Early Warning Signs of Autism

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects 1 in 150 children. There are many other challenges common to individuals with autism, including difficulty sleeping and digestive problems. Autism is usually diagnosed around three years of age, but earlier signs and screening tools have been developed to help detect it sooner.

Babies develop social skills in their first year. They aren't always obvious, unless you know what to look for. Smiling when smiled at and turning towards someone speaking to them are two skills that babies with autism may not exhibit.

Babies should babble and by six months of age try to imitate or babble back when spoken to. This is a skill that babies with autism might lack.

Babies are naturally curious about their surroundings. Babies with autism often won't look towards sounds or new things. They often don't show interest or anxiety around unfamiliar people or things like typically developing babies.

By three months of age babies should be grasping toys and opening and shutting their hands. Babies also try to swat at moving objects, like mobiles above the crib.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, these are warning signs that your child is not developing typically: doesn't seem to respond to loud noises, doesn't notice hands, doesn't follow moving objects with eyes, doesn't reach for and grasp toys, babbles but doesn't try to imitate any of your sounds, doesn't pay attention to new faces or experiences a dramatic loss of skills.

Here is a full list of "red flags" that a child may have autism, which is provided by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Not respond to their name by 12 months of age

• Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months

• Not play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months

• Avoid eye contact and want to be alone

• Have trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings

• Have delayed speech and language skills

• Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)

• Give unrelated answers to questions

• Get upset by minor changes

• Have obsessive interests

• Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles

• Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel

These are just some of the signs that you will want to discuss with your pediatrician at your three month well baby visit.