Autism spectrum disorders affect a child’s behavior and social and communication skills. The signs and symptoms of autism vary, though there are several classical areas in which autistic children show deficits. These abnormalities may be subtle in the first months of life or manifest later when the child fails to communicate verbally or displays odd play and behavior habits. Occasionally, an autistic child will reach milestones only to regress later.
Social Skills
Delayed social skill milestones often comprise the first and most specific sign of autism. A normally-developing 1-year-old turns to look when a caregiver points at an object or calls the child’s name, whereas an autistic child will rarely look. Autistic infants may also fail to make eye contact or display appropriate facial expressions, such as smiling responsively at a caregiver.
Communication Skills
Most children with autism show some form of speech delay. By 12 months of age, a child should be babbling frequently. Many normal 1-year-olds will speak several simple words or gesture to communicate. Autistic children lack this desire to communicate their thoughts and needs. Before concluding that a child has an autism spectrum disorder, however, it is important to rule out other causes of speech delay such as a hearing impairment.
Behaviors
Children with autism may demonstrate unusual behaviors in a variety of areas. For example, an autistic 1-year-old may be comforted with a hard item such as a pen or flashlight rather than a stuffed animal or blanket. Also, repetitive behaviors, such as lining objects in a row, may signify autism. All children have temper tantrums, but an autistic child may burst into a tantrum for no apparent reason. Finally, those with autism may exhibit self-injurious behavior such as head-banging or hand-biting.
Motor Skills
Because children with autistic spectrum disorder typically reach motor milestones appropriately, the subtle differences in behavior and skills may go unnoticed. A 1-year-old with autism may have sat, crawled and walked on time, but still be unable to wave “bye-bye.”
Considerations
It is important to remember that no two children with autism are exactly alike. If a child shows any of the above signs or symptoms of autism, this should be relayed to the child’s health provider so that appropriate testing and intervention can be initiated.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Primary Care for Children With Autism; February 2010
- "Pediatrics"; Identification and Evaluation of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders; November 2007
