How to Identify Signs of Autism at Age 6 Months

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, autism is characterized by three behaviors: difficulty with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. In the United States, 1 percent of children ages 3-17 have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2009 study published by Pediatrics Journal. There is no absolute test to determine whether an infant has autism, and thus parents and doctors need to rely on child behaviors to make educated diagnoses.

Instructions

• 1

  Be aware of the difficulty of diagnosing autism in a child 6 months old. Recognizing signs of autism can be difficult when the child is young and thus many physicians are reluctant to diagnose infants. Studies show that the average age of diagnosis in the United States is approximately 3.5 years. However, while difficult, early detection is critical. Rebecca Landa, a speech pathologist and leader of an autism study center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, notes that early detection means earlier access to intervention during critical periods of brain development.

• 2

  Determine whether your infant can communicate. While your infant cannot talk to you, he or she should display some communication skills. For example, according to Land, if you make a face your infant should laugh. If you babble at them and then pause for a moment, the infant should babble back. Landa is quick to point out that this may not happen every time, but it should happen often.

• 3

  Identify whether your infant has abnormal moving patterns. Researchers at the University of Florida conducted a study involving 16 infants who were later diagnosed with autism and found that they exhibited a range of unusual moving patterns. These included abnormal crawling patters, inability to sit independently, and falling while walking. The researchers recommend that parents conduct a "tilting test" when their infants are 6 months old. This test involves holding the infant vertically and tilting them sideways (to a 45 degree angle) and then bringing them vertical again before tilting them to the opposite side. According to the researchers, infants with normal development will maintain the head in a vertical position, whereas autistic children will often hold the head in line with the rest of the body.

• 4

  Identify where your infant stands on the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI). A team led by world-renowned autism researcher Susan Bryson developed the scale. It describes 16 specific signs of autism, including not smiling and not responding when the infant's name is called. While the accuracy of the scale is backed by a large scientific study, the study included infants only as young as 12 months old. Thus, the scale has not yet been proven accurate for infants 6 months old.