Indications That A Child May Have Autism
Studies have shown that one in every 68 children in the US has autism. Autism is a disorder that affects the social interactions of a child and also causes repetitive behaviors. The symptoms of autism can be detected in a given child, persist until adulthood and interfere with their daily living. Here are the key red flags indicating that a child has autism.
Every infant under the age of two is expected to hit certain milestones as they develop, and lack of such signs might motivate one to talk to a doctor about autism evaluation. Children tend to develop at different rates, and this means that a child not hitting a given milestone by its deadline doesn’t necessarily mean that they are on autism spectrum. However, it is something that one needs to be mindful of. A baby should be babbling by the time they are four months old, smile before being five months old and should play games such as pat-a-cake before they are eight months old. A year-old child should respond to their names and also look at objects pointed out to them. Kids that do not hit these milestones might have Autism Spectrum Disorder, and they are likely to be non-verbal adults. Children living with autism also do not look for parent comfort even when in unfamiliar situations and they also lack social awareness.
If a child is living with autism, there are chances that they will not make eye contact when you are talking to them. Such a kid is also likely not to cheer up even when they spot an unfamiliar adult. The children will also have uncommon sensory issues, and it is possible that they will be overwhelmed by certain sights, tastes and sounds.
Normally, when a child is 2 years old, they are likely to use simple sentences, but this is not the case for children living with autism. Such children also use little tonal variation and have irregular rhythms. The kids usually do not read facial expressions, and they typically use formal language instead of casual conversation tones when speaking with their friends. Most social concerns are changed through Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Companies such as BlueSprig Autism offers in-home therapy, workshops as well as screenings.
Repetitive behaviors are also part of the defining characteristics of autism. Apart from repeating words over and over, such children can also have obsessions with particular objects or foods with specific tastes such as sweet, bitter or salty. Such kids also come unhinged by any slight change to their routine, and their tantrums can involve aggressive or harmful behaviors such as head-banging.