Autism checklist for 12-24mo.

[4sweeties]

Every month the parenting mags I receive have a blurb about autism. I just received another email from the school district instructing teachers to attend meetings on autism as the time is fast approaching where everyone will know at least one child who is diagnosed. I have a child with autism and am watching for signs in my 15mo. old. Here are some signs you should watch for too:




SIGNS OF AUTISM
Parents are usually the first to notice speech and developmental delays that may signal autism. While there are variations in when children hit important milestones, watch for a cluster of the following red flags.


No smiles or joyful expressions by 6 months

No back-and-forth sharing of sounds by 6 months -- an infant this age should respond when you coo or baby talk by making sounds back.

No babbling by 12 months; no single words by 16 months; no two-word phrases by 24 months

No pointing, waving, or showing objects by 12 months

No interest in baby games like peek-a-boo

Little or no eye contact

Resistance to being hugged or held

Unconventional play with toys, such as only lining them up a certain way

Repetitive body movements (rocking, spinning, head- banging, hand-flapping)

Unusually strong resistance to changes in routines

Extreme sensitivity to sounds, textures, and smells

Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills

[JennF]

Thank you so much for posting this. I think this is something that all Moms of 1+ babies are worried about.

[TamiK]

Thanks for posting this!

[curly]

Thank you!!! I've been wondering what to look for... you've been a big help!

[4sweeties]

I also wanted to mention that my son only had 3 of the listed symptoms. I had him evaluated at 2.5 and the birth to 3 consultant said he was fine. 6 months later I took him to a psychiatrist and he was dx'd PDD-NOS (on the autism spectrum). Pediatricians are not trained to evaluate autism, but can refer you to people who are.