Signs of autism in children
There are a number of early signs that may indicate an ASD diagnosis. Here are some of the red flags for autism in a young child:
0-12 months
- Avoidance of/ limited eye-contact
- Limited smiles or other warm, joyful expressions
- Limited back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions
- Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills
- Flat or inappropriate facial expressions
- Limited babbling
12- 24 months
- Unresponsive to their name being called
- No single words
- No two-word spontaneous phrases
- No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)
- Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills
- Flat or inappropriate facial expressions
24 months and over
- Repetitive stimulatory behaviours such as hand flapping, jumping, running back and forth, or repetitive play with toys such as lining of objects
- Limited response to requests for attention
- Limited social engagement
- Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills
- Flat or inappropriate facial expressions
- Difficulty understanding or talking about feelings
- Limited interest in unusual objects and toys
- Limited engagement with others during play
- Reduced gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving
If you have any concerns regarding your child's development, in the first instance please contact your health visitor or GP.
We would encourage you to view a video developed by the American Kennedy Krieger Institute of toddlers with autism and typically developing children. This video is very illustrative of the social, communication, and behavioural difficulties experienced by toddlers with an ASD. The Video is on our Video page here.