Common Signs of Of Autism

There are primarily three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Children with autism have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors, that can range in impact from mild to disabling, are part of why it is a spectrum disorder.

Impaired social interaction is the hallmark feature of autism. Parents and caregivers alike are usually the first to observe symptoms of autism in the child. These children may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They may have a hard time interpreting what others are thinking or feeling as many can't understand social cues, i.e. facial expression or tone of voice. They also may not watch other people's faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They may lack empathy. As early as infancy, a baby with autism may focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time or be unresponsive to people. Sometimes a child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.

Children with autism may oftentimes engage in repetitive movements such as twirling, hand flapping, and rocking or in self-abusive behavior such as head-banging or biting. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I" or "me." They may also be selective about to whom and where they speak. Many children exhibit symptoms of selective mutism which may result from anxiety issues.

Children on the autism spectrum, for the most part, don't know how to play interactively with other children and may tend to be loners. Some speak about a narrow range of favorite topics, sometimes in a sing-song voice. They tend to have limited regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.

Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain. They may also be abnormally sensitive to sound, touch, or other sensory stimulation. This is known as sensory integration (SI) which can manifest as part of the autism diagnosis. These unusual reactions may often result in children with autism being resistance to being cuddled or hugged.

There is a real concern that children with autism appear to have a higher than normal risk for certain co-existing conditions. They include epileptic seizures, fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (in which tumors grow on the brain), Tourette syndrome, attention deficit disorder, and learning disabilities. Many of these children also have respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies, gut inflammation or leaky gut.