Autism impacts an individual throughout the lifespan. However, research shows that early diagnosis can lead to improved quality of life. The behaviors of Autism may be apparent in infancy, but they usually become clearer during early childhood. As part of a regular health visit, your child’s doctor should perform developmental screenings focused on Autism. This screening is recommended at ages 18 and 24 months for all children.

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Your doctor will encourage you to ask specific questions about your child’s developmental progress listed in categories like communication and other behaviors. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a list of Signs and Symptoms, which can be found here.

Social Behavior

• Prefers solitary or parallel play rather than engaging in associative or cooperative play with other children.

• Preference for predictable, structured play over spontaneous or make-believe play.

• May not respond to name being called.

• Struggles to make eye contact to communicate interests and/or needs.

Communication

• Develops speech later than typical or not at all (nonspeaking).

• Repetition in language or movement, such as repeating the same words or sounds, hand flapping, or any repeated movement.

• Atypical nonverbal communication, including avoiding eye contact, giving few facial expressions or having a monotone voice.

Stereotyped Behavior

• Extremely distressed by changes, including new foods or changes in schedule or routine.

• Strong, persistent interest in a specific topic, part of a toy, or item.

Other Behavior

• These characteristics vary widely and do not necessarily mean your child has Autism. However, if your child is showing these behaviors, a screening is encouraged. Many starts by voicing their concerns with their child’s primary physician, with referrals being made to a specialist for further evaluation. 

 

Useful Links
First Signs of Autism
CDC Developmental Milestones

Autism is characterized by clinicians as:

Persistent differences in communication, interpersonal relationships, and social interaction across different environments.

 

What this can look like:

• Being nonverbal, nonspeaking, or having atypical speech patterns, having trouble understanding nonverbal communication, difficulty making and keeping friends, difficulty maintaining typical back-and-forth conversational style.

 

Restricted and repetitive behavior, patterns, activities and interests. What this can look like:

• Repeating sounds or phrases (echolalia), repetitive movements, preference for sameness and difficulty with transition or routine, rigid or highly restricted and intense interests, extreme sensitivity to, or significantly lower sensitivity to, sensory stimuli.

There are no medical tests for diagnosing Autism. The DSM-5 is used by clinicians to diagnose Autism and the features of Autism are described in this document. The DSM-5 criteria require that the core features of Autism be present in early childhood. However, for some children, the symptoms may not fully manifest until social demands exceed the person’s capacity to cope with them. In addition, challenges may be masked by learned coping strategies and support.

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Autism typically appears by age 3, though diagnosis and intervention can and should begin earlier. In order to be diagnosed accurately, an individual must be observed by professionals skilled in determining communication, behavioral, and developmental levels. Ideally, an individual should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team which may include a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language pathologist, occupational therapist, education consultant, or other professional knowledgeable about Autism.

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However, because many of the behaviors associated with Autism are shared by other disorders, a doctor may complete various medical tests to rule out other possible causes. A brief observation in a single setting cannot present a true picture of an individual’s abilities and behavior patterns. At first glance, the person with Autism may appear to have a learning disability or problems with hearing. However, it is important to distinguish Autism from other conditions, since an accurate diagnosis can provide the basis for building an appropriate and effective educational, vocational, and treatment program.