Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of Autism usually occur by the first 3 years of life. Although Autism is present at birth, it is hard to diagnose ASD in infants. Generally, the symptoms are behavioral, verbal, and social. However, these symptoms may vary individually. The core and most prevalent symptoms include social, behavioral, and verbal symptoms, as well as the ones listed below.
Some social symptoms include:
For more information on signs and symptoms of Autism, watch this video:
Some social symptoms include:
- Lack of empathy.
- Failure to establish friendships with children the same age.
- Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as facial expressions and body posture.
- Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people.
- Resistance to being touched.
- Unlikely to approach others.
- Body rocking and hand flapping; moving constantly.
- A need for sameness and routines.
- Preoccupation with certain topics.
- Hyper- or hypo-reactive to sensory input.
- Clumsiness, abnormal posture, or odd ways of moving.
- An unusual focus on pieces. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy.
- Delay in, or lack of learning to talk. As many as 40% of people with autism never speak.
- Difficulty communicating needs or desires.
- Difficulty understanding their listener's perspective.
- Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously (echolalia).
- Problems taking steps to start a conversation. Also, people with autism have difficulties continuing a conversation after it has begun.
For more information on signs and symptoms of Autism, watch this video:
Citations:
- WebMD LLC. (n.d.). Autism-Symptoms. Retrieved from <http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-symptoms#1 >
- Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Ted Hutman, Ph.D. (April 2017). Autism Spectrum Disorders; A parent's guide to Symptoms and Diagnosis on the Autism Spectrum. Retrieved from <https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism/autism-spectrum-disorders.htm>
- Activebeat. (n.d.). 10 Early Signs of Autism. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from http://www.activebeat.co/your-health/children/10-early-autism-symptoms-in-young-children/10/
- Howcast. (Novemer 7, 2014). 7 Early Signs of Autism. Retrieved from: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEqrIbzskp4>