Worried Your Child Has Autism? Watch for These Signs

Scientists and experts aren't entirely clear about the nature or causes of autism spectrum disorder, but they do know some of the signs to look out for that indicate a person might have autism. For instance, they know that autism begins before a person is three years old, so symptoms can show up any time within the first few months of life, and the Centers for Disease Control says that 80 to 90 percent of parents will start to notice symptoms in a child by age two. It’s important to seek medical assistance if you believe your child might have autism, and that means being able to recognize some of the most common signs, which we’ll go over today.

Social and Interpersonal Development 

 

Different social skills are among the most noticeable early signs of autism in children, and this includes a child’s overall tendency to show a lack of interest in other people and be very involved in his or her own world. Some common signs of autism that fall into this category include:

 

·       Avoiding both physical and eye contact

·       Social isolation and the preference for being alone

·       Difficulty empathizing with the feelings of others

·       Demonstrating inappropriate facial expressions and body language

·       Not responding to his or her name

·       Being obsessive about his or her own interests

Struggles with Communication

 

Communication is another area where parents often notice differences among children with autism, and this includes delayed speech and language skills, not showing interest in objects in the environment, repeating words and phrases, and speaking in an odd tone of voice. Beyond that, however, there are also other signs that indicate an inability to relate to others, and those include responding to questions with unrelated answers, finding it difficult to express needs and wants, having trouble with language comprehension, and not finding things funny.

Unusual Physical Behavior

 

There are also some physical signs that are associated with autism, and they include behaviors like rocking, spinning, and flapping the hands. More than that, there are also other symptoms to watch for, such as:

 

·       Extreme organization

·       Playing with the same toys obsessively

·       Having a strong aversion to change

·       Clumsiness and awkward movements

Emotional Difficulties

 

Finally, the last category of autism symptoms can be classified as emotional, and they include unusual responses to sensory stimuli like taste, touch, smell, and sound, as well as impulsive behavior, aggression, tantrums, short attention span, and even self-injury as a reaction to environmental factors.

 

It’s vital to understand that just because a child demonstrates some or even many of these signs doesn’t necessarily indicate that child is autistic, which is why it’s important to seek a diagnosis from a trained medical professional if you have concerns about your child. Not only will that professional be able to provide a proper diagnosis, but also make recommendations for a tailored therapy plan if necessary. This could include things like cognitive-behavioral therapy, alternative therapies like music therapy, or the award winning medical system Mente Autism, which uses neurofeedback to relax the minds of children with autism, and in turn improve communication, behavior, and attentiveness.