Signs of Autism

Autism is a disorder of the brain that is characterized by various developmental problems, primarily in social interaction and communication. Parents or other care providers are usually the first to notice the signs of autism in a child sometime within the first three years. Even though autism is a congenital disorder, it is often hard to diagnose or identify it when the child is an infant. It is only when the toddler displays signs like not being able to talk; not liking to play certain games; not liking to be held; and uncertain hearing abilities that parents start getting concerned. A child affected with autism often does not seem to hear when called, although he/she may seem to hear a sound in the distance.

When are the Signs of Autism Detected?

Usually, a child is diagnosed with autism by the time he/she turns three years of age. At times a child may seem to develop quite normally up to the age of two, when he/she may regress swiftly. The signs of autism can occur in several combinations which can range from mild to severe.

Autism affects boys more often than girls. While some children affected with autism may always require environment that are supportive to live and work in, others may grow to be able to live independent lives. Although what exactly causes autism is still not clear, and there isn't any cure yet, however, early and intensive treatment may result in increased chances of alleviating its debilitating effects to a large degree.

The Various Signs of Autism?

Children affected by autism often react abnormally to sensory stimuli, with the senses being either under-active or overactive. For example, when touched they react as if it is painful, when they smell something, they react as if it is overpoweringly unpleasant, and they react to ordinary day-to-day sounds as if they are painful. Bright lights or loud noises may cause them to cry inconsolably.

Some of the other common signs of autism in young children are:

• Shows lack of interest in his/her surroundings.
• Seems to be content being by himself/herself, and appears to like playing alone.
• Seems to lack interest in toys.
• Does not respond to others.
• Does not display protodeclarative pointing, or point out interesting objects to others, which toddlers normally do.
• Displays resistance to cuddling.

The language development in young children affected with autism is usually impaired, hence they often lack the ability of expressing their needs, using gestures, for example, rather than words, and display distress, cry, or laugh for reasons that are not apparent. Although sometimes autistic people do develop simple language skills, but it is usually not enough for them to be able to communicate effectively. They often display abnormal speech patterns, devoid of expression and intonation and may repeat phrases and words over and over, which is known as echolalia. Some autistic children do learn to read.

Children affected with autism do not show or express any interest towards other people and usually prefer being left alone. They may display behavior that causes self-injury, like banging their head, scratching or biting themselves, perform actions repetitively, like flapping their arms or turning in circles, and resist any changes made to their daily routine.

Some more signs of autism are:

• Frequent tantrum outbursts
• Abnormal attachments to certain objects
• Avoids making eye contact, or very little of it from the corners of the eyes
• Does not seem to fear danger
• Avoids touching or cuddling
• Unstable motor skills
• Playing incessantly
• Unresponsive to verbal cues and normal methods of teaching, seems to be deaf although they have normal hearing

These signs and symptoms of autism may become severe when the child grows up and becomes an adolescent, and then usually reduce in their severity in adulthood.