It is exciting to hear your child’s first word or see him/her making ‘big’ requests. But sometimes, the wait can be too long. It then becomes obvious to watch out for any uncertainty. Autism, having no cure, can pose a challenging situation for the children and their parents. The ‘red flags’ or the absolute indicators in general which bring out the need for evaluating a child for autism. ‘Red flags’ are the signs that the child needs expert screening, enabling parents to work in conjugation with the health expert for minimizing the harmful effects.
Autism disorder can appear as early as in the 1st year of a child. While certain children experience mild impairments, others suffer from challenging and more serious impediments. Early detection of autism can contribute significantly for the betterment of the child. The impact of treatment is greater when the child is young. However, this does not indicate the ineffectiveness of the treatment techniques at enhanced stages.
Know what’s normal and what’s not
Demarcating between the normal and abnormal may be a difficult task. And it may not seem prudent to knock at the doctor’s clinic for every small delay in the ‘usual’ activity parameter. However, if you notice any potential symptoms, consulting the health expert is more than good.‘Red flags’ appear as lack of interest in play, poor communication (verbal or non-verbal) or non-interacting behavior. By the time a child is 12-16 months old, he/she should have developed normal communication skills like babbling, gestures, spoken words and response to their name among them. Lack of such skills indicates autism.
1. Regression
Regression is a chief ‘red flag’ for autism. Children with autism have revealed concern in three areas, at least to some degree. These are – verbal and non verbal communication, interaction with surroundings and a flexible thinking and behavior. Children, usually between 1 to 2 years of age begin to communicate normally but then start regressing. Failing to say the usual “mommy” (which the child earlier said easily) is a warning sign. The non-participation in usual social games (which the child earlier played gracefully) is also an indicator that there is something more than mere reluctance. Even if autism is absent, these can indicate potentially elevated risks.
2. Intuition
Mothers are known to go by instincts. This can be helpful particularly with autism. Even the best of expert advices may oversee the ‘red flags’. If there is a gut feeling that something is not correct, seek advice to your satisfaction. When unconvinced, go for a second opinion.
3. Milestones
Some children, though normal, achieve milestones later than others. But the basic idea is that they achieve the benchmarks. Not meeting the milestones which are age-specific, can indicate problem.
4. Waiting
Sometimes, waiting can worsen the situation. It is like risking the precious time at an age where your child has the best chance for improvement. A delayed growth demands extra help and targeted treatment. An official diagnosis of autism should not keep you waiting to start targeting developmental delays. You can start upright to enhance the parent-child bonding at any stage, even though the child is very small.
Autism symptoms in toddlers
Symptoms for autism vary. The following ones are to be watched out for.
1. Eye contact
If the child is missing eye contact (e.g. when being fed), keep a watch. Autistic children have been observed to avoid eye contact.
2. Gestures
The potential signs include- not responding to his/her name, not smiling back when smiled at, not reaching out to be picked up and failing to follow when pointed out at. The child may not be able to pursue objects visually. Not following gestures is a ‘red flag’.
3. Hearing
It is suspected that many autistic children are deaf during their early stages, although this may not actually be the case. Even an otherwise startling noise can bring out no expressions from an autistic child.
4. Play and interaction
Another symptom is the lack of interaction. This can be identified easily by the parents. A child can show lack of interest in playing or interacting with other people. Not making the basic requests and asking for help from you are again the ‘red flags’. Autistic babies do not respond to cuddling.
