Autism is a set of disorders also known as autism spectrum disorders, or ASD, which develops in childhood and lasts for the rest of the individual's life. There is no cure for autism, but early identification of the disorder can help children receive treatment as soon as possible that can help them better adjust to life with the disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, autism symptoms generally develop before the age of three and 80 to 90 percent of parents with children on the autistic spectrum see signs before the child's second birthday.
Communication Difficulties
An autistic two-year-old will typically be unable to put two words together to form a simple sentence, a skill that normal two-year-olds can generally do, explains the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Parents of an autistic two-year-old may have also noticed delays in earlier milestones that limit the child's ability to communicate by word or gesture. These red flags can include an inability to gesture at objects or make babbling sounds by one year of age and an inability to speak single words by 16 months old. A child who experiences these delays may never develop these skills or may develop them later in life. In some cases, a child may develop normally and suddenly lose abilities and skills previously gained. So a two-year-old who was previously speaking single or multiple words and gesturing who stops these activities should be evaluated by a doctor.
Social Skill Deficiencies
A two-year-old child who is autistic may not respond to her own name when spoken by parents or caregivers. She may avoid direct eye contact. An autistic child often prefer to play alone instead of playing with other children or family members and may only interact with others when trying to achieve a specific goal. She may pull away from physical contact, including hugs and cuddles from parents and may not respond to attempts at comfort when she is upset. Autistic children have a harder time than normal kids learning how to share and take turns.
Unusual Behaviors
According to the Mayo Clinic, repetitive movements such as hand flapping or rocking in place may be a sign of autism in a young child. An autistic toddler will also become dependent upon routines, either ones created by their parents or ones he invented, and may become extremely upset if routines are disturbed. Parents might notice a propensity for organizing toys in a straight line, explains the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. An autistic child may also become overly focused on specific parts of toys and appear to prefer hard toys or objects over soft ones.
