Signs of Autism
If your child is six months old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't reach for things
- Show no affection for caregivers
- Doesn't respond to sounds around her/him
- Doesn't make vowel sounds (eh, ah, oh)
- Doesn't laugh or squeal
- Seems unusually stiff or unusually floppy
If your child is nine months old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't look where you point
- Doesn't respond to his/her own name
- Doesn't babble (mama, dada)
- Doesn't play back and forth type games
- Doesn't seem to recognize familiar people
If your child is one year old, You should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't point to things
- Doesn't learn gestures like waving bye bye, or shaking head yes or no
- Doesn't search for things that she sees you hide
- Doesn't say single words like mama, dada, up, bye, this, that, juice
- Doesn't crawl
- Loses skills he/she once had
If your child is 18 months old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't point to show things to others
- Doesn't know what familiar things (cup, spoon, phone) are used for
- Doesn't imitate or copy others
- Doesn't have at least six words
- Doesn't gain new words
- Doesn't notice or react when a caregiver leaves or returns
- Doesn't walk
- Loses skills he/she once had
If your child is 2 years, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't use 2-word phrases (mama up, want milk)
- Doesn't know what familiar things (cup, spoon, phone) are used for
- Doesn't imitate actions and words
- Doesn't follow simple instructions
- Doesn't walk steadily
- Loses skills he/she once had
If your child is 3 years old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Has unclear speech or drools a lot
- Doesn't speak in sentences
- Doesn't follow simple instructions
- Can't work simple toys (simple puzzles, turning knobs/handles, peg board)
- Shows little interest in toys
- Doesn't want to play with other children
- Doesn't play make believe or pretend
- Doesn't make eye contact
- Falls down often or has trouble on stairs
- Loses skills he/she once had
If your child is 4 years old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Ignores other children
- Doesn't respond to people outside the family
- Shows no interest in make believe or pretending games
- Can't retell a favorite story
- Doesn't follow 3-step directions
- Doesn't use "you" and "me" correctly
- Doesn't understand "same" and "different"
- Speaks unclearly
- Doesn't scribble or has trouble scribbling with a crayon
- Loses skills he/she once had
If your child is 5 years old, you should consider talking to your doctor if your child exhibits the following behavior:
- Doesn't show a wide range of emotions
- Shows behavioral extremes (unusually aggressive, fearful, sad, shy)
- Is unusually withdrawn and not active in social situations
- Is easily distracted and has trouble focusing on an activity for more than five minutes
- Doesn't respond to people or responds only superficially
- Can't tell the difference between real and make believe
- Doesn't participate in a wide variety of games and activities
- Can't give his/her first and last name
- Doesn't use plurals, pronouns or past tense properly
- Doesn't talk about daily activities
- Doesn't draw pictures
- Loses skills he/she once had