Autism Symptoms in Infants and Children

According to health officials and medical professionals, the exact causes of the Autism disorder are still unclear although there is considerable agreement that there exists some type of genetic link between the disorder and the afflicted person's genes. There are other variables that could be possible causes such as environmental factors and immune system abnormalities. Regardless, the majority of all health and medical professionals agree that early intervention and diagnosis is still the best course of action to pursue.

Recognizing the early warning signs of the disorder

Past clinical research has demonstrated that the earlier a child is properly diagnosed and a treatment is prescribed, the outcome in the long-run will be considerably better. The following are some of the National Institute of Mental Health's early warning signs:

o In many cases, the child doesn't respond with a joyful facial expression (i.e., smile)

o The child hasn't spoken a single word by the time they are 16 months old

o They appear not to understand how they should play with their toys

o They are not babbling, making meaningful and/or noticeable, or pointing by the time they have reached 12 months of age

o They do not maintain eye contact for any length of time, if they do make it at all

o They haven't started to combine two words together by the time they reach 2 years of age

o They rarely interact with others, sometimes not at all

o They rarely respond to their names,

o They sometimes focus entirely on a single object or toy

o They start losing acquired language and social skills

o They will focus less on critical or important issues, yet they will focus on lining up certain objects or toys

The warning signs mentioned above are the primary indicators of an Autism Spectrum Disorder being present in the individual, although there are other ones to be aware of as well. What you should remember is that there will be numerous explanations for the majority of the warning signs that we have mentioned in the points above.

Early Autism warning signs or symptoms in infants

A number of different clinical studies have revealed the following warning signs and symptoms of Autism being present in infants at certain ages:

o 6 months - absence of smiling

o 9 months - failing to exchange smiles and/or sounds with other individuals

o 1 year - the inability to babble, point at or reach for different objects, or to wave at others nearby them

o 1 year, 4 months - a lack of or a total absence of vocabulary development

o 2 years - inability to create simple phrases (two words)

o Any age - the regression of communication, social, and/or speech skills

During infancy, there may be severe sensory issues to deal with during this period in the child's life including the abnormal reaction to certain sounds, tastes, and touching. Though mild autism can be handled with proper counseling and therapy, but severe autism is difficult.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on ADHD children please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

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Can I Recognize Signs of Autism in Infants?

Early signs of autism can be detected in children under the age of 24 months, however this early it is an inexact science. Children develop at different rates. Of course, all children should still basically fall in and around the developmental milestones set up by specialists in child development. A child's pediatrician will ask you standard questions at each checkup regarding your child's development.

If he/she notices something that may be off, further tests and research may be needed. Also, if you notice what you think may be early signs of autism in your child, vis. no eye contact or smiles or reactions to stimuli around six months of age, no reciprocated feelings of happiness expressed towards you at nine months of age, the lack of babbling and interest in their surroundings by one year, slow communication development, if any of these signs persist well past the gray area of the developmental milestone, be sure to consult with your pediatrician.

While, a doctor is remit to diagnose any disorder within the autism spectrum before two years of age, if it is a possibility, then treatment of a sort can begin. Early recognition of developmental difficulties will make it much easier to help your child manage them as he/she grows older. Even if it isn't autism, activities involving social interaction, activities geared towards helping a child become familiar with their environment and to take active interest in it, and the setting of a basic schedule so as to give the child some structure and safety net in their life, will help with developmental delays. If detected during infancy this also gives the parent a good amount of time to come to terms with the changes their life is going to go through.

The biggest factor in dealing with Autism is patience. Children with developmental disorders need to feel the nurture and compassion from their caregivers as early on as infancy. They may not respond in ways that you feel are normal, but a loving patient attitude from the parent, caregivers, etc. will help the child to feel safe and confident in their world. This is a great ease on their mind and will actually help them to learn, grow, and develop. Fear is one of the biggest adversaries of personal growth-physical, mental, and emotional. It is the responsibility of the adults in any child's life to alleviate this debilitating emotion.

Remember, just because your child is experiencing some developmental delays does not mean that the final prognosis is Autism, or any other developmental disorder. Children develop at different rates, it can't be stressed enough. Some even learn to walk skipping the crawling milestone completely. And as long as your child is effectively communicating with you even if not in full sentences when he/she is supposed to, does not mean the child has a disorder.

Don't be afraid to talk this over with your child's pediatrician though. Any worries or fears should be discussed because it is the primary physician that will best be able to alleviate your fears. This in turn will help you to give your child a more stable, comfortable environment, whether or not the child has autism.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on Autism please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

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The Warning Signs of Autism in Infants

Although the exact cause of Autism still remains somewhat of a mystery, most doctors and other health professionals that there is some type of genetic link between the disorder and genetics. Additionally, there are other variables that are possible causes such as abnormalities with the child's immune system and contributing environmental factors.

Although the cause of the disorder remains unknown or speculative at best, major medical advancements have been made in the past decade where the management of treatment of the disorder are concerned. However, most medical professionals agree that the best course of action is early intervention and diagnosis.

Autism's early warning signs and symptoms

The following information has resulted from a number of different studies that were conducted in order to discover some of the early warning signs and symptoms of Autism in the infancy stage of the child's life. The following are what you should look for and by what age these should be apparent:

- the absence of smiling or other positive facial expressions by 6 months of age

- failing to exchange smiles and sounds with others by 9 months of age

- the inability to babble, wave, point and/or reach for different objects,, by 12 months of age

- the lack of or total absence of any vocabulary development by 16 months of age

- the inability to create basic two-word phrases by 24 months of age

- a regression of communicative, social, and speech skills at any age

There may also be noticeably, severe sensory issues during their infancy that you should look for such as an abnormal reaction to certain sounds or tastes and touching.

Early intervention and treatment

If these signs or symptoms mentioned in the preceding section appear early on, you don't want to delay or procrastinate about this. You should talk with your pediatrician and maybe even a neurologist or psychiatrist/psychologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Autism. While the infant is being observed, the parents will most likely be interviewed to see if the diagnosis of Autism is accurate. The doctor may also order for the infant to receive a hearing test and an MRI.

Additionally, if there are communication, language, and social issues that are apparent, the doctor may also recommend a speech pathology evaluation. Once all of these variables have been evaluated, clinicians and other doctors may get involved in order to develop some type of educational intervention program for the afflicted infant. The most important treatment for Autism involves teaching the infant or the child how to communicate and interact socially successfully with others around them.

Beware of the misconceptions

No two children or infants are ever alike in the manner that Autism affects them. Symptoms of the disorder can range from mild or slight to extremely severe. The common misconception to be aware of is that every child or infant with Autism does not display any emotional response such as smiling at others. For instance, this may not be an issue whereas other children may smile but have serious linguistic or sensory issues.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula on ADHD children please visit childdevelopmentmedia.com.

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