Signs and Symptoms of Autism

Parents or caregivers are usually the first ones to notice the signs and symptoms of autism in a child under three years of age. At birth, the signs and symptoms of autism are not necessarily noticeable, and it may take a little while to distinguish the behavior.

Signs and symptoms of autism to watch for include:

1) If your child doesn’t want to hug or hold onto you.

2) If your child is not bringing objects to you to identify and is not pointing to objects by the time the first birthday is reached.

3) If your child doesn’t want to interrelate with you and play games such as “peek-a-boo.”

4) If your child shows aggressive behavior on a normal basis or bangs his or her head against an object.

5) If you notice your child engaging in repetitive behaviors, such as opening or closing doors or drawers over and over.

6) If your child takes more fascination with parts of a toy than the action for which the toy was designed.

If any of these signs appear, you should talk to your doctor. With early detection of the signs and symptoms of autism and a thorough examination and decisions on treatment, your child will have a very good chance of learning to live with this condition successfully.

Other signs and symptoms of autism include atypical facial expressions, body posture, and avoiding eye-to-eye contact. Your child won’t easily develop friendships with his or her peers. Often, no feelings of emotion are shown, and your child may have a lack of enjoyment and enthusiasm. Signs and symptoms of autism also include a lack of feeling for another person’s joy or pain.

More signs and symptoms of autism incorporate the delay in learning to talk. It has been estimated that half the people who have autism never speak. Children, teens, and adults with autism seem to get stuck on a phrase and repeat it over, and over, and over again in the course of trying to have a conversation. Thus, an autistic person will have trouble starting a conversation or maintaining one.

Another sign and symptom of autism that involves repetition is body rocking or hand wringing or flapping.

Also, a person who has autism may not understand humor in a joke or something that is “implied” in a conversation but not actually said.

Especially in children, autism entices a curious obsession with parts and pieces, as opposed to the whole. Children will, for instance, focus on the spinning wheels of a toy car instead of the car itself. Teens and adults with autism may be focused on other aspects of life, such as transportation schedules, the weather or playing cards.

Another of the main signs and symptoms of autism includes the strong desire to adhere to a set routine or a set way of doing things. Variations from that sameness can be very unsettling and even agitating to the person with autism. This can be reflected in things like a long list of activities from the way each meal is served to the roads you take when you leave the house to run an errand.