Early Symptoms of Autism

The birth of a child is a source of happiness in every couple's life. Every step the child takes towards development causes delight to the parents. It is normal for children to coo, laugh and imitate people around them from an early age. When children do not indulge in such behavior, and tend to remain aloof and withdrawn, it is likely that he is an autistic child.

Autism is a disorder that affects development of the brain, due to which a child shows lack of interest in socialization and communication. Although signs of autism exists in children from an early age, it is not before the child turns 3 that he or she is diagnosed with it. Autism is seen more in male children than in females and do not cause any physical disability.

There are no medical tests that can show that a child is suffering from this disorder. So, it is important that parents keenly observe their toddlers behavior and development, as this is the only way in which autism can be diagnosed.

Early Symptoms of Autism

No Eye Contact
Children in the first few months do not make eye contact. It is only when the child is almost three months old that he starts looking in the eye of the parent or caregiver, while they are cuddled, fed and talked to. If a child does not make eye contact or does not show interest in looking at his parent, it can be a symptom of the child being autistic.

Absence of Language
Normally children start cooing, babbling and make funny sounds when they are 3-4 months old. By the time they turn 1 to 1½ years, they can speak one word and at the age of 2, they are most likely to say two word phrases. However, a child having autism does not go through these stages of speech development and usually are silent. Lack of speech in a child can also indicate that the child has hearing problem, however this can be diagnosed even immediately after birth. Every child has his or her own pace of speech development and may not achieve these landmarks at the same age, some may be fast while the others slow. But, total lack of speech is surely a cause of concern and could be another symptom of autism.

Failure in Responding to Their Name
Children start responding to their name when they are 6-8 months old. However, autistic children do not respond at all when they are called by their names. Many times, it happens that children are engaged in some other activity and they do not respond when some one calls them. But, if this occurs frequently, it should definitely be a cause of concern for parents.

Resistance to Touch and Lack of Interaction
Autistic children do not like to be touched and picked up like other children. They would arch their back if someone tries to pick them. They live in their own world and do not like to interact and play with their parents or other children. On the other hand, a normal child is constantly seeking attention of his or her parents or others around to play. Children with autism do not like to share their toys with other children and prefer to play by themselves. Usually when children reach 6 months of age, they start recognizing their parents and other family members and tend to smile looking at them. However, autistic children rarely smile back when they are smiled at or when someone talks to them.

Repetitive Behavior
Normally, children cannot fix their attention to one thing for a long time and it is easy to distract them. But, this is totally opposite in the case of autistic children. They have an obsession to a particular object and can play with it for hours. One of the common things seen in autistic children is that they like to place their toys and objects in a line and get upset when some one tries to disturb this formation. Throwing frequent temper tantrums, which are difficult to control is another symptom of autism.

Regressive Autism
Some children have a normal development in the first few months and suddenly tend to lose their language or social skills. This symptom is known as regressive autism.

It is not necessary that if your child has these symptoms, he is suffering from autism. It is said that most children behave in such a way, during their stages of development. However, parents should immediately consult a pediatrician if they see any such behavior in their child. Although there is no treatment to completely cure autism, certain therapies can be administered to teach basic skills, so that they can lead an independent life. Detecting autism at early stages is important because the treatment would be more effective to children then, than if diagnosed later. Some children who were diagnosed with mild autism are reported to have successful careers and a normal life. However, most autistic children have to be dependent on someone, for their whole life.

Parents of autistic children should have the strength and patience to look after their child, as he or she can be rude and indifferent to them. It is important to remember that autism is not a disease and proper care and unconditional love can help their children in leading the life of a normal human being.