By Roshan Perera
As a parent, it is important to know what your child is allergic to. And if a child is allergic to something, more often than not, it is very evident. However, testing for autism is quite a bit more complicated than going in for a skin prick test. And, if diagnosed at an early age, there are services and treatments that may mitigate the impact autism has on the rest of a child’s development. It is important to know that not everyone with autism is the same. That is the reason behind calling this neurological condition Autism Spectrum Disorder.
On one end of this spectrum there will be individuals who are autistic, but will never really know or recognize themselves as being so. And then there will be those that are severely affected by autism and will need continual care throughout their lives. Listed below are some common behavioral traits that may serve as early indicators of possible autism. But, these are not definitive. Different children will acquire skills at different times, and autism is a complex disorder that is still actively being researched.
Here are some early signs in children that may indicate they are on the autistic spectrum:
– Not responding to loud sounds: by about two months, infants will start responding to loud sounds. Things like the vacuum, a food processor, or a plate being dropped will elicit a reaction.
– Not object tracking: around four months, infants will track objects that are moving. An Autistic child may not track things that move within their field of vision, or may show great difficulty doing so.
– Not using gestures to get things: at approximately six months, children will begin to reach, grasp, and gesture for things they want. An autistic child may not make the connection between grasping at an item to indicate need.
– Not sitting or babbling: by about nine months, an infant should be able to sit independently as well as babble sounds (e.g. baba, mama, yeye)
– Not engaging in vocal socialization or imitation: similar to babbling, a child of about nine months will engage in back and forth vocal exchanges, something similar to having an infant say, “dada,” by saying it yourself.
– Not using gestures to communicate: by about one year, infants can typically wave hello/goodbye, shaking their head yes or no, or can actively point to objects they desire or wish to drawn attention to.
– Not using simple phrases, or able to follow simple commands: by about two years, children can follow simple instructions given to them by a caregiver (e.g. “come over here please” or “sit down there”) and be able to use simple phrases to communicate (e.g. “okay mama” or “will sit here”)
This is a brief list of some of the development milestone that autistics may not achieve, or only partially achieve. A delay in development may not necessarily indicate autism, or any other learning disability or disorder. It is important to track a child’s development and check in regularly with a pediatrician who can then make a diagnosis.
For a more complete guide of early childhood autistic tendencies contact your child’s pediatrician, or your local autism services provider. The San Gabriel Valley area has a growing number of resources available to you including: People’s Care Autism Services: (866) 351-8887 (Arcadia); Center for Autism and Related Disorders (855) 345-2273 (Arcadia).
