Signs of autism?

Question

my little girl is 3 1/2 years old and is not talking. She can say single words only and not sentences. She puts things in a line instead of stacking. She is very shy and will not play with other children besides her sister. I took her to a developing doctor and they said it may not be autism but she said it was too early to tell. What is signs to look out for of autism?

Answer 1

There are many conditions which may appear similar to autism so please be careful about accepting any answers here as being a definite rule of thumb as sign of autism. Each child is different and will display different combination of behaviours. Diagnosis is better done by a specialist who know what they are doing. Also, children develop at different rate so just because your daughter is not showing certain ability it does not necessarily means she is autistic.

I am not saying that your child is ok. But DO get a proper diagnosis before starting to panic. You could fall ito a trap of expecting her to be autistic. There MAY be something not right with you child but it could be something else.

Answer 2

Autism is a spectrum disorder meaning that there is a wide range of symptoms. Depending upon the severity of the symptoms other disorders such as Aspergers might be diagnosed. Autism is very tricky to diagnose. Although people with autism face many challenges, in many cases the disorder is also very manageable. Some common symptoms include the following (listed on about.com):

-not smiling by six months of age
-not babbling, pointing or using other gestures by 12 months
-not using single words by age 16 months
-not using two word phrases by 24 months
-having a regression in development, with any loss of language or social skills
-Infants with autism might also avoid eye contact, and as they get older, act as if they are unaware of when people come and go around them.

My little sister did not talk until she was about 4 1/2 years old. My mother was very worried. She is now 23 and besides delayed language skills she developed appropriately. I bring up this example because language development alone cannot -->a dx of autism. In fact, there is no one symptom that leads to a diagnosis.

SUNY Stony Brook www.sunysb.edu has a very large research project on autism and autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Edward Carr is the lead researcher and is very approachable. You could probably try to email him for feedback, and referral sources if necessary. Also, you will be able to find publication lists about current research.

Also, there is a well know researcher by the name of Temple Grandin, PhD. She had been diagnosed with severe autism and was able to overcome the disorder. I have read two of her books which discuss her life struggles with autism and her road to obtaining a doctoral degree. Even if your child does not suffer from autism I highly recommend Dr. Grandin's books. She is a very inspirational woman.

Answer 3

From everything I heard, a 3 1/2 yr old is not to young to be diagnosed. If your child has a mild form, maybe it would be harder to diagnose her early.

I think eye contact is the biggest factor. Some people confuse shyness with lack of eyecontact. When a child is shy, she glances at the face, darts her eyes away & frequently checks back as if to say "Are you still looking at me?" She is VERY aware of the other person's presence & responds, just shyly.

An autistic child seems indifferent to a person. If makes fleeting eyecontact, she does n't quickly dart away, but rather, sees nothing of interest.

There was a study looking at an autistic child's first birthday video (taken years earlier). The Dr said it was a great situation because it was a child in a social, yet novel situation.

The normal child's responce to being presented with what looks like a cake that is one fire, is to look around at other people's faces. It's as if she is asking "Should I be scared of this?" After she looks around & sees everyone is smiling & happy, the child often laughs too.

In one video, an autistic child was indifferent to the people around. He was busy examining the plate when the cake comes in. then turns focus to the cake, ignoring the reactions of everyone around him.

When the presents come out, a normal child holds up items to show them off. An autistic child usually does not.

Answer 4

Some signs very from child to child. If you are concerned then talk to your doctor and ask that she be tested. The earlier the better. If he says she is OK and he dont feel she needs the test and you still want it done either insist or take her to another doctor. For no other reason than your own peace of mind.

Answer 5

No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Answer 6

It is possible that she has Autism or Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). Depending on where she could fall in the autism spectrum it can be hard to diagnose, but with what little information you have provided I would strongly suspect that she does have some form of PDD. They should start doing a series of observations and you complete some questionnaires. The M-Chat (below) is just one used, you just fill it out and present it to your doctor. Even if the doctor is unwilling to diagnose her yet, she still could start things in motion with the various observations, screenings and questionnaires. They may not diagnose your daughter but they could help her with therapies to help her, early intervention can make a huge difference.

M-CHAT
Please fill out the following about how your child usually is. Please try to answer every question. If the behavior is rare (e.g.,
you've seen it once or twice), please answer as if the child does not do it.

1. Does your child enjoy being swung, bounced on your knee, etc.? Yes No
2. Does your child take an interest in other children? Yes No
3. Does your child like climbing on things, such as up stairs? Yes No
4. Does your child enjoy playing peek-a-boo/hide-and-seek? Yes No
5. Does your child ever pretend, for example, to talk on the phone or take care of dolls, Yes No
or pretend other things?
6. Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to ask for something? Yes No
7. Does your child ever use his/her index finger to point, to indicate interest in something? Yes No
8. Can your child play properly with small toys (e.g. cars or bricks) without just Yes No
mouthing, fiddling, or dropping them?
9. Does your child ever bring objects over to you (parent) to show you something? Yes No
10. Does your child look you in the eye for more than a second or two? Yes No
11. Does your child ever seem oversensitive to noise? (e.g., plugging ears) Yes No
12. Does your child smile in response to your face or your smile? Yes No
13. Does your child imitate you? (e.g., you make a face-will your child imitate it?) Yes No
14. Does your child respond to his/her name when you call? Yes No
15. If you point at a toy across the room, does your child look at it? Yes No
16. Does your child walk? Yes No
17. Does your child look at things you are looking at? Yes No
18. Does your child make unusual finger movements near his/her face? Yes No
19. Does your child try to attract your attention to his/her own activity? Yes No
20. Have you ever wondered if your child is deaf? Yes No
21. Does your child understand what people say? Yes No
22. Does your child sometimes stare at nothing or wander with no purpose? Yes No
23. Does your child look at your face to check your reaction when faced with something unfamiliar? Yes No

A good place for information is http://forums.talkcity.com/tc-Autism . They have a message board and chatroom and are great at providing information about autism, therapies etc
While it may be scary facing that your daughter may have autism, it is better in the long run that she is diagnosed as early as possible so that she can receive the help she may need.

Answer 7

I am an autistic teenager.When I was in India i was diagnosed with aspergers syndrome.I never used to speak till i was 3.i am not a very smart kid than compared to others.so i take a long time to study my notes.but since i do that on a regular basis i am considered smart.i am not good in theatre arts.

Answer 8

Does she look when you call her name? Does she like repetitive things? If so, she's autistic.
I doubt she's going to be my brother's type of autistic if she says words. I doubt she will BE autistic. just wait a little.