As a parent, it is natural to wonder and worry about the growth and development of your child. One of the common questions among parents is the signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a broad term to describe a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication issues and repetitive or restricted behavior. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that it affects people differently and to varying degrees. As such, the signs of autism can look different for each child.
Research suggests that in many children, symptoms of autism emerge during the second half of the first year of life. However, signs of autism in toddlers are generally much more visible. Still, many children will show symptoms early on. In fact, one-third of parents recognize symptoms or cite concerns before their child’s first birthday, but many diagnoses are not made until their fourth year or later.
If you notice the following signs and symptoms in your toddler, speak with a child psychiatrist or pediatrician. If your child receives an autism diagnosis, you can enter them in early intervention programs to develop their social, communication, and emotional skills. By recognizing these signs, parents can take early action and help their child get the support they need.
May not respond to their name by 12 months of age.
An early sign of autism can be a lack of communication and the ability to interact when hearing their name. A child may respond to their name inconsistently or not at all. Around one year of age, neurotypical toddlers will respond to their name by turning or looking at the speaker or responding verbally with small noises or words. Conversely, toddlers with autism may have a delayed response or no response at all.
The first step in determining if a child has ASD instead of a hearing disability is to visit an audiologist.
May have a lack of social-emotional reciprocity.
Children with autism may struggle to have a back-and-forth conversation with their peers or family members. Instead of being able to interpret how another person is feeling during an interaction, this individual might be unaware of their surroundings and other individuals’ social cues.
May avoid eye contact and want to be alone.
All developing children are curious about the world around them and take cues from their parents for how they should act or behave. Neurotypical children usually engage in eye contact with their parents and others around them. In children with autism, eye contact may be significantly reduced. They may focus more on their parents’ mouths and hands than their eyes.
In some cases, struggling to read social cues can coincide with avoiding eye contact and self-isolation. Making eye contact with another individual can cause a child with autism to become overstimulated, which results in little to no eye contact.
Research shows that 40-50% of people with autism suffer from anxiety. Being surrounded by others can cause this anxiety to rise and, in return, cause the person with autism to become avoidant from social interactions.
May have delayed speech and language skills.
Children with autism may show a lack of interest in connecting with their peers. Due to this, their speech and language skills could be delayed for the first 12 months of the child’s life. Some might find it difficult to understand rhythms and the meanings of different words; others find that their child has a large vocabulary, but creating sentences is a roadblock.
May have obsessive interests or unusual reactions.
Fixating on an interest can be a way for children with autism to cope with their anxiety, generate acknowledgment of their surroundings and help calm them down when they are feeling strong emotions. If a child has certain hobbies or skills that they repeat, this may be a sign that the child has autism. This may also look like a child perseverating on topics they find intriguing.
May not rely on imitation or use facial expressions.
Toddlers are the epitome of the phrase “watch and learn.” Neurotypical toddlers learn to imitate by observing others, particularly their parents’ faces. Imitation (mimicking facial expressions, noises, and behaviors) is really a conversation between the child and parent. Imitation allows toddlers to express interest in their parents or caregiver and things around them and to make social and emotional connections.
This behavior is largely absent among toddlers with autism. They may have difficulty copying their parents’ actions or playing with other children. Because imitation is a vital part of development, many researchers recommend early intervention as a way to teach toddlers with autism how to interact with their environment and people around them.
May focus prolonged visual attention on inanimate objects.
Children usually prefer to look at other people’s faces, while many children with autism prefer to look at inanimate objects. This may be because many toddlers with autism typically prefer non-social stimuli, such as a whirring ceiling fan or a colorful toy.
May have a passive temperament.
Toddlers and children with autism spectrum disorder express atypical social behavior. They may seem aloof or extremely shy, not meeting others’ eyes and keeping to themselves. These behaviors can be described as “passive” – a toddler with autism may not initiate social interaction, but they may respond to it. In other instances, children with autism may not respond at all.
May have extreme reactions to changes in the environment.
Change, especially unexpected change, can prove extremely stressful for toddlers with autism. Children with autism prefer routine and structure because it makes them feel safe and secure, while changes in their environment may cause feelings of anxiety or fear.
Just like typically developing toddlers, toddlers with autism may respond to things they don’t like by screaming or throwing a tantrum. However, unlike many typically developing children, toddlers with autism may have this same reaction to seemingly “mild” or “harmless” changes in their environment.
For example, a toddler with autism may have an extreme reaction when visitors whom they’ve never met come to their house.
What to do if your child is showing these signs?
Parents can usually spot these signs in infancy, but they often become more apparent by the age of two. If your toddler exhibits the above symptoms, take them to a child neurologist, psychiatrist, or pediatrician for an evaluation. Once your child has a diagnosis, you can find an early intervention program that will help them develop social and emotional skills.
If you suspect your child may have autism, speak to your pediatrician about any concerns. Most pediatricians will use screening tools such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) or the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) to determine if your child displays autism traits.
You can also check out the CDC developmental milestones to gain more knowledge on autism and the early signs in children with autism.
How BlueSprig can help
The most notable behavioral intervention for individuals with ASD is applied behavior analysis (ABA). The basis of ABA is the process of behavior change using reinforcement increase and decrease target behaviors while improving strategies to both increase and decrease target behaviors while working to improve socialization, communication, learning skills, and other developmental milestones. Early intervention ABA therapy has been proven to help children with autism learn new skills and overcome some challenges.
BlueSprig is the premier provider of ABA treatment, offering individualized programs geared toward young children with ASD at our locations throughout the country.