10 Signs Your Young Child Might Have Autism

Dr. Landa recommends that as parents play with their infant (6 – 12 months), they look for the following signs that have been linked to later diagnosis of ASD or other communication disorders:

1. Rarely smiles when approached by caregivers

2. Rarely tries to imitate sounds and movements others make, such as smiling and laughing, during simple social exchanges

3. Delayed or infrequent babbling

4. Does not respond to his or her name with increasing consistency from 6 – 12 months

5. Does not gesture to communicate by 10 months

6. Poor eye contact

7. Seeks your attention infrequently

8. Repeatedly stiffens arms, hands, legs or displays unusual body movements such as rotating the hands on the wrists, uncommon postures or other repetitive behaviors

9. Does not reach up toward you when you reach to pick him or her up

10. Delays in motor development, including delayed rolling over, pushing up and crawling

“If parents suspect something is wrong with their child’s development, or that their child is losing skills, they should talk to their pediatrician or another developmental expert,” says Dr. Landa. “Don’t adopt a ‘wait and see’ perspective. We want to identify delays early in development so that intervention can begin when children’s brains are more malleable and still developing their circuitry.”

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/therapy-soup/2012/03/10-signs-your-young-child-might-have-autism/