How to Detect Autism in Toddlers

When it comes to evaluating your child's growth, the first thing that comes to mind is the physical stuff: height, weight, etc. In reality, though, there are many other factors to consider when evaluating your child. For example, her ability to communicate or play with others, as well as behavior patterns and overall mind development. Keeping tabs on these not-so-obvious factors will help you detect anything unusual in your toddler, such as autism. Note that autism is considered a "spectrum disorder." In other words, autism varies greatly, from non-verbal to fully functioning and beyond.

Instructions

• 1

  Learn about the signs of autism. Signs of autism include strange social interactions, peculiar use of language and non-ordinary cognitive skills, among others.

• 2

  Watch for strange movements by your toddler, such as flapping arms or shaking of the body when excited. Sometimes, a child with autism conveys emotions with body gestures rather than words to get what he wants.

• 3

  Assess whether your toddler understands what you're saying most of the time. Some children with autism do not follow directions, appear to be deaf at times and may not respond to their name.

• 4

  Observe your child's visual behavior. Autistic children often become fixated on a single object for long durations. For example, some autistic children will stare at spinning wheels or objects that move in a repetitive way.

• 5

  Take note of skills that your child may have that other children don't possess. Some autistic children learn to read at a very early age (even by the age of one or two) while others can learn an instrument quickly or have an intense fascination with details, electronics, etc.

• 6

  Observe how your child acts in a social situation. Many autistic children prefer to play alone, act inappropriately with others and simply tune others out.