Signs of Autism: Social Interaction
The hallmark sign of
autism is impaired social interaction. Parents are usually the first to notice signs of autism in their child.
As early as infancy, a baby with signs of autism may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time.
A child with autism may appear to develop normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to social engagement.
Signs of Autism: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication
The second common sign of autism is difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication.
Children with autism may fail to respond to their name and often avoid eye contact with other people. They have difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling because they can't understand social cues, such as tone of voice or facial expressions, and don't watch other people's faces for clues about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.
Signs of Autism: Repetitive Behaviors or Narrow, Obsessive Interests
Many children with signs of autism engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior such as biting or head-banging. They also tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of "I" or "me."
Children with autism don't know how to play interactively with other children. Some speak in a sing-song voice about a narrow range of favorite topics, with little regard for the interests of the person to whom they are speaking.
(Click Diagnosing Autism for more about how these signs of autism are used to make a diagnosis.)
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