Autism in toddlers affects several aspects of their development, including social skills, communication and behavior, says Medline Plus. Symptoms vary greatly among children with autism from very minor to very severe. The Mayo Clinic says genetics and environment play a part in the development of autism, but maintain that vaccines do not. Usually, 32-month old toddlers with autism will display several common symptoms that should be red flags to parents and doctors.
Intense Tantrums
All toddlers throw tantrums from time to time, but an autistic 32-month old will throw a tantrum for seemingly little reason and these tantrums often last for a long time. Medline Plus says that autistic toddlers are comforted by repetition and routine and when these things are disrupted, they lose control easily and quickly. Tantrums can produce aggressive behavior towards self and others as well as intense anger.
Abnormal Play
A 32-month-old toddler with autism enjoys playing alone and does not play imagination or pretend games, says the Mayo Clinic. They do not imitate things they have seen, something most children at this age do. Autism makes it hard for these children to make and interact appropriately with other children their age, causing difficulty in making and maintaining friendships. Autism at this age results in little eye contact or smiling so many children find it hard to engage the autistic child. Medline Plus says that children at this age with autism prefer ritualistic play, such as spinning the wheels on a toy car over and over.
Slow Language Development
Autism produces a delayed or lack of development of social skills. Autism in a 32-month old toddler results in the child using gestures over words when communicating. According to Medline Plus these children have difficulty holding conversations with others. These children do not point, something that doctors look for in terms of development at this age. Children will also repeat phrases or words over and over, but with little understanding of what they mean. A final red flag is children who possess some language skills and then lose them.
