What are signs that a child has Autism?

Question

What are signs that a child has Autism?

Answer 1

Well from just my experience ..My twin son Thomas was diagnosed with severe autism at aged 3 ..Thomas is 10 now non verbal and still in diapers/nappies

Signs No eye contact

Lack of speech

Didn't feel pain as his twin sister did

Rocking in the chair

Late walking and sitting up

Played with parts of a toy and not the toy itself

Played alone

Hated being cuddled up picked up

Thomas on youtube

Answer 2

There are two major types of autism, of which you have probably heard, they are autism and Asperger’s syndrome. First let’s look at classical autism, how would we recognise it? Well, autism was first recognised in the mid 1940’s by a psychiatrist called Leo Kanner. He described a group of children, whom he was treating, who presented with some very unusual symptoms such as; - atypical social development, irregular development of communication and language, and recurring / repetitive and obsessional behaviour with aversion to novelty and refusal to accept change. His first thoughts were that they were suffering some sort of childhood psychiatric disorder.

At around the same time that Kanner was grappling with the problems of these children, a German scientist, Hans Asperger was caring for a group of children whose behaviour also seemed irregular. Asperger suggested that these children were suffering from what he termed ‘autistic psychopathy.’ These children experienced remarkably similar symptoms to the children described by Kanner, with a single exception. – Their language development was normal! There is still an ongoing debate as to whether autism and Asperger’s syndrome are separable conditions, or whether Asperger’s syndrome is merely a mild form of autism

What is the cause of autism?

In the 1960s and 1970s there arose a theory that autism was caused by abnormal family relationships. This led on to the ‘refrigerator mother’ theory, which claimed that autism in the child was caused by cold, emotionless mothers! (Bettleheim, 1967). However the weight of evidence quickly put this theory to bed as evidence was found to support the idea that the real cause was to be found in abnormalities in the brain. This evidence was quickly followed by findings, which clearly demonstrated that the EEGs of autistic children were, in many cases, atypical and the fact that a large proportion of autistic children also suffered from epilepsy.

From this time, autism has been looked upon as a disorder, which develops as a consequence of abnormal brain development. Recently, evidence has shown that in some cases, the abnormal brain development may be caused by specific genes.

However, we should not forget that genes can only express themselves if the appropriate environmental conditions exist for them to do so and so, we should not rule out additional, environmental causes for autism. We should not forget that autism can also be caused by brain-injury, that an insult to the brain can produce the same effects as can abnormal development of the brain, which may have been caused by genetic and other environmental factors. I have seen too many children who have suffered oxygen starvation at birth, who have gone on to display symptoms of autism or Asperger’s syndrome. So, it is my view that autism can also be caused by brain-injury.

I believe therefore, that the cause of autism therefore needs no complicated definition, whether it is produced by genes, environmental causes, such as alcohol abuse or abuse of other drugs, infection, jaundice, malnutrition, or one of many other causes, - or by oxygen starvation. It is simple and easy to understand. The cause of autism is brain–injury. I believe it is that simple! The important and simple thing to remember is that autism is caused by brain–injury, in the same way that cerebral palsy is caused by brain-injury. In fact, autism is an expression of brain–injury, again in the same way that cerebral palsy is an expression of brain-injury.

Difficulty in socialisation is an area, which characterises the entire concept of autism. To many parents the lack of willingness on the part of their autistic child to share in normal social action is of paramount concern. One parent described her child as having social amnesia.

The social impairments, which typify autism are exact, that is, the child’s social conduct is not atypical universally. It is incorrect to declare that children, who are autistic, have a deficiency in their level of curiosity in other people. What they are deficient in is the proficiency for conveying or exploiting that interest. Uninjured babies are focused on faces and voices, whereas autistic children do not seem to be! They do not turn automatically to the sound of a voice, or fix their eyes on a parent’s face, and may actively avoid meeting their vision. In many cases, this is due to sensory impairments, which can block the development of these social skills.

The importance of play

One of the first signs that a toddler or preschooler has autism is their atypical play. Even the brightest youngsters with autism display highly unusual patterns of play. Classically, many children with autism over-focus their attention on visual aspects of specific toys, or noises, which their toys make. Many researchers see this as a lack of imagination in autistic individuals and it is true to say that children with autism do lack imagination and spontaneity within their behaviour, preferring to stick rigidly to routines with which they feel comfortable and safe. What I claim though, is that many times, these problems are created as a result of the sensory distortions, which they suffer.

Checklist of Behaviours associated with autism.

* Failure to make eye contact.

* Difficulty in sharing attention with anyone.

* Difficulty in communicating with others

* Avoids interaction with others

* Failure to engage in 'pretend' play

* Lacks understanding of the emotions and / or intentions of others.

* Avoids physical contact

* Seems disconnected from the environment.

Children with autism also suffer sensory distortions, which may cause them to display certain behaviours.

* Appear not to notice anything visually.

* Appears visually distracted as though he is looking at something which you cannot see.

* Appears visually obsessed with particular features of the environment.

* appears unable to 'switch' visual attention from one feature of the environment to another.

* Appears uncomfortable with the visual environment.

* Appears not to hear anything.

* Appears auditorily distracted as though listening to something which you cannot hear.

* Appears auditorially obsessed with particular sounds within the environment.

* Appears unable to 'switch' auditory attention from one sound within the environment to another.

* Appears uncomfortable with the auditory environment.

* Appears not to feel much sensation.

* Appears distracted by tactile stimuli of which you are not aware.

* Appears obsessed with particular tactile sensations within the environment.

* Appears unable to 'switch' tactile attention from one sensation to another.

* Appears uncomfortable with the tactile environment.

hope this helps.

http://www.snowdrop.cc/info2.cfm?info_id...

Answer 3

avoiding eye contact, flapping or someother repetitive motion, repetition with activities, fixating on certain objects themes or ideas.  having difficulty carrying on conversations with people that require emotional responses-lack of empathy, needing to do things in a particular order-getting upset if that order is broken.  General discontent with things not going as expected...there is a lot of signs, these are just afew.  Autism is a very broad spectrum, if you are concerned you should talk to your doctor for further testing.

Answer 4

There are many and each child is different, I have complied my own list as I have aspergers myself.... but to be honest symptoms continue to change as they learn more.... soon may be very early diagnosis... some say you can tell from babies...

My list (just some of many):

Child -Adolescences  (list of Characteristics of AS)

Anger, frustration, rage when dealing with emotion

Prefers to spend time alone rather than with others.

Feeling misunderstand by everyone

Isolated, alone, depressed

Lack of response to pain or bad situations

Feeling need to be in control, can be overbearing

passive, submissive, controlling in more subtle ways.

Repetitive behavior, picking at things

Rapid movements and fidgets a lot

Anxious when meeting new people

Get muddle when having to talk in class

Lack interest may abruptly walk or turn

Feels no one accepts them for who they are

Feel have to change to fit in

Motor skill delays - poor hand writing

Can be very obsessive in what they do

Dosen't like school - school bores them

Little or no interest in making friends.

Difficulty mixing with other children

Limited response to peer pressure.

Low response to social cues: teacher

Looks at ground a lot, show little or no eye contact.

Have inappropriate laughing and giggling

Repeating words or phrases in place of normal language.

Unusual formal style of speaking

Awkward or inappropriate body language

Visible clumsiness and poor coordination

Problem with balance,

Short attention span.

Lack of spontaneous or imaginative play.

Does not initiate pretend play.

Unaware of the codes of social conduct

Obsessive interest in single item, idea, activity.

Special interests that dominate person’s time and conversation.

Inappropriate attachment to objects.

Comments takes to heart, takes too personally.

Extra sensitive to sound, touch, taste, smell..

Tantrums for no apparent reason

Can get upset very easily

Resist changes to routine.

Signs of ASDs

Children with ASDs can have severe social-skill and language-skill deficits. Also, they may parrot words (echolalia) and use spontaneous “pop-up” words without communicative intent. Children with Asperger syndrome may not demonstrate significant language delays, but they may show difficulty in sustaining conversations.

In children under age 2, notes Plauché Johnson, signs of ASD tend to be in the areas of receptive and gestural language and socio-emotional development and are expressed more subtly. For this reason, ongoing surveillance and routine screening are essential for early recognition.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of toddler with ASDs is their inability to engage another person’s attention to share enjoyment, which is called joint attention, says Plauché Johnson. Joint attention develops in stages, beginning with the joyous smile a young infant produces when he or she recognizes and responds to a parent or caregiver. Later, the child is able to follow a parent’s gaze and then to follow a parent’s point and look back to the parent and share enjoyment. The final step in the development of joint attention is when an infant initiates the point himself or herself and looks back at the parent or caregiver to make sure he or she is looking at the interesting object/event and is sharing the experience.

This ability to engage another person and share enjoyment is almost always present in typical children by 16 to 18 months of age, says Plauché Johnson, who authored a paper in an October 2007 issue of Pediatrics presents the revised screening guidelines and discusses their rationale (http://www.aap.org/pressroom/AutismID.pd...

Although children with ASDs might make rudimentary pointing motions by opening and closing their hands or might try to lead parents to objects, they are less likely to share enjoyment by looking back and forth between the objects and the caregivers.

Other early skills that might be missing in a child with ASD include turning when his or her name is called (although deficits in this area also can be due to a hearing impairment) and social referencing, which involves noticing the emotional displays of others and mimicking their response. Understanding developmental milestones is critical for ASD effective surveillance efforts.

Screening and referral

Children should be screened for ASDs using a standardized tool, including a parent questionnaire, at regular intervals and whenever parents or clinicians raise a concern. According to the AAP’s algorithm, children who screen positive or who have two or more risk factors for ASDs — such as a sibling with an ASD or parental and provider concerns — should be referred to early intervention services and to specialists who can conduct a comprehensive evaluation. Children who have language delays also should be referred for an audiologic evaluation.

Providers should share information about ASDs with parents (so they can accurately report symptoms) and help parents access the early intervention system. Parents also should be referred for genetic counseling regarding recurrence risk in siblings. Information about developmental milestones, copies of sample screening tools, and other resources for clinicians are included in an AAP toolkit.

In Illinois, several groups are partnering on a project called Enhancing Developmentally Oriented Primary Care (EDOPC) that helps pediatric providers incorporate developmental assessments and ASD surveillance and screening into routine practice.

“Social and emotional changes in their children are things parents want to discuss,” says project director Anita Berry, RN, MSN, CNP/APN. “By focusing on these issues using a parent-report screening tool, providers bring parents into the discussion, making them part of the team.”

“It’s reassuring to know your child is doing what they are suppose to be doing developmentally as well as emotionally,” says Neferteria A. Price-Demus, a Hope Children’s Hospital employee who has a 2-year-old son with autism. “When your healthcare provider screens your child for delays and concerns and discusses your child’s development with you, you’re confident that, at this point, they are right on target.”

Early intervention

Intervention for ASDs in children under age 3 ideally involves a minimum of 25 hours of intensive therapy, says Grant. The treatment plan varies for each child and addresses the child’s cognitive, motor, and language deficits/delays. Therapy is highly structured and typically focuses on developing and reinforcing communication and social skills and reducing disruptive and maladaptive behaviors. Once children reach preschool age, the responsibility for planning and implementing treatment is transferred to the schools. At every stage, notes Grant, parents play a critical role in advocating for their children.

Although the success of treatment varies depending on a number of factors, including the severity of autistic symptoms and the child’s level of intelligence, Grant says, “Early intervention is beneficial for all children with ASDs, regardless of severity, since it optimizes the outcomes an individual child can achieve.”

Vanessa Wallace says her daughter’s social skills improved markedly once intensive intervention was introduced. When asked about her goals for her children, Wallace says, “I know they can achieve things. They have dreams, and they are people like anyone else. I want them to become all they can be. Isn’t that what all parents want for their children?”

Spotting Autism Spectrum Disorders - Is Baby Babbling on Schedule?

News in Health, September 2007 - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

As a new parent, you’re probably paying close attention to important milestones in your child’s life: the first tooth, the first time your baby grasps an object, the first time he or she rolls over, sits up, crawls and walks.  But do you know when your child should start speaking and developing language skills?  You can make sure your child is on track by watching out for some basic communication milestones, too.

People often confuse the words “speech” and “language.”  They mean slightly different things.  Speech is the verbal expression of language—or talking.  Speech is produced by precisely coordinated muscle actions in the head, neck, chest and abdomen.  Language is much broader and refers to the entire system by which we express and receive information in a way that’s meaningful.  Language includes speech, writing, signing or even gesturing.  For example, people who have neurological disorders may depend upon eye blinks or mouth movements to communicate.

The most intensive period of speech and language development is during the first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing.  By the time babies are 6 months old, they already recognize the basic sounds of their native language.  Early language skills appear to develop best in a world rich in sound, sight and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

In fact, increasing evidence suggests that there are critical periods for speech and language development in infants and young children.  Their brains appear most able to absorb a language—any language—during the early stages of their development.  Children who are not exposed to a language during these critical periods may have difficulties learning a language later.

Every child is unique and develops speech and language at his or her own rate.  There is, however, a natural progression.  Doctors and other health professionals know the general age and time when most children reach different milestones.  They can determine when a child may need extra help in learning to speak or use language.

Early signs of communication occur during the first few days of life, when an infant learns that crying will bring food, comfort and companionship.  The newborn also begins to recognize important sounds in his or her environment, such as a parent’s voice.

As they grow, infants start to sort out the speech sounds that compose the words of their language.  An infant is able to make more controlled sounds as the jaw, lips, tongue and voice mature.  This begins in the first few months of life when infants start “cooing,” a quiet, pleasant, repetitive vocalization.

By 6 months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as “ba-ba-ba” or “da-da-da.”  Babbling soon turns into a type of nonsense speech that often has the tone and rhythm of human speech but does not contain real words.  By the end of their first year, most children are able to say a few simple words.  Children quickly learn the power of those words as others respond to them.

By 18 months of age, most children can say 8 to 10 words.  By age 2, most are putting words together into short phrases or sentences, such as “more milk.”  Children continue to learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions and thoughts.  They also engage in representational or pretend play.  Between ages 3 and 5, a child’s vocabulary increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language, or grammar.

You should talk to your child’s physician if you have any concerns about your child’s speech or language development.  The doctor may decide to refer you to a speech-language pathologist, who will talk to you about your child’s communication and general development.  The speech-language pathologist will also evaluate your child with special speech and language tests.  A hearing test is often included in the evaluation because a hearing problem can affect the development of a child’s speech and language.

Depending on the test results, the speech-language pathologist may suggest activities that you can do at home to stimulate your child’s speech and language development.  These activities may include reading to your child regularly; speaking in short sentences using simple words so your child can successfully imitate you; or repeating what your child says using correct grammar or pronunciation.

The speech-language pathologist may also recommend group or individual therapy or suggest further evaluation by other health professionals such as an audiologist or a developmental psychologist.

It’s important to discuss speech and language development, as well as other developmental issues, with your child’s doctor at every visit.  Knowing what’s normal and what’s not can help you figure out if your child is right on schedule or if you should be concerned.:

Answer 5

Have you ever read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon? It's a fabulous book of a child with autism

- doesn't like to talk to strangers

- screams

- usually obsessed with something. e.g. puzzles

- hates being touched

- loves animals

- prefers some numbers to others. e.g. make like 5 and dislike 3, so will always sit on the fifth step on stairs

- has preferences in colour. e.g. loves yellow and dislikes brown

- wonderful memory. e.g. if you drop a bunch of cards of the ground, a kid with autism will remember all the cards there

- looks lonely

- usually isolated with no friends

- dislikes talking to people

- ranging from low IQ to high IQs

Answer 6

There are many signs of autism as well as many of PPD's.  see if the link below can help.  However, if you are really concerned speak with your child's physician and they can get a referral for a complete evaluation.  Many children have a slight autism and can still learn and function.  the key is to get intervention as early as possible.  Good luck.

Answer 7

Autism is a social communication autoimmune spectrum disorder.  There are social flags with all kids along the autistic spectrum, to what degree they are impaired can be from not noticeable to obvious.  

Social flags that I saw were inappropriate ways to gain attention from peers.  Both my boys would approach kids and keep repeating inappropriate things, go take the items from peers, not answer questions appropriately or not at all, invaded personal space, did negative behaviors to get attention from peers like crash the other kids lego tower.  Inappropriate playing of toys like lining them up or spinning wheels.  My kids have always smiled and been affectionate.

Communication issues that most autistic kids experience are difficulty following 2-3 step directions, late speech development, echolalia, palilalia, difficulty answering 'wh' questions, poor or intermittant eyecontact, avoiding eyecontact at times, late to identify bodyparts and common things, difficulty with reciprocity like playing with a ball- catch.  

Autoimmune disorders that accompany many autistic spectrum kids are a low immune system so they are sick alot with chronic ear infections, autoimmune disorder of eczema, GI issues such as GERD, and constipation, yeast infections, thrush or diaper rash, allergies, many food allergies

EDIT I agree and disagree with Kathi, many things taken out of context are not autism.  However I have 2 autistic spectrum boys both diagnosed PDD.NOS from the reputed kennedy krieger hospital, and both were seen by Dr. Greenspan and neither has met that criteria for the diagnosis.  I have 1  child that has 4 items one in each category and 2 in one, and my other son has 3 items, one in each category

I see autism diagnosed on clinical opinion alot, and the DSM-IV-TR is disregarded.  I haven't done an MChat but have heard of it.  My sons do meet criteria on this site:

http://www.childbrain.com/pddassess.html

My sons scores are 51, and 68 currently, both are in the mild range between 50-100 with over 49 being clinically significant.

The MChat my youngest PDD son did fail this, he had 4 of the critical areas and 6 all together. I do see the Red Flags for autism, which 2 or more are significant.  My sons have 3, and 4.  One of my sons has intermittant eyecontact, delayed answering to name, delayed gestures, repetitive movement of objects.  My older son has resolved most of these.

Answer 8

I tend to worry about checklists, because they're often taken out of context...ie "My child flaps his hands when he's really excited, could it be autism?"  Lots of kids, and adults flap when excited.  Ever watch Wheel of Fortune?

A really good website if you're concerned is First Signs http://www.firstsigns.org/index.html  

EDITED TO ADD:  Another good website, with examples of what the diagnostic criteria means.. This website is great for those that don't know much about autism.  http://www.bbbautism.com/diagnostics_psy...

To be diagnosed with autism, a child should have a total of six (or more) items from (1), (2), and (3), with at least two from (1), and one each from (2) and (3):

(1) qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

(a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to- eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

(b) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

(c) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest)

(d) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(2) qualitative impairments in communication, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) delay in, or total lack of, the development of spoken language (not accompanied by an attempt to compensate through alternative modes of communication such as gesture or mime)

(b) in individuals with adequate speech, marked impairment in the ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others

(c) stereotyped and repetitive use of language or idiosyncratic language

(d) lack of varied, spontaneous make-believe play or social imitative play appropriate to developmental level

(3) restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities as manifested by at least one of the following:

(a) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

(b) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

(c) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting or complex whole-body movements)

(d) persistent precoccupation with parts of objects

AND:

B. Delays or abnormal functioning in at least one of the following areas, with onset prior to age 3 years: (1) social interaction, (2) language as used in social communication, or (3) symbolic or imaginative play.

In a child age 16-30 months, the MCHAT is an excellent screening tool to see if you should evaluate for autism.  http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/m...

Edited to add:  I have an issue with autism being diagnosed where the criteria is being disregarded.  Are you  using autism and pdd-nos interchangeably?  If so, then I can see how it could happen. Beetlemilk,  because your son's don't meet the criteria for autism, they've been diagnosed with pdd-nos.  PDD-NOS is a diagnosis by exclusion.  If a child presents with some symptoms from (1), (2), and/or (3), and their pattern of symptoms is not better described by one of the other PDD diagnoses (i.e., Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, or Childhood Disintegrative disorder) then a professional might decide that a diagnoses of PDD-NOS is warranted.

When comparing PDD-NOS to Autism, PDD-NOS is used when a child has symptoms of autism, but not in the configuration needed for an autism diagnosis.  Social component is where the most impairment is seen.  Children who fail to meet criteria for autism and don’t have adequate social impairment typically have a developmental disability, and their symptoms can by accounted for by that.

Regarding the childbrain quiz, my daughter now scores around 118, and that was using the grading guide before answering each question. Without using that guide, I did score it closer to 132.  Still in the moderate range, and it's an accurate reflection.  When she was younger, she did score higher.  I've seen that to be a very good screening tool as well.  One caution though, children with speech delays could fall under "mild pdd" when it's not present. That's why it's important to follow up with a reputable diagnostician.

Within the autism diagnostic criteria, My daughter has the following profile From section 1 A is fairly mild, B severe, C is fairly resolved, D is mild

From section 2 A mild since language is comming in, B Severe, C moderate, D moderate

From section 3 A & B moderate...working very hard to resolve these, but her obsessive tendancies are pretty tough to crack. C & D are not issues at all, nor have they ever been issues.

Within the criteria for an autism diagnosis, her spectrum is mild to severe, depending on symptom. She's also very high functioning (which relates more to self help skills, and IQ) I would say honestly she's mild/moderate autistic

Answer 9

Contact Pacer.org they are a parent advocacy group here in MN and will answer any questions you have.