How to Spot Autism Symptoms

Autism symptoms vary widely between differing individuals and often change during the development of a child. While autism is believed to be present at birth, it can be difficult to identify autism symptoms before late in the second year when socialization and verbalization skills begin to rapidly develop in most children. Follow these steps to identify or rule out autism symptoms, but seek a physician's help for official diagnosis and treatment options for autism.

Instructions

• 1

  Look for lack of eye contact.

  One of the common signs of autism is the inability or lack of desire to make eye contact, or gaze into another person's eyes. This sign is not present in all autism patients, and its presence does not necessarily indicate autism either. Autism is diagnosed through observation and interviews looking for a cluster of symptoms rather than a complete list.

• 2

  Note lack of spontaneous desire for celebration or shared joy.

  Autistic children often do not point out things that interest them, show off accomplishments, or look with a smile hoping for a celebratory response. More developmentally average children will clap, point, laugh, and revel in shared celebrations.

• 3

  Pay attention to any lag in developing appropriate social relationships.

  Children begin to not only form friendships but to actively seek to form those friendships given opportunity with similar ages. One of the symptoms of autism is the inability or lack of desire to form these bonds.

• 4

  Report any delay in speech development.

  Speech development therapists can often help further any non-pervasive developmental delay in children. However, if speech is significantly delayed combined with other symptoms this task will be much more difficult and possible impossible. However, three out of five victims of autism will eventually develop speech patterns. Pursue speech treatment options as early as possible. (Consider speech therapy software)

• 5

  Notice repetitions in speech patterns that are beyond the norm.

  One of austism's symptoms is overfocusing on one particular item, object, pattern, ritual, or phrase. Many autistic children will fixate on a particular phrase they have heard before and repeat it often.

• 6

  Pay attention to repetitions in physical gesturing.

  Physical gestures that are stereotypically associated with autism include slapping or flapping of the hands, rocking constantly, or more complex movements that involve larger parts of the body, even the entire body.

• 7

  Take note of fixation and insistence on particular routines that are not functional.

  All children like routines and steady predictable patterns to their lives. It helps manage the chaos of an unfamiliar world. This need is heightened to extremes in autistic children. Autistic patients often fixate on particular routines or rituals that seem idiosyncratic or strange compared with normal routines.

  * See more tips on autism symptoms and treatment options below.