Signs of Autism: Behaviors Parents Should Know
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) usually appears in the early years of life, and diagnosing it early can be crucial for the child's development in the long term.
The United States government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain common signs of ASD. It is important to emphasize that a child showing these symptoms does not necessarily mean they have the disorder.
However, the more these behaviors appear, the more attention they require, and a specialist should be consulted to determine whether the child has autism or not.
Autism in children: 11 signs to identify
Head banging
As part of self-stimulation, children with ASD may develop another repetitive behavior, which is more harmful: banging their head against surfaces.
To avoid this behavior, it is useful to distract the child with some other stimulus. Most of the time, it is necessary to stop this immediately. No matter how much they protest, it must be done because they could hurt themselves.
Clapping
Most children do this during the first years of life. Up to age 3, clapping repeatedly is normal. But children with autism continue this behavior beyond this stage.
This is a form of self-stimulation, a type of habit that children with autism perform when there is too much stimulation in the environment, to which they are more sensitive. Consequently, they tend to focus on a single sensation.
There are more of these behaviors and they include visual, tactile, auditory, movement stimuli, among others.
Tantrums without reason
No parent has not had to deal with tantrums in public, loud crying, and screaming. The difference is that children with autism usually have tantrums not out of stubbornness, but due to sensory overload they tend to experience in public places.
And if the children do not stop crying or screaming even when given what they want, it is a sign parents should watch for.
Extreme aggressiveness
It is normal for children to fight with other kids or their parents somewhat violently at times. Children with autism tend to do the same but seem to enjoy it.
According to Raising Children, an organization supported by the Australian government, children with autism may attack or behave aggressively towards adults or other children for the following reasons:
- Children with autism do not understand what is happening around them (the non-verbal signals of others).
- They cannot communicate their wishes or needs.
- They are very anxious or tense.
- They need to self-stimulate due to sensory overload.
- They seek to escape stressful situations.
Obsession with objects
In the Autism Family video, there is mention of an obsession where children pour liquids from one cup to another, which is common in people with autism.
All children enjoy playing with liquids, but for those living with autism, the play can become an obsession; they may do it for hours depending on the severity of their condition.
Getting upset with small changes
Children with autism can get stressed when something in their routine changes. No matter how small the change is, they can get angry and anxious.
Avoids eye contact
One of the most well-known signs of autism is avoiding eye contact. Each person with ASD has different reasons for avoiding it, but it seems to be a common sign in most. It usually remains throughout life, even into adulthood.
Lack of response
When children do not respond, parents usually believe it is because their child has hearing problems. But in children with autism, the lack of response is more related to being distracted or withdrawn.
On the contrary, people with autism are very sensitive to sounds and perceive auditory stimuli more intensely than most people. Therefore, it is more difficult for them to filter sounds to differentiate them.
Walking on tiptoes
It is common for young children to try walking on the tips of their toes as a form of play. But attention should be paid to how often this happens to differentiate whether it is common behavior or a symptom of autism.
Lack of communication
If a child uses few words by the age of three years or older, it could be a sign of autism. Lack of speech does not always occur in all children with autism, but that does not mean they know how to communicate.
Often, they repeatedly say the same word or phrase for a long time, not because they are learning, but as an obsessive act.
Does not respond to name
If a child does not react when their name is called at 12 months of age or later, it may indicate the presence of an autism disorder.
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