Early Signs of Autism in Children

In their book, Quirky Kids, Perri Klass and Eileen Costello explain that there are three areas that parents can assess to see if their child has developmental problems. While all children may lag behind at times or display weaknesses in certain areas, autism normally presents with more severe, long term problems.

Autism and Temperament and Behavior

Autism generally manifests in babies in two different ways: extremely placid behavior or excessive irritability. This becomes more defined as they develop and older children are likely to show some of the following traits:

• spinning
• rocking
• hand flapping
• running in circles
• engaging in repetitive behavior
• obsessive behavior
• love of routine
• outrageous tantrums
• aversion to loud noises
• aversion to touch

Parents may unconsciously adapt family routines and arrange their lives around a child's preferences without realizing they are doing it. If this is the case, the child should be assessed to see if there is a reason for their behavioral problems.

Autistic Children and Speech and Language

Children on the autistic spectrum display a wide range of speech and language quirks and these are often a sign of their condition. It is difficult to make an early diagnosis based on speech as all children develop at different rates but there are warning signs to look out for:

• slow to develop speech
• lack of interest in others' speech
• speaking early
• advanced levels of speech
• in some cases, speech may be replaced by signs, pulling on clothes, grunting, screaming and pointing. In other cases, the child can speak but is unable to use interactive language and may speak in a slow robotic fashion.

Here are the accepted milestones of normal speech to use as a guideline:

• Babies start babbling by six months and this progresses in complexity to sound like spoken language
• A nine-month old baby responds to his or her name
• By 15 to 18 months a child should be able to say a few words and understand simple instructions
• By four, speech should be clear enough for people outside of the family to understand

Autism and Social Interaction

Autistic babies and children often display unusual behavior when it comes to interacting with other children and playing with toys. Warning signs include the following:

• lack of interest in toys
• playing with toys by lining them up or opening and closing toy car doors repeatedly
• lack of engagement with parents
• lack of interest in socializing with other children
• inability to join in imaginative play

Perri Klass and Eileen Costello list normal social milestones that can be used as a guide to measure a child's development:

• Babies under four months should make eye contact and smile at parents.
• By one year, a child should be gesturing, waving and pointing.
• Children under two are often content to play side by side with other children.
• From the age of two, a child generally starts engaging in play that requires interaction and give and take.

Problems in any one of the above areas is not necessarily a reason for concern but a cluster of problems may signal some form of autism. Babies and small children can display strange patterns in their temperament, speech and language and social interaction and if a parent is concerned, it is best to take the child to a professional to be assessed.

Reference :

Costello, Eileen, and Perri Klass, Quirky Kids, Ballantine Books, 2003