Autism in Children - What are Some Signs of Autism in Young Children and Toddl

[George Giles]

Everyday, the word "Autism" is becoming more frequently a household
term. With the frequency of Autism on the rise, everyone seems to know
someone affected by Autism in some way.
The current research on Autism shows that a well-trained professional
can diagnose Autism when a child is around 18-months old. The research
further states that it is difficult to diagnose a child before that
age.
However, a child with Asperger Syndrome or High Functioning Autism who
might be talking at a young age and appear more typical, might not get
diagnosed until school-aged. The majority of the parents I have
interacted with who have young children with Autism say that they
could tell something was "different" with their child since he or she
was a baby.
With the rising popularity of Autism, more new parents worry about
symptoms associated with Autism.
The three main deficit areas for children with Autism include: social
skills, communication, and behavior. Below is a summary of challenges
young children with Autism typically demonstrate as toddlers.
Social Skills:
By this age, your child should be imitating words, using simple
gestures (ex: waving 'bye-bye'), and possibly smiling at people. A
child with Autism might have difficulty learning to interact with
other people. A child with Autism also might not show an interest in
social games like peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake.
Communication:
Approximately 40 percent of children with Autism do not talk. This is
a major challenge for all children with Autism. Kids typically start
saying their first words around 12 months. For children with Autism,
they either do not develop words, they might only repeat what you say,
or for 25-30 percent they might have words and then lose them at
around 18 months to 2 years.
For children with higher functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome, they
might develop language like typical children; however, they have
difficulty using the language as other typically developing children
might.
Behavior:
Young children with Autism will also frequently develop unusual
behaviors such as repetitive motions. Repetitive motions are actions
repeated over and over again. An example of repetitive movement can be
arm flapping or rocking side to side. This can also be referred to as
"stimming". Besides the repetitive movement, children with Autism
might also thrive on routines. They want an activity or routine
repeated the same way every time. If the routine is changed or
interrupted a child with Autism might have a breakdown.
Just remember, all children develop differently. This is a general
guide, for more diagnostic information; talk with your child's
pediatrician.