Autism in Infants

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), is a disorder related to the development of the brain. It hinders the capability of a child to communicate and interact socially and sometimes because of this the child becomes introvert in the later stages. The problems related to it can even be observed in the general behavior of the child.

The early signs cannot be figured out before six months. In many of the cases, the signs of autism might not be prominent and because of this, the health of the child might also start deteriorating. Apart from these, a lack of eye contact, communicative babbling and absence of smile is not observed in infants until the age of six months, but slowly and gradually they become prominent by the end of their first year.

Early Signs

This disorder in the development of the brain severely delays the motor and speech capabilities. Also, the child faces difficulties in social interactions. Other disorders in behavior like being obsessive and repetitive are also observed. There are many variations in autism that have been studied, like problems in speech and in some cases, the child becomes very communicative, variations observed in functioning as well that ranges from low to very high and from severe to mild autism in children. First signs of autism are visible after six months and major symptoms of autism become visible before the age of three. Some distinctive behavior of an autistic child are:

• Less responsive to social stimuli
• Does not smile
• Does not make eye contact
• Communication problems
• Decreased activity level
• Extremely aggressive
• Less tolerant to frustration

Things to Consider

These autistic behavior are typically observed in infants and toddlers. Many parents delay in going for autism treatment. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all children can be screened for autism at the age of eighteen to twenty-four months. If you observe the following characteristics in your child, then he or she must undergo autism screening test.

• Problem in sentence construction of even two phrases at the age of two
• No word uttered at the age of sixteen months
• No gestures by baby for one year
• No signs of babbling for one year

Treatment Methods

As soon as you observe and recognize these symptoms, then immediately seek the guidance of a pediatrician, psychologist, neurologist or psychiatrist to start the treatment for autism. But if we talk about preventing this disorder, it is not possible to a large extent. Do not lose heart, there are some management tools available that can improve the quality of life so that the child can function independently. It also teaches the family about the ways of dealing and interacting with the child. The treatment methods that are available to improve upon the communication skills, adaptive behavior and social behavior are:

• Applied behavior analysis
• Speech and language therapy
• Structured teaching or autism teaching strategies.
• Occupational therapy

There are many tools devised for screening autism like Early Screening of Autistic Trait Questionnaire, the First Year Inventory, and Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers. There are certain misconceptions associated with autism and hence, acting upon the early signs of autism in infants is the key. People generally think that all autistic infants do not smile or show emotional response. But it is not true, the autism symptoms might vary and range from mild to severe, depending on the situation. Many autistic children smile, but still have vocabulary and sensory problems. Now science is claiming to diagnose this disorder in infants as early as six months old. If parents observe any of the abnormal symptoms in their infant, then they should consult a specialist, explain to him about all the observations and start the treatment as soon as possible.