Learn to Recognize the Signs of Autism

Portland Maine — Many experts believe early intervention is the key to successfully treating the impacts of autism. Children over 30 months old who are having difficulty speaking, showing an ability to play, and difficulty responding to their own name should probably be evaluated for autism. According to an article on autism web.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Autism Facts, "a doctor should definitely and immediately evaluate a child for autism if he or she:

• Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
• Does not say single words by 16 months of age
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.

• Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language
• Inability to participate in a conversation, even when the child has the ability to speak
• Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions
• Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings
• Difficulty making friends and preferring to play alone
• Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects, such as only lining them up a certain way
• Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings, or an unreasonable insistence on following routines in detail
• Repetitive body movements, or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning, and head banging
• Preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects

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Greg Ruel

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