Autism manifests itself across a variety of symptoms. In infancy and early childhood, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appears, causing delays in many essential areas of development, such as learning to speak, play, and communicate with others.
The signs and symptoms of autism, like its effects, differ widely. There are only minor impairments in some children with autism, while others have more challenges to tackle. Every child on the autism spectrum, however, has issues in the following three fields, at least to some degree:
Verbally and non-verbally communicating.
Relating to others and their surrounding environment.
Flexibly thinking and behaving.
Between physicians, parents, and researchers, there are multiple opinions on what causes autism and how best to treat it. However, there is one fact that everyone depends on: early and intensive intervention helps. It can make all the difference for children at risk and children who display early signs. But no matter the age of your infant, don't lose faith. Treatment will decrease the effects of the condition and help your child prosper in life.
Spotting autism
You are in the best place, as a parent, to spot the early warning signs of autism. You know your child better than anyone and observe habits and quirks that a pediatrician would not have the opportunity to see in a short fifteen-minute appointment. The pediatrician of your child may be a helpful collaborator, but do not underestimate the value of your own observations and experience. The trick is to prepare yourself so that you understand what is normal and what is not.
Track the growth of your infant. Autism requires a range of developmental delays, so keeping a close eye on when or whether your child meets the main social, emotional, and cognitive milestones is an efficient way to detect the issue early on. Although developmental delays do not point to autism immediately, they can suggest an increased risk.
If you're worried, take action. Each child grows at a different rate, so if your child is a little late for talking or walking, you don't need to worry. There is a wide variety of "typical" when it comes to healthy growth, but if your child does not reach the milestones for his or her age, or you suspect a problem, immediately share your concerns with your child's doctor. And don't hesitate.
Don't accept the approach of wait-and-see. Many parents concerned are advised, "Don't worry" or "Wait and see." But the worst thing you can do is to wait. At an age when your child has the greatest potential for development, you risk wasting precious time. In addition, whether the delay is caused by autism or any other factor, it is impossible that developmentally delayed children eventually "grow out of" their problems. Your child needs additional support and personalized care in order to improve skills in an area of delay.
Find comfort in your intuition. Ideally, the doctor of your child will take your concerns seriously and do a comprehensive examination for autism or other developmental delays. But even well-meaning doctors often ignore red signs or underestimate issues. If it's telling you something's wrong, listen to your intuition, and be persistent. Schedule a follow-up appointment with the doctor, get a second opinion or request a referral to a specialist in child growth.
Signs and symptoms in babies and toddlers
When autism is diagnosed in childhood, therapy may take full advantage of the extraordinary plasticity of the young brain. While it is difficult to diagnose autism prior to 24 months, signs typically occur between 12 and 18 months. Intensive treatment can help rewire the brain and reverse the symptoms if signs are identified at 18 months of age.
The earliest symptoms of autism include the lack of normal behaviors such that they can be hard to spot, not the emergence of atypical ones. The earliest symptoms of autism are also misinterpreted as signs of a "good baby" in some instances, because the child may appear calm, independent, and undemanding. However, if you know what to look for, you can spot warning signs early on.
Some autistic infants do not respond to cuddling, reach out to be picked up, or when fed, look at their mothers.
Signs and symptoms to older children
The red flags for autism are becoming more diverse as children grow older. There are many signs and symptoms of alarm, but usually they revolve around poor social skills, problems with speech and vocabulary, non-verbal communication difficulties, and inflexible actions.
For children with autism spectrum disorder, simple social interaction may be tough. Many children on the autism spectrum tend to prefer living aloof and detached from others in their own environment.
Children with autism spectrum disorder have speech and language problems. Sometimes, they begin speaking late.
Children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty using body language and picking up on subtle nonverbal signs. This makes social contact "give-and-take" very difficult.
Children with autism spectrum disorder are often limited in their attitudes, habits, and interests, inflexible, and even obsessed.
Causes of autism
Until recently, most researchers assumed that autism was mainly caused by genetic factors. However, groundbreaking new research suggests that environmental factors may also be critical for autism to grow.
Babies may be born with a genetic susceptibility to autism that is then caused either when he or she is still in the womb or sometime after birth by something in the external world.
It's important to remember that the environment means something beyond the body in this sense. It's not limited to stuff in the environment, like emissions or toxins. In reality, the prenatal setting tends to be one of the most critical environments.
