Recognizing Early Warning Signs of Autism

Portland, Maine — Experts on autism agree that its best to spot an autism spectrum disorder early on and take immediate action. Toddlers who are having difficulty with speech, or lack the ability to play, or perhaps have difficulty responding to their own name should be evaluated for autism spectrum disorder if for no other reason that to rule it out.

According to an article on autism web, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Autism Facts states that 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 or 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.

Similarly, according to WebMD, the signs of autism include: 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 and 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 and preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects.

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Gregory Ruel (Portland, Maine)

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Greg Ruel

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