It is possible for children to have mild autism and full-blown autism. Diagnosing the types of autism in children is difficult for doctors many times because there are different types of autism children can have.
As a parent, you must watch out for signs and symptoms of autism in your child. Having the proper information about autism in children can help you spot signs and symptoms before it is to late. Noone knows what causes autism in children, but we do know that there is a lot of hope for autistic children.
A Look Into Autistic Children
There are three areas that parents must look at to see if their child has a developmental issue. This is important because every child will lag behind or show weaknesses in certain areas from time to time. However, the difference with autism is that it has more severe, long-term problems.
The Temperament And Behavior Of Autism Syndrome In Children
There are two main ways in which autism usually manifests itself within babies. First of all, they may show extremely placid behavior. Secondly, they may be excessively irritable. As the child continues to develop and grow older, they will more than likely show some of the following autistic traits:
- Spinning
- Rocking
- Hand flapping
- Running in circles
- Engaging in repetitive behavior
- Obsessive behavior
- Love of routine
- Outrageous tantrums
- Aversion to loud noises
- Aversion to touch
Parents may actually unconsciously adapt by creating family routines that are meticulously arranged around their child’s preferences without even realizing that they’re doing it. Once you realize that this is actually happening, you should have your child assessed to see if there is actually a medical reason for their behavioral problems.
Speech And Language Problems In Autistic Children
Autistic children display a lot of different speech and language quirks that are oftentimes seen as a sign of their condition. Unfortunately, it is difficult to make an early diagnosis based upon speech alone. However, there are still some warning signs of autism in children that you should be on the lookout for. They include:
- Autistic children are slow to develop speech
- There is a lack of interest in other people’s speech
- They may speak early and have an advanced level of speech
- Speech may be replaced by signs (i.e. pulling on clothes, grunting, screaming, pointing).
- Some children can speak but are not able to use interactive language
- Autistic children may speak in a slow, robotic fashion
It is important to keep the accepted milestones for normal speech in mind to use as a guideline. These typical milestones include:
- Babies will begin to babble by the time they are 6 months old. This will continue to progress until it sounds like spoken language.
- A 9-month-old baby is able to respond whenever he or she hears their name called.
- By the time a baby is between 15 and 18-months-old they should be able to say a few words and understand a few simple instructions
- Whenever a child is 4-years-old they should be able to speak clearly enough for people outside of their family to be able to understand them
Problems With Social Interaction In Autistic Children
Autistic children tend to display unusual behavior whenever they are interacting with other children or playing with their toys. Some of the warning signs that you should be on the lookout for include:
- A lack of interest in toys
- They play with toys by lining them up or opening and closing toy car doors repeatedly
- A lack of engagement with parents
- A lack of interest in socializing with other children
- The inability to join in imaginative play
It is important to keep the accepted milestones for normal social interaction in mind here as well:
- Babies who are under 4-months-old should be making eye contact and smiling at their parents
- 1-year-old children should make gestures, point and wave
- Children under 2-years-old should be content to play side-by-side with other children
- Once a child is 2-years-old they should begin interacting and playing with other children. They should also be able to engage in give and take with these other children.
In Conclusion To Autism In Children
It isn’t necessarily a matter of concern if your child has problems in any one of the aforementioned areas. However, a cluster of problems may signal some concern. Babies and small children tend to display strange patterns within their temperaments, as well as their speech, language and social interaction. If you are concerned, it is best to take your child to have a professional assessment conducted.