What are the early signs of Autism?

What (or who) comes to your mind when you hear the word “autism?” Maybe it's a particular TV character who has to stick with their routines, or perhaps it's someone with a high IQ – or a low one. Whatever stereotype you might think of, it's unlikely to reflect the real everyday lives of autistic adults and children.

The reality is that 1 in 100 people are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and it affects each person individually. Autism may present differently in your child than in someone else's.

If you think your child may have ASD, it’s important to understand exactly what the diagnosis is and what to look for. Here, I'll explain what autism is, how to recognize the early signs, and what you should do if you think your child might be autistic.

So What Is Autism?

The official definition of autism is, “a deficit in social communication” and a pattern of restrictive, repetitive behaviours, according to the DSM-5.

Simply speaking, ASD is a developmental difference in how the brain gets connected. This affects how the autistic brain understands all the incoming sights, sounds, touches, etc. and sends its motor commands to the body. Autistic brains don’t take in the world around them the same way a neurotypical brain does. This can result in autistic people having a unique interpretation of their environment and responding in unconventional ways.

Although there are no physical ways of diagnosing autism yet, studies have shown that babies with autism tend to have a larger head circumference at 12 months than their peers. And interestingly enough, the 12-month mark correlates to when parents often first notice behavioural traits of autism in their child. 

So we know that autistic brains are different — they might be larger, but they actually have fewer connections between the hemispheres and regions. Research shows that mirror neurons aren’t connected in autistic brains as strongly as in neurotypical brains. These neurons are the part of our brain that process when we watch someone do something, and then connects it to our own emotion and motor areas. Autistic children often don’t immediately know how to imitate actions and interpret emotions — they have to explicitly learn and practice these skills. And studies show this could be caused by the way their mirror neurons work.

However, it’s important to note that not every autistic brain is the same, and the scientific community is discovering new findings regularly. So, like all children, autistic kids vary widely in their skills, challenges, intelligence, and overall capability. 

Early Signs Of Autism

So an autism diagnosis is based on behaviour. If you’re looking for signs of ASD, you’re looking for behavioural traits – which can be particularly difficult if your child is really young. 

Here are some common early signs of autism that you can watch for in children around 12-months-old. (Also, feel free to check out common milestones for a neurotypical 12-month-old here too).

• Eye gaze. If your baby doesn’t follow your gaze to see what you’re looking at, even if you point, this could be a sign your little one has ASD. Autistic kids can be overwhelmed by certain sights and look away, or become fixated on specific items they like. Their tunnel vision can make it difficult to notice anything else going on.

• Sharing emotions. Neurotypical babies will often smile back when they’re smiled at. Since autistic children don’t automatically mirror emotions, they won’t naturally feel happy when they see happy faces. They’re also less likely to share what they enjoy with a parent. Instead, they might fixate on the object by themselves.

• Gestures and pointing. If your 12-month-old doesn’t point, wave, shake their head for ‘no,’ and reach to be picked up, it could be a sign they have ASD. This is because their autistic brain reacts differently to those mirror neurons and imitation.

• Babble differences. Neurotypical babies generally make sounds at you like they are trying to talk and use syllables (mamamama or bagagada). If your child doesn't babble or you hear them making sustained vowel sounds (eeeeee), especially by themselves, they could be autistic.

• Response to name. If your baby doesn’t respond to their name and it’s not a hearing impairment (always rule that out first), they might have ASD. Neurotypical children at 12-months-old typically know their name and turn when you call them the first time. Your child might have ASD if they need to be called multiple times, because autism can affect how your little one processes sound.

• Repetitive movements. Babies with autism are more likely to engage in repetitive actions that use both sides of their body and perform these for longer timeframes than expected. So your baby might wave both arms or kick both legs, while toddlers and preschoolers might rock, jump, flap their hands, or rub their fingers.

• Delayed motor milestones. Many babies with ASD show a pattern of delayed gross and fine motor skill development. This could mean anything from sitting upright to holding a spoon to stacking blocks.

• Sleep. Having trouble falling asleep is one of the earliest autistic traits. Children who later got an ASD diagnosis were more likely to have problems falling asleep between 6- and 12-months-old. But, just because your child has trouble falling asleep doesn’t mean they have autism. However, combined with other symptoms, it’s worth having a conversation with a professional.

• Feeding. Children with ASD are more likely to be slow feeders and start eating solids later than 6-months-old. This is because babies with autism are more likely to struggle with oral motor coordination, and it takes them longer to tolerate the tastes and textures of new foods.

• Touch sensitivity. If your baby is really sensitive to touch, this could also be an indicator of autism. Avoiding certain textures, like grass, sand, Dad’s scratchy beard, dirt, or food on their hands/face, are common signs of ASD.

What Should I Do Next?

If you’re concerned about your child's development, book an appointment with a professional who is trained to support young autistic children. Checking your healthcare coverage and local wait times to see a developmental pediatrician, SLP, OT, or child psychologist would be a good place to start. The earlier your child is diagnosed, the more support you can give them! Book your free consult.

And if you're feeling confused, lost, or uncertain, don't worry! It’s completely normal to have complicated feelings about your child’s (new or potential) diagnosis. Reading books, articles, and research studies can help you understand autism better. Neuroclastic is an excellent resource where you can read articles written by people with ASD. Remember: many autistic people like being autistic and don’t want to be cured!

The best thing you can do is surround yourself with a team who encourages and empowers both you and your child to seek support from those within the autism acceptance community.

If you notice ASD traits in your child, you’re not alone. Book a consultation with us to discuss your observations and get the resources you need