According to the Autism Society of America, one in every 150 American children is diagnosed with autism. The disorder affects more boys than girls. There are currently over 1.5 million Americans living with autism, and the cost for their care will be $3 million to $5 million. With continued research, autism has been found to be treatable, especially when diagnosed early. In order to give your child the best opportunity for intervention, you should know the early signs of autism.
Early Intervention
Early intervention is considered effective prior to age 3. Typically, most children who present with autism begin to show signs as toddlers. Many children progress normally for the first 18 to 24 months, learning words and increasing social skills, then begin to backslide. As soon as early signs are detected, see your health care provider to have your child examined and diagnosed so treatment can begin.
Language
Children with autism prefer to use hand gestures such as pointing in place of words, even if they have previously learned specific words. They may repeat words instead of communicating in sentences and may speak in a flat, robotic voice. Parents may initially take a child in to have his hearing checked; children with autism will appear unreactive to verbal commands as if they cannot hear properly.
Withdrawal
A child with autism seems to withdraw from the world. Once social and interactive, the child becomes distant and unsocial. The child may prefer to play alone instead of socializing with other children. Normal play with parents may be met with avoidance or aloofness.
Physical Signs
Uncoordinated motor skills may be a sign of autism, especially if the child once mastered the same skills and now seems to be having difficulty. Some children are overly sensitive to pain and even light touch and may refuse to cuddle or be hugged. Others show signs of under-sensitivity to pain and may seem oblivious to danger.
Toddlers often engage in tantrums, but a child with autism may experience tantrums more frequently and for longer amounts of time.
A child with autism may refuse to make eye contact with parents or other children and go to great lengths to avoid socializing.
Other Signs
Other signs are more easily recognized due to the fact that they are so different from a normally developing child’s behavior. Inappropriate laughter or crying are common. Some children will seem to have a long attention span while doing things that seem odd–obsessively stacking and restacking blocks, or lining toys up. Children with autism become over-attached to objects and may be fascinated with spinning objects. It is common for children with autism to rock back and forth, oblivious to those around him. Repetitive motion such as turning a light switch on and off over and over is common.
Children with autism are very dependent on routine and can become extremely upset with even the slightest deviation from a normal schedule. They may cause self-inflicted injury or become aggressive.
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