Early Signs of Autism

Early signs of autism include preoccupation with certain objects or subjects, inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals, and impaired ability to make friends with peers. Other early signs of autism include absence or impairment of imaginative and social play and an impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others. Early signs of autism may vary widely in severity and symptoms. Because of this, these early signs of autism may go unrecognized.

 

Early Signs of Autism: An Introduction

Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms. Because of this, early signs of autism may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps.
 

Early Signs of Autism: A List

Doctors rely on a core group of early signs of autism to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism.
 
These early signs of autism can include:
 
  • Impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
  • Impaired ability to make friends with peers
  • Inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals
  • Absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
  • Stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
  • Restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
  • Preoccupation with certain objects or subjects.
     
(Click Autism Symptoms for more information about the early signs of autism.)
 
(Click Diagnosing Autism for more information about how doctors use the early signs of autism to reach a diagnosis.)
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD