Autism Signs & Symptoms

According to the Mayo Clinic, around six out of every 1,000 American children are diagnosed with autism. Autism generally appears in children before age 3, and affects their social, communication and behavioral skills. You may be able to spot warning signs between 18 and 36 months, so it is imperative to schedule a screening with your pediatrician.

First Warning Sign

• According to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one of the earliest warning signs of autism may be if your child fails to respond to you calling his name.

Verbal Signs or Symptoms

• Your child may have autism if she started talking at a later age, or if she started speaking very early and then just lost her acquired speech. According to the Mayo Clinic, she may speak in a very monotone way, sort of like a robot, which makes it hard to understand her demands, and makes her more frustrated. Children with autism babble or repeat themselves constantly.

Non-Verbal Signs or Symptoms

• Your child may have a difficult time interacting well with others, especially other children, because he does not know how to play "pretend" like they do. He also has difficulty holding a conversation with others or maintaining eye contact.

Social Signs or Symptoms

• Your child may prefer to play by himself because, as mentioned, he does not interact well with others. He often drifts into his own world, and does not hear you call his name. He throws tantrums when he is upset because he does not know how to discuss his feelings. Children with autism will often cringe when you try to hold them or cuddle with them; they do not like to be touched.

Repetitive Signs or Symptoms

• Your child has developed a repetitive routine and will become disturbed if anything interferes with it. She may have formed a strange connection with a toy that she plays with everyday and if she cannot find it, she throws a tantrum. Children with autism often repeat the same rituals constantly, such as hand flapping, rocking or spinning.