Red flags for Autism...

April is almost over, so I thought I'd write one more post on autism in general. (I'll continue to share stories of our journey with EK.)
The following list was not applicable for EK because she did everything listed below on time (except for losing speech). If any of these are true of your child, it's best to talk with your pediatrician about them. These aren't things that should be overlooked.
  • does not babble or coo by 12 months
  • does not gesture (point, wave) by 12 months
  • does not say single words by 16 months
  • does not say 2 word phrases by him/herself by 24 months
  • has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

In addition to the list above, there are other "red flags" to look for. We started seeing some of these in EK at about 2 1/2 years of age. I wish they had been there sooner so we could've started therapy earlier. Just because your child (or a child you know) exhibits some of these traits, it does not mean they have autism. If you have concerns, I would talk with your doctor and perhaps even contact ECI (early childhood intervention) if your child is under the age of 3.

  • The child doesn't respond to their name.
  • The child cannot explain what he/she wants.
  • Language skills or speech are delayed
  • The child doesn't follow directions.
  • At times, the child seems to be deaf.
  • The child seems to hear sometimes, but not others.
  • The child doesn't point or wave bye-bye.
  • The child used to babble or say a few words, but now they don't.
  • The child throws intense or violent temper tantrums.
  • The child has odd movement patterns.
  • The child is hyperactive, uncooperative, or oppositional.
  • The child doesn't know how to play with toys.
  • The child doesn't smile when smiled at.
  • The child has poor eye contact.
  • The child prefers to play alone.
  • The child seems to be in his/her own world.
  • The child isn't interested in other children.
  • The child walks on their toes.
  • The child shows unusual attachment to toys, objects, schedules/routines
  • Child spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.
These were taken from www.autismweb.com

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