I’ve heard of autism, but I don’t really know what it is.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the name given to describe a common set of symptoms seen beginning in early childhood. These symptoms include “restricted and repetitive behaviors” and problems with social interaction and communication.
We don’t really know what causes autism – scientists currently think it’s a mix of genetic and environmental factors, but there is so much we are still learning. What we do know for sure is that it is NOT a caregiver’s fault that their child is autistic.
Signs of ASD usually show up before a child turns 3 years old. Some children might start showing signs as young as 1 year old, while others might show them a bit later. Common signs include avoiding eye contact and focusing on one object only during play. Communicating with others can be hard and children may repeat words and phrases without understanding their meaning, or in the same manner over and over. They might find it hard to understand social rules, like waving “hi” and “bye” or looking at another person’s face to find out what they’re thinking. A child with ASD may have unusually strong emotional reactions. Some children have trouble with sleeping and eating habits.
See the video below for a closer look at behavioral signs of ASD.
Early Signs of Autism Video Tutorial | Kennedy Krieger Institute
What do I do if I’m worried my child has developmental delays similar to autism?
You love your child just as he is, and you also want to give him all the tools he needs to be successful!
Early intervention is designed to help families and children learn new skills. Working with therapists can help your child practice communicating, exploring his environment, playing with a variety of toys, interacting with others and learning important things like dressing himself and trying new foods. Therapists who specialize in working with young children can help you find new ways to teach your child important things at home and in the community.
The best part is, you don’t have to wait and see if your child has autism to start therapy services! You can go ahead and get started. Even if he never receives an ASD diagnosis, early intervention can be helpful.
You can check here (CDC’s Developmental Milestone Tool) to see what skills your child is doing and what he’s still working on. If there’s a big gap between his age and his skills based on the developmental milestones, you can talk to his pediatrician to get a referral for therapy.
How can I find out if my child has autism?
If you have a feeling your child might have autism, you can take an at-home questionnaire that will let you know if it makes sense to get further testing.
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT): is a free, validated developmental screening tool for toddlers between 16 and 30 months of age. It’s designed to identify children who may benefit from a more thorough developmental and autism evaluation.
You can take the M-CHAT and share that information with your child’s doctor or other healthcare professional. This will help you decide together the next best steps.
Here is the link to the M-CHAT:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/screen-your-child
Only a doctor who specializes in autism can diagnose it. It is important to confirm any suspicions you have with your pediatrician, who can then refer to you to the right place to get a formal autism evaluation.
Further Information
The following sites and resources have excellent information and resources on autism and related social and communication delays.
Speech & Language Developmental Milestones
Autism Speaks: http://www.autismspeaks.org/