Early Signs of Autism

Autism currently strikes about one out of every 500 people in the United States. This is up sharply from what the number was in the 1980s, perhaps because early detection has been on the rise since then. The early signs of autism are really easy to identify, although they should be discussed with your doctor to make sure that it is not another problem. Here are some of the early signs of autism and how you can identify them in your child.

The first thing that you may notice is that the child is not communicating well with others. This does not mean that it does not communicate at all, although that is possible in an autistic child. Sometimes a child will begin to speak some words and then regressed to the point where they are not speaking at all. Your doctor should be able to help you to identify any problem that could potentially be an early sign of autism.

Another thing that many autistic children lack is social skills. They do not tend to socialize with other children although they do tend to connect with their primary caregivers. There may also be times where an autistic child does have a certain degree of social skills but they may be lacking in what way or another. Because autism is a disease that affects people in different ways, you will have to be alert for any potential problems that may manifest themselves in this way.

Another early sign of autism is a repetitive syndrome. This can be manifest in a number of different ways but most commonly can be seen by a child’s lining up or stacking items systematically. They seem to have a need to keep things in such a manner. It may also manifest itself as an inability to deviate from their normal routine during the day or as an unusual preoccupation with something, such as a television show. Be alert for any of the signs and discuss them with your doctor as early detection is your child the best opportunity to be treated properly for the disease.