Signs and Symptoms of Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASM's) officially belong to a group of illnesses known as 'developmental disabilities'. They are characterized by problems with social and communication skills of varying degrees. Autistic people also commonly display unusual ways of learning, reacting to different sensations and paying attention. Sufferers also tend to repeat certain behaviors and have difficulties when required to change their usual daily activities. ASD's are commonly said to start in childhood and last for the persons whole life ,but as you will see below, there are many new theories as to the cause(s) of these disorders and many offer the hope of effective treatments.

Symptoms of Autism

Does the baby respond to his or her name when called by the caregiver? Typical babies are very responsive to the voices of familiar people, and often respond with smiles and looks within the first few months of life. They also respond to their own name by looking to the person who called them

2) Does the young child engage in “joint attention”?  Typical towards the end of their first year, infants begin to shift their gaze from toys to people, follow other’s points, monitor the gaze of others, point to objects or events to share interest, and show toys to others.

Signs of childhood autism

Kids with autism tend to isolate themselves from the people around them, preferring instead to stay in their own worlds. Children with autism are withdrawn – usually severely so – and have trouble with verbal expression. Kids with autism often live in fantasy worlds that they've created.

Unusual behaviour

These are typical and include one or more of the following.

Odd mannerisms such as hand-flapping or other odd pointless movements.

Anger or aggression if routines are changed. Children with autism often hurt themselves when they are angry by banging their head or hitting their face. Sometimes they do this to get attention.

Communication

Expressive language skills are always impaired in children with autism. Some young children with autism may lack speech altogether, while others may have a large vocabulary but lack the communicative intent of language. These children may speak long sentences but their speech is perseverative, filled with jargon, or characterized by echolalia. The autistic child tends not to use language to communicate socially, but merely to get the things he or she needs. Parents may report that their child’s language milestones were on target for the first twelve to eighteen months, and then the child stopped talking. This history of language regression may also mark the time when parents notice abnormal socializat.

Here is a list of Autism symptoms that you should look for:

- Lack of interest in toys
- Spinning objects
- Placing objects in lines
- Content with being alone
- Flapping hands

The list of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is long, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors. None of these clinical features is common to all people with autism, and many are occasionally exhibited by people who are not autistic.