if this is disrupted.
• Has delayed speech-language skills when compared to other children of the same age.
• Memorizes and quotes long scripts of favorite TV shows, sing entire songs, or label lots of objects, but he/she uses very few "real" or meaningful words to ask for things or participate in conversation.
• Repeats what he/she hears rather than using words on his own.
• Learns to read at age 2 or 3 (or has a very strong interest in visual symbols such as letters and numbers), but has difficulty communicating with others in a meaningful way.
• Is a very picky eater. May eat only 3 or 4 different foods.

5+ Years Autism Signs

• Appears disinterested or unaware of other people or what'ts going on around them.
• Doesn't know how to connect with others, play, or make friends.
• Prefers not to be touched, held, or cuddled.
• Doesn't play "pretend" games, engage in group games, imitate others, or use toys in creative ways.
• Has trouble understanding or talking about feelings.
• Doesn't seem to hear when others talk to him or her.
• Doesn't share interests or achievements with others (drawings, toys).
• Speaks in an abnormal tone of voice, or with an odd rhythm or pitch (e.g. ends every sentence as if asking a question).
• Repeats the same words or phrases over and over.
• Responds to a question by repeating it, rather than answering it.
• Refers to themselves in the third person.
• Uses language incorrectly (grammatical errors, wrong words).
• Has difficulty communicating needs or desires.
• Doesn't understand simple directions, statements, or questions.
• Takes what is said too literally (misses undertones of humor, irony, and sarcasm).
• Avoids eye contact.
• Uses facial expressions that don't match what he or she is saying.
• Doesn't pick up on other people'ts facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures.
• Makes very few gestures (such as pointing). May come across as cold or "robot-like."
• Reacts unusually to sights, smells, textures, and sounds. May be especially sensitive to loud noises.
• Abnormal posture, clumsiness, or eccentric ways of moving (e.g. walking exclusively on tiptoe).
• Follows a rigid routine (e.g. insists on taking a specific route to school)
• Has difficulty adapting to any changes in schedule or environment (e.g. throws a tantrum if the furniture is rearranged or bedtime is at a different time than usual).
• Unusual attachments to toys or strange objects such as keys, light switches, or rubber bands.
• Obsessively lines things up or arranges them in a certain order.
• Preoccupation with a narrow topic of interest, often involving numbers or symbols (e.g. memorizing and reciting facts about maps, train schedules, or sports statistics).
• Spends long periods of time arranging toys in specific ways, watching moving objects such as a ceiling fan, or focusing on one specific part of an object such as the wheels of a toy car.
• Repeats the same actions or movements over and over again, such as flapping hands, rocking, or twirling (known as self-stimulatory behavior, or "stimming"). Some researchers and clinicians believe that these behaviors may soothe children with autism more than stimulate them.

Signs of self-stimulation, or stimming, often done with great frequency and impetus

• Hand flapping
• Rocking back and forth
• Spinning in a circle
• Finger flicking
• Head banging
• Staring at lights
• Moving fingers in front of the eyes
• Snapping fingers
• Tapping ears
• Scratching
• Lining up toys
• Spinning objects
• Wheel spinning
• Watching moving objects
• Flicking light switches on and off
• Repeating words or noises

There are many signs and characteristics of ASD, however the presence of any of the above signs of autism does not guarantee or fully qualify a child as having autism. Please see your physician for a diagnosis, making sure to note any of the signs of autism seen here.

Early intervention is the best strategy that can be taken in the case that a child may be autistic

Treatment of autism and ASD early on in life increases the probability that a child will be able to interact with and understand the world. In addition, early intervention before key stages of life, may improve the chances that development will be more stable.

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