Detecting autism spectrum disorder at an early age is vital to the care of the disorder. The earlier it is diagnosed, the better chance the child has of making improvements after receiving autism care. Signs of autism and the symptoms associated with it vary widely and thus this condition is now termed autism spectrum disorder to account for its varying manifestations. Doctors and specialists continue to differ on what they believe causes autism and how it can best be treated. However, there is no debate on the fact that finding and receiving treatment for autism in its early stages is essential. This is because the younger the child, the more plasticity in their brain, thus allowing treatment to rewire connections.
There are various warning signs for autism in infants, but no one factor is deemed essential. Generally, all children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder are found to have difficulty in three areas. First is communication. Children who have trouble with verbal and non-verbal actions such as babbling or pointing are seen to be at risk for autism. Another common symptom is if the child has difficulty relating to other individuals in terms of active social play. The third area is difficulty with reacting to people, events, and tones of voice. If a child does not smile when their mother smiles at them, they could be at risk for autism.
Parents of infants should also be on the lookout for developmental delays. If a child does not meet the standard milestones at the correct times they could be at a heightened risk for having autism. This does not mean that if a child fails to talk at the appropriate age that they are diagnosed with autism, but that they may be at risk because failing to speak is a potential sign.
A serious warning sign and one that should be evaluating immediately is if your infant regresses in any skills sets or milestones that they have reached. This includes regression in speech, where at one point the child was making out words such as "mummy" and "daddy" but now they fail to pronounce such words. Additionally, if a child was involved in activities which involve other people such as peek-a-boo and now the child does not participate in such activities, this could be a significant warning sign and the child should be evaluated by a health care professional immediately.
Additional early symptoms to watch out for include absence of typical behaviour. These include infants that do not smile or respond to a familiar voice. Infants that fail to follow objects in front of them or those that do not reach out to be picked up. By nine months, infants should be able to react to sounds and facial expressions and if they are lacking in this ability it may be a sign of autism. By twelve months, babies should respond to their name and be actively involved in their environment both with communicating verbally and with pointing and gestures.
Autism spectrum disorder is a unique condition where signs and symptoms can mean various things. An infant not talking may just mean that they have not reached that milestone and it is not a determination that they are autistic. It is important that all concerns are discussed with medical professional who can diagnose and recommend the best autism care.
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