As The Autism Site reports, statistics show that 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with autism, marking a rise in diagnosis. And a professional won’t assess your children until they are over the age of two.
However, there are ways you can find if your child has autism as early as in their sixth month of age. Monitoring your child is important, and if there is anything that may seem concerning, you should consult your doctor.
In the case of autism, you should be aware that your child won’t exhibit any strange behaviors, but will rather show a lack of normal behavior. Read below.
1. Lack of smiling
By the age of six months, your child should start giving you happy expressions and big smiles. Does he or she smile back when you give a joyful, warm smile?
2. Lack of imitation of social cues
By the age of nine months, children start imitating the sounds and movements of others. If your child doesn’t imitate sounds, laughter, smiles, and facial expressions at this age, it may be an early indicator of autism.
3. Delayed babbling and cooing
By the age of twelve months, your baby should start babbling, cooing, and making “baby talk”. Does your child do this frequently? They typically should reach this milestone by this age.
4. Not responding to name
If your baby is increasingly unresponsive to their name from the age of six to twelve months, it is a strong sign of autism. Many parents confuse it with hearing loss, but this indicator means that you should monitor the signs and consult a doctor.
5. Limited eye contact
Eye contact is a form of comprehension and communication. If your baby shows sever lack of eye contact, making poor eye contact with you and other loved ones, and if he/she doesn’t follow objects visually, it might be an early indicator.
6. Not seeking enough attention
If your child is not interested in seeking attention from you, it might be a sign of autism, as this kind of disinterest in bonding and attention indicates trouble of relating to others, and this can be a struggle for children on the spectrum as they grow up. Cuddling, making noises to get your attention, reaching up toward you to be picked up – these are all healthy signs your child should be exhibiting.
7. Lack of gesturing
By the age of nine to ten months, your child should start gesturing at people or objects to communicate, wave goodbye, reach for things, and point. If he/she is not doing this, they may be showing signs of autism.
8. Repetitive behaviors
Sitting or standing in uncommon postures, making unusual body movements, like rotating the wrists or hands, and repetitively stiffening the legs, hands, or arms, are early signs of autism. Does your child do any of this?
9. Delayed motor development
Does your child show significant delays in motor development, such as crawling, rolling over, and pushing themselves up?
If any of these signs seem to be noticeable in your child, it’s best that you consult your doctor and ask advice on what steps you need to take to help your child out.
Source: The Autism Site
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.