It's a concern no parent wants to have: the suspicion that your child may have a serious developmental disorder. Disorders like autism are not always easy to diagnose, especially in children, but there are signs that might point to a possible diagnosis. Symptoms of autism are often recognized before a child reaches the age of 3, claims KidsHealth, produced by the Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media. As many as three to six out of 1,000 children are autistic, the Mayo Clinic states.
Disinterest in People
Children with autism are often disinterested in others. They may not look you in the eye, may not respond to their name and may treat you as an object rather than a person, using you as a tool to get them what they want rather than asking for it. Autistic children won't play with other children, preferring to be left alone. They don't ask questions, bring objects to you, or try and show you things of interest. Autistic children may try to avoid being touched.
Physical Behaviors
Autistic children may walk or crawl late; when they do begin to walk, they may walk on their toes or have an unusual gait. Many autistic children have a repertoire of repetitive movements, such as hand flapping, rocking, turning in circles, or flipping a light switch or the wheels on cars over and over.
Language Deficits
Many autistic children have poor verbal communication. They may speak late, have speech that's hard to understand or act as if they don't understand what you're saying. Fifty percent of children with autism don't speak at all, according to the Yale Child Study Center. Often, autistic children will lose the ability to speak after they've started talking. Speech may be monotone or parrot-like; the child may repeat phrases without understanding the meaning behind them. Carrying on a give-and-take conversation is extremely difficult for an autistic child.
Inflexibility
Routine is critical to autistic children, and any change in routine may upset them to the point of hysteria. They may have important bedtime or meal rituals, such as touching things in a certain sequence or lining up objects in a specific pattern.
Sensitivity
Many autistic children are extremely sensitive to touch, noise and other environmental factors, although they may have a decreased sensitivity to pain, the Mayo Clinic states.
