Signs of Autism in Toddlers and Infants
With autism, early detection and treatment is critical but what should parents be on the look out for?
The average age for an autism diagnosis is between three and four years old. Yet many parents first become concerned around 18 months old. This age coincides with some vaccinations and has caused many parents to blame the vaccinations for autism. However research over the last few years has indicate that many autistic children show signs of autism in their first year.
So what symptoms of autism should you look for in infants and toddlers?
Firstly, is the child hitting all the normal milestones of development? There is an excellent guide from the Centre of Disease Control that gives all these milestones from birth to five years (Learn the Signs). Your doctor or health professional will be able to give you more information. The difficulty in detecting autism is that some children do develop slower than other so being a few weeks late reaching one particular milestone is nothing to worry about. When a child is late over a range of these milestones then seek advice.
Research in the last few years has highlight other symptoms of autism to watch for in early development. Much of this work has been done by using home videos taken sometime before the child is diagnosed. Often these are from the baby’s first birthday because its an occasion many parents video. The movement and behaviour of the child is analysed and compared to similar videos of children who are not autistic.
What these videos reveal is that even at one year old, autistic children have different patterns of behaviour. They lack or rarely use the ’social gaze’, the process of looking at someone when giving them attention. ‘Joint Attention’, when parent and child are both giving their attention to the same object or person, is also rarer. These early signs forewarn of the two of most notable symptoms of autism, a lack of empathy for others and a tendency to withdraw into a world of their own.
One of the distinctive symptoms of full blown autism is the child’s patterns of movement. Clumsiness, violent outbursts and repetitive movements are all common in autism. So researchers looked at how the infant moved to see if any signs of later problems can be detected.
One study noted that the autistic child still showed signs of retained primitive reflexes. These reflexes are present at birth and help the infant brain learn to move their body. For example, the grasp reflex is what triggers the curling of a baby’s fingers around an object placed in its palm. Other reflexes help the baby to roll over and learn to crawl. During normal development these reflexes drop away as the infant grows but in some children they are retained. This makes it harder for the infant or child to control their body because moving one limb may reflexively make another move. Making the child appear uncoordinated or clumsy.
There is growing evidence that it is possible to spot autism in infants. It may not be possible to formally diagnose autism at this stage but if the signs are their at infancy it best to assume the worse and begin treatment. Early intervention can make a significant difference to a later development.
Previously on Myomancy: Autism Tests & Diagnosis; Is This Why We Have Primitive Reflexes?
Recommend Reading: First Signs especially their screening tools for Autism
Research: Infants With Autism: An Investigation of Empathy, Pretend Play, Joint Attention, and Imitation [ PDF ]; Early recognition of children with autism: A study of first birthday home videotapes; Early recognition of 1-year-old infants with autism spectrum disorder versus mental retardation; Movement analysis in infancy may be useful for early diagnosis of autism; Infantile Reflexes Gone Astray in Autism [ PDF ]; Toddlers With Autism: Developmental Perspectives.; The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers: An Initial Study Investigating the Early Detection of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Find Out More:
Books:
- The Well Balanced Child: Movement And Early Learning (Early Years)
- Signs of Autism in Infants: Recognition and Early Intervention
- Engaging Autism: Helping Children Relate, Communicate and Think with the DIR Floortime Approach
- Autism in the School-Aged Child
- A Picture’s Worth: PECS and Other Visual Communication Strategies in Autism (Topics in Autism)
July 6th, 2006
Autism, Autism Tests & Diagnosis
Comments on: Signs of Autism in Toddlers and Infants
We have a l7 month old grandchild who is the third child but does not talk very much just says mom ball hi is it something to be concerned about. He is our 9th grandchild. Or are we overacting.
Posted by: pauline moceri December 16th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
My best friend and myself was pregnant at the same time. her son is a month older than my daughter but my daughter talks and inter acts more than him. he will be 3 in feb. and just started saying mama a couple of months ago. all he wants to watch is cartoons and he doesnt listen at all and he still cant talk. now my daughter can talk all day and night and half of the time im amazed at what she says. im not sure why her son can only say mama and dada. i think he may have autism
Posted by: jessica January 12th, 2008 at 7:20 am
My nephew is a little slow at speech, clumsy and does not hold eye contact with me or cuddle anyone other than his parents. He always seems distant and repeats things. He has started pulling a face like gurning in a repetative way. He is four years old. I am concerned but my brother is not.
Posted by: caroline afifi February 21st, 2008 at 9:11 pm
My nephew has been seen by his Consultant and he is now waiting for an MRI scan. Reasons for this is he “stomps” rather than walks and he keeps on falling over, then has problems standing back up again. We are all ver concerned.
Posted by: Joanne North Wales March 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I have a son that just turned 2 years old this March 2008. He is not talking yet. He says only no, ju (for juice), what, ball, and sometimes dadda (we have not yet determined whether or not he is associating this word with his father.) He does not yet say momma or mommy unless prompted. He will repeat words if prompted to, but will not use them again for personal use. There are other things like temper tantrums that sometimes even scare me. I do believe that these tantrums are a sign of frustration and he is scheduled for evaluation, but what can I do to help him? I feel desperate. I don’t know how to know exactly what it is he wants and he has become so emotional. What can I do?
Posted by: Jennifer Colorado March 24th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I have a 2 and a half year old son..I am worried that he might have autism because every time I take something away from him or tell him to stop doing something he will slap his face, pinch his self and scream and yell.
I am a stay at home mom and pay all my attention to him. He just stands out in a group of kids his age. He plays be his self and doesnt like anyone touching anything of his. I try to show him affection all the time but he just pushes me away and yells. I can rarely get him to give me a hug. I hate to take him to the doctor because Im afraid of what they are going to say.. Please give me some advise to what I should do. What are the exact symptoms for autism?
Posted by: Shelly March 26th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I have a 2 and a half year old son that i believe may ahve autism. He does styrange things like running in circles chanting things, lining up his cars and studying them in a very strange way, he also hates when his sister touches him or any of his things. Today i have an evaluater coming to see him but i am so scared he may have autism.
Posted by: kim April 1st, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Wow, as I read these comments, these children are exactly like mine! Before he was 1 year old, he was really progressing. He would say the typical words: mama, ball, bye bye, etc. But it was like over night, he stopped. That was before 1 year, somewhere between 6 & 12 months. He’s now 4, just turned 4 a few days ago. He didn’t speak again until after 3 years old. He just started sleeping through the night around 6 months ago. He would awaken, sometimes, as much as every 30 minutes. This went on for years. He also wasn’t potty trained until around 3.5. Now, I can tell that he’s not the typical 4 year old. When we’re in public, people will talk to him “how old are you little boy?” Things like that. I’m ashamed to say that I get embarrassed when people talk to him, because he can’t understand them and can’t talk back. He’s saying words now, but nowhere near complete sentences. He also has extreme temper tantrums. His face will turn blood red, he’ll pull his hair, slap himself in the face. In my eyes, he’s at a 2 year old stage, instead of 4. I’ve had him to the doctor, several times, years ago. It even went as far as him having a CAT scan. Several people suggested that he was tongue tied. My doctor keeps telling me the same thing……He’s just spoiled. I’m holding out hope that he’s right. I’m a stay at home mom, and he’s never been in a day care or head start. I don’t know how he’ll do, but I really don’t foresee Pre-K working out later this year.
Posted by: Angie April 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
I have a 3 year old boy who is having a second assessment this week. He speaks very little and has many other quirks, which cause his nursery staff concern. I’m surprised so many of you are concerned about 2 year olds not speaking. My daughter (now 6) didn’t speak until she was nearly 4 and my younger son (just turned 2) knows only a few words. I think a lot of under 3s talk because their parents have trained them parrot-fashion. Normal conversation comes when a child is ready and shouldn’t be pushed because of what people think.
Posted by: Wendy Johnston April 6th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
My daughter was a very fussy baby, did not & still does not like to be cuddled. Has always been afraid of loud noises & new situations. Thrives best on a routine. Her speech is delayed - about a two year old level. When talked to it has to be very simple, short sentences or she can only remeber the last thing said to her. She is in a special ed pre- school & is socially doing better. It took six months for her to go by herself to preschool & not have me waiting by the door. I started in the room with her, then waited at the door & now I am able to leave all together. She is a visual learner. She recognizes letters by associating them with a family members name. M for Maddie & so on. She learned her colors & shapes by watching Barney over & over. She always wanted to watch the same video & never new ones. The preschool teachers say she will eventually go to kindergarten but I just don’t see how she will learn when she can’t stay focused or take in what a teacher is talking about. Does this sound like autism? Any ideas?
Posted by: Beth April 7th, 2008 at 5:46 am
I have a 17-month old daughter which is my 3rd child and she throws the most awful temper tantrums over least little things and the tantrums are so bad I have to hold her as tight as I can to keep her from hurting herself, and they usually last for about 3 to 4 minutes at a time, does this sound like an autistic tantrum?
Posted by: Michelle April 16th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Hello, I have only read a few of the posts
above & I would like to express my concern &
offer my own experience (I have eight children–ranging from 21 years-one year old) Most all
of these children need to get tested ASAP by clinicians very experienced with autism & autism spectrum disorders: there is a window of time that can make all of the difference
in the world for these kids while their brain
is still developing. (Kindergarten is too late)
They can get speech therapy, occupational therapy–etc..(financial help is available for
these kids) My seventeen year old twins were
tested at 3 & started school & therapy through
the local public school system. (They were found to have developmental delays–also
diagnosed with ADHD–in reality they had
aspergers–nonetheless, they were still helped
tremendously) Had they been diagnosed earlier it would have been even better. My
severely autistic cousin was tested at 18 months & he can speak & communicate because of all
the early intervention that he received. A famous
autistic –Temple Grandin claims that half
of the autistics could start a regular first
grade class with early intervention.
For the person who wrote about the boy who
spoke at four–that is not uncommon for a
person on the higher end of the autistic
spectrum (my brother whom I believe has aspergers spoke at 4) to speak at four. The
diagnosis for autism & autism spectrum disorders depends a bit on early speech &
speaking at four is quite serious. There are
also other needs that he may have. I mean the
best for him. (My brother is bright & kind &
wonderful in many ways–but life is very
challenging)
The early testing & help would benefit these
children enormously–change the whole course
of their lives.
Forgive me for offering such an urgent appeal.
The other piece I would offer is to find mothers in a support group–they have a wealth
of information & are often sharper than most
of the doctors–they also will help you find
the best evaluators, advocates, doctors & (doctors to stay away from–I had some terrible
advice from illinformed ones)
Also, the support is tremendously important so
that you do not go through this alone. These
women are incredible & balanced & inspired by
love. The best to all of you & your precious
children.
Posted by: catherine April 28th, 2008 at 4:49 am
My son turned 2 in Feb. and was diagnosed with dyspraxia (also known as Apraxia) very little words, temper tantrums, etc. BabyNet is a wonderful organization (free, regardless of income, each state has their own organization similar to this, BabyNet is the one for SC and NC I believe) that will evaluate the child and IF NEEDED offer free speech therapy, Occupational therapy, or Physical therapy. My son’s pediatrician kept telling me just to give him some time and he would speak…….she would have never referred us to a specialist. We found BabyNet on the net and it was a Godsend! Be your own advocate and look for help yourselves!!
Posted by: Brie May 2nd, 2008 at 5:24 pm
My son will soon be 21 months old. After birth, at 3 days of age, he began to have Grand Mal seizures. At this time no one knows where or how these seizures came about. At 4 months, his pediatrician told me to seek help from our local Early Intervention group because he showed signs of developmental delays. At 6 months he still couldn’t sit up alone so he was given a Physical Therapist. At age 1 he still couldn’t hold his own bottle so E.I. gave him an Occupational Therapist. At 18 months he finally began to walk and hold his own bottle, but still something was not quite right. At his 18month check-up his pediatrician referred me to a doctor whom specialized in developmental delays in children because he is seeing early signs of autism. My son rarely gives direct eye contact, he doesn’t like to enter-act with other children much and we have a large family with pleanty of kids! He constantly walks in circles no matter where he’s at, he’ll find something to walk around and that is what he’ll do. He has since be given a Developmental Interventionist. It’s hard because he’s so reclusive; he doesn’t want any bother from new people. He holds his ears and screams at certain noises, but yet he makes a lot of noises. He only says “Dada” and gets fustrated if no one understands what he wants. He slaps and bites if you cannot satisfy his needs or he’ll “fall out”. This is all new to me since we’ve had no one in my family with any type of disability. I am currently at home with him since his birth but I need to return to work soon because I am a single parent; unfortunately his father is not here to help out and he’s our 3rd child. I’m afraid to leave him at daycares because I don’t know what will happen while I am gone, but yet I need to provide for my family. I am not looking for sympathy, but more like a guide and help. Everyone in my family rallies around him to help his progress, but this is still alot to digest.
Posted by: Thai May 6th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I have twin boys they are going to be three in 3 months. I am concerned about one of my children. he talks fine for a 2 almost 3 year old but he has tempertantrums and he gets this primitive look and his eyes and therre is no stopping him. he spits at you if he dosent get what he wants and he also hits. sometimes he gets this look in his eyes that concerns me. I am not sure how to approach this because everything else is developing fine. i am not sure if this is terrible twos or what
Posted by: emily May 7th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Friends of ours have a son who is 3 1/2. Immediately upon meeting him, I could tell something was not right. His pupils are dilated, he stares past you, and does not make eye contact. He is unaware of others in the room. He walked into our house, indifferent, no social awareness of us even being there. He has very angry outbursts, especially when his mother stops him, to talk to him, or to touch him. He plays very differently from other children, and has extremely poor language. The mother has expressed concerns to me, that she feels there is something not right with her son. The doctor, says, he’s normal and meeting his milestones. How can a doctor diagnose when he does not see him in his environment and interacting with others? How can the mother make her doctor do further testing? I do not want to just come out and say to her…hey I think your kid has autism. Her husband is in denial and says nothing is wrong. She does not know what to do. How can I help her get the help she needs for her son?
Posted by: Cindy May 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I have a 14 month old that was recently diagnosed with childhood epilepsy about 3 weeks ago. He has been on Keppra (anticonvulsant) now since his first seizure. These small convulsians literally came out of the blue. I just read Jenny Mc Carthys book (Louder than words) about autism. I can relate very much to her beautiful Evan. My son loves to stare at fans all day (if I let him). He has never been too fond of his toys I have gotten him. He doesnt hold eye contact very well. And he has yet to speak his first word. I am very concerned at this point. I am hoping for early intervention.
Posted by: Heather May 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I decided to do some internet research on early signs of autism in infants. We can’t seem to get to the root of her (my niece’s problem). She is 6 months old. She was born with jaundice which caused her to stay in the hospital an extra week. She started having problems keeping down her formula. She was throwing it up through her nose and mouth after every feeding. We changed he bottle nipple size, the type of bottle, the type of formula (in the event she was allergic to something or lactose intolerant)…nothing solved this problem. She had hiccups all the time, clenches her fists all the time, does a weird pout with her lips all the time, and never closes her mouth if she isn’t pouting. A doctor told us that she had colic (hiccups and constant bubbles in her mouth). So we gave her medication for that. But she continues to vomit through her nose. This vomiting is way more than the usual baby spit-up. Recently she started shaking (like mild seizures). She’s been rushed to the hospital, but doctors can’t find a problem with her through their blood work and other tests. I’ve been looking at her and for the first time she looks different…in an abnormal way. Her eyes resemble a friend’s child that has autism. I’m wondering if any of the things I listed above have been symptoms that have been seen in the children who have been diagnosed with autism. I don’t know too much about autism, so pardon my ignorance if I am way off. We are just desperately searching for answers right now.
Posted by: Andrea June 12th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Our son is 23mnths.He recently had his tonsils and adenoids removed. He also had his ear syringed for mucus that had built in his ear. We had seen certain behavior patterns, but figured things would change after the operation.Only things seemed to have gotten worse. He hits objects very hard on his chest and fans them quickly in front of his face while crossing his eyes. He cries for hard objects, other than toys we purchased for him.He has lost the ability to say good-bye and count as he did when he was about 11mnths old. please help don’t know what to do.
Posted by: tanya mckenzie June 12th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I am very concerned about a nephew of mine. He will be 3 in 3 months and he only says maybe 4 or 5 words. I noticed when he was very little, the blank stares he always has. It is impossible to get a candid picture of him. He will not focus on anything. His dad says he throws things when someone comes over. No matter what is in his hands. His parents have Never acted concerned. This is their only child and they are young. My husband has tried to approach his concerns to the grandparents BUT were quickly dismissed. I can’t believe their doctor has not red flagged these signs. The daycare is Not allowed to say their is a developmental concern. What to do? I have 2 kids who are in school and both of them hit all milestones growing up. My son who has had 4 ear surguries was talking in complete sentences by 15 months old. (and not like a parrot, He would see things and comment on them) I hope I am wrong…about my nephew having autism but would love to show I CARE.
Posted by: Katherine June 14th, 2008 at 6:28 am
Re: Shelly w the 2 1/2 yr old: You should take your son to his ped. It’s a scarry thing to think about what they’ll say, but if it is something, it’s better to know now and get treatment then wait and have it get worse and be harder to treat. My boss’ daughter was diagnosed w severe autism @ 2 and is now 7. You would have no idea she was autistic at all because they caught it early and got her the help she needed. Good luck and I wish you the best.
Re: Angie with the 4yr old: If you call the nearest elementary school they can give you information on evaluations. Make sure it’s a complete eval-not a screening (my daughter got a screening at 3 and were told she was fine, but she wasn’t and her ped told us to get full eval-found she did need help) and they can recommend solutions such as head start or developemental preschool/PreK. My daughter got evaluated at her school and was enrolled in the developemental PreK program. She has improved so much after being in the class. She will be going into a regular Kindergarten class with two speech therapy lessons a week this fall.
Posted by: Andrea June 17th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
This is for Andrea: This sounds like acid reflux. My baby has the same thing, has been tested and it is just acid reflux. Take your LO to the Pediatriac GI to get tested.
Posted by: Christine June 23rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
My son is 2 3/4 years old, and very active child. Very loving, and loves to “things” and toys, and constantly on the move. He smiles whe we smile and shares his love with us, and comes to us with things he wants us to do with him. All the family, but two members see him as normal and ok. His two serious problems are his speech is very delayed and though he’s babling allot, and many words come out, its very hard for him to pronounce things. Sounds to me like a serious issue with his brain to his mouth. Also, at school he doesnt like any of the boys to play with him and is very violent and hits and puches and strangles them, if they get in his way. His teacher is very concerned and we had a younger teacher actually say she thought he had autism. I did the MCHAT and he passed all the items in the list but pointing, which he does now. Like I said, he is a very loving boy and very active and athletic (ie lovs to run, ride a bike, etc) but this speech and hitting makes me think he’s got Autism. Also, he can be great in a store, but if he doesnt get some item he is fixed on, he goes beserk and arches his back and his behaviour is bizarre. Turns colors and hits us both in the head and face. After he is in time out, he’s a great kid again.
So, how much of this is the terrible two’s and boys, and how much a precursor toi a serious disorder. Again, no concerns from our doctor, we have a speech therapist, and no one except one family member has mentioned we need to get him tested for autism. But he;s definatley got issues.
Posted by: Stormy June 26th, 2008 at 7:31 am
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