Studies have shown that one in every 68 children in the US has autism. Autism is a disorder that is usually characterized by difficulty in social interactions and repetitive behaviors. The symptoms of autism can be detected in a given child, persist until adulthood and interfere with their daily living. Here are some of the red flags for a parent to check out.
Every infant under the age of two is expected to hit certain milestones as they develop, and lack of such signs might motivate one to talk to a doctor about autism evaluation. Children tend to develop at different rates, and this means that a child not hitting a given milestone by its deadline doesn’t necessarily mean that they are on autism spectrum. However, this is something that every parent needs to be cognizant of. A baby should be babbling by the time they are four months old, smile by the time they are five months old, and should also be able to play some games such as pat-a-cake before they are eight months old. A year old child ought to respond to their name while they should also look at any objects pointed out to them. When a child isn’t hitting these milestones, they may have Autism Spectrum Disorder and many turn out to be non-verbal adults. Children living with autism also do not look for parent comfort even when in unfamiliar situations and they also lack social awareness.
If a child is living with autism, there are chances that they will not make eye contact when you are talking to them. Such a kid is also likely not to cheer up even when they spot an unfamiliar adult. The children will also have uncommon sensory issues, and it is possible that they will be overwhelmed by certain sights, tastes and sounds.
By the time a kid is 2 years old, if they have autism, they will have difficulty using simple sentences as is the case with other kids. Such children also use little tonal variation and have irregular rhythms. The children also have difficulty reading facial expressions and are likely to use formal language instead of causal conversation tones even when conversing with friends. There are social concerns that can be addressed through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Companies such as BlueSprig Autism offers in-home therapy, workshops as well as screenings.
Repetitive behaviors are also part of the defining characteristics of autism. The child will not only repeat words over and over, but it is also likely that they will have obsessions for particular objects or foods that come with a specific taste such as bitter, salty or sweets. The child is likely to be unhinged by the slightest change in their routine, and their tantrums can involve even harmful and aggressive behaviors such as head-banging.