About Parents worry. There is no getting around that. Parents also know their children better than anyone, so they are the ones who are best equipped to notice when something seems just not right with their child. There are many complex symptoms of autism, but knowing what the “red flags” at particular stages are will help parents to know what to discuss with their pediatrician.
Since a large component of autism is difficulty in communication and expression, a lack in these areas may be a sign that your baby has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While diagnosis is complex, and not all delays are indicative of an ASD, if you find your answers to the following questions are “no,” then bring your concerns to your pediatrician right away.
Age 4 months:
Does baby react to movement and bright colors? Does he turn toward sounds? Are faces interesting to your baby? Does she smile back at you?
Age 6 months:
Does your baby show joy and smile often when playing with you? Does he babble and coo when happy, but cry when unhappy?
Age 9 Months:
Does your baby make faces and sounds with you in reaction to those you make? Does she make gestures that mirror yours (e.g. giving and taking)?
Age 12 Months:
Does your baby use a few gestures (such as reaching, waving, pointing) one after the other in order to get his needs met? Does baby play social games such as peek-a-boo? Does she turn to the speaker of her name? Does baby make sounds like “ba,” “na,” “ga,” and “da”?
Age 15 Months:
Does your baby use different sounds to draw attention to things of interest and to get his needs met? Does baby point or use other gestures to show something she’s interested in? Does he use at least 3 words (like “bye-bye,” “mama,” “dada”)?
Age 18 Months:
Does your baby combine gestures and words to get what he or she wants? Does she understand and use at least 10 words? Does he engage in simple make-believe games like feeding a doll?
Age 24 Months:
Does your toddler use and understand at least 50 words and use at least two together (like “more milk”)? Does she seem to enjoy being with other children of the same age? Does he play pretend games that involve more than one action, such as pretending to eat and then pretending to wash the dish?
Age 36 Months:
Does your child enjoy pretend play that involves talking for different characters, like dolls or action figures? Does he answer questions that start with “what?” “who?” or “where?” easily? Does she speak about thoughts and actions together in ways that make sense? (Such as, “Tired, go to bed”?
This list is certainly not a comprehensive checklist for developmental delays or for signs of autism, but rather a good starting point for knowing what should concern you most about your child’s emotional and language development.