The Signs of Autism and Asperger Syndrome

There are a number of characteristics that begin as subtle, and develop into not so subtle signs of autism. The following are the things to watch closely for, as they are the most common, and easiest to pick up upon. If diagnosed early, an autistic child has an excellent prognosis for complete, or nearly complete recovery!

The first and most obvious thing to look for is lack of eye contact. If a child avoids eye contact and focuses on objects as opposed to faces, this is a good indication of the disorder. As with my own daughter, at 13 months of age, she completely stopped making eye contact with everyone. I noticed it at the time, but did not think much about it. I was inexperienced and did not know that this was a symptom. If your child does refuse to maintain eye contact with you, then take them to a doctor trained in autism as soon as possible! The sooner you have them diagnosed, the sooner it is that you can take measures to reverse it!

The second thing to look for is regression; this can come in many forms:
*A child who once spoke with words while pointing at objects, suddenly stops. The child gradually or suddenly loses their vocabulary and returns to nonsensical babbling.
*A child who once walked, goes back to crawling for no apparent reason.
*A child who is on the road to toilet training no longer has any interest in using the potty seat.

Another thing you may notice that seems a bit odd, but not very suspect, is toe walking. If your child consistantly walks on their toes instead of their whole feet, it is a very strong autistic trait.