According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of 110 children in the United States is autistic. This pervasive developmental disability is considered to be a spectrum disorder, meaning that a child's condition may fall anywhere on a continuum from mild to severe impairment. While there is currently no cure for autism, early awareness and diagnosis can lead to early intervention and a healthier outcome for the child. Numerous treatments exist for autism spectrum disorder, and each child's condition and optimum treatment will be specific to the child.
Autism symptoms include social, behavioral and language impairments. Some children will have social and behavioral impairments, but normal language skills. Intelligence may be below average, average or above average.
Social Impairment Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, a child with autism may not respond to his name. He may appear to not hear when he is spoken to. He may not interact with other children and prefer to play alone. He may attempt to get away if held or cuddled, and may seem to not care about the feelings of others. He may not smile and may avoid eye contact. The child with autism may seem disinterested in cooperating with others to achieve a goal or obtain a reward. He may not point at objects or pictures in books by 14 months. He may also seem oblivious to the tone of voice or facial expressions of parents or caregivers.
Behavioral Symptoms
The child with autism may bang her head or perform repetitive movements, such as rocking, twirling or hand-flapping. She may not seem to distinguish fantasy from reality at an age when other children do. She may seem very rigid in her daily routine and resistant to change. She may stare at an object for a long period of time or play with one toy for hours. She may not seem to notice when she is physically hurt, and may seem to be bothered by loud noises or bright lights.
Language Deficit Symptoms
Red flags include a child who does not babble by 12 months or speak any words by 16 months, says Autism Speaks, an advocacy organization. Other signs of autism include an older child who cannot begin or carry on a conversation appropriate to his age, or a child whose language skills have regressed. The voice of the child with autism may be sing-song or robotic, without emotion. The school-aged child may talk only about what interests him and show no interest in discussing topics brought up by others. The child with autism may refer to himself by his name.
