It can be extremely difficult for parents to hear that their child is developing differently. Part of giving your child the best possible start in life is being able to pay attention to red flags that may indicate developmental delays, such as Autism. While an accurate diagnosis of Autism can not be made yet in infancy, there have been various studies conducted into signs and behaviors that correlate to later diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders.
ABC News reported in May last year about 'Head Lag' being an early sign of Autism - and can be seen very early on. Click here to be linked to their site, where you can watch the full report. We have pooled together some more developmental milestones to keep track of with infants and young children, so that if you are noticing any delays, they can be seen to as soon as possible. There's a big chance that what you're noticing isn't Autism, but if you have suspicions about your child's development please don't ignore them. The best chance you can give a child with Autism is an early intervention.
6 months...
- An absence of big, warm smiles and joyful expressions
9 months...
- An absence of back and forth sharing of sounds, smiling and other facial expressions
12 months...
- An absence of babbling, back & forth gestures (pointing, smiling, showing, reaching, waving)
- Doesn't respond to name
16 months...
- Doesn't speak any words
24 months...
- Doesn't use any two-word phrases (not including repeating)
OVER 3 Years...
- Doesn't seem to care what is going on around them socially, but pays attention to the movement of physical objects (e.g. Doors, fans, etc.)
- Doesn't play pretend, and has significant trouble distinguishing between "real" and "fake"
- Doesn't share interests or achievements with peers
- Doesn't know how to play with peers, join in or understand other people's feelings
- Speaks in an atypical tone of voice with odd pitch and pace
- Limited interests with one particular fixation that dominates all conversation
- Repeats words and phrases
- Takes everything literally
- Hand flapping
- Frequent and severe meltdowns over things that often make no sense to you
- Has sensory sensitivities; covers ears at loud noises, uses a very loud voice (and has a hard time knowing how to speak in a quieter voice), dislikes bright lighting, lays on the floor at inappropriate times, spins repeatedly, "crashes" frequently (running into people, falling over on purpose, falling off chairs, jumping off high places), alternately - is fearful of physical activity, uncoordinated, frequently falls over, is clumsy, chews on shirts/sleeves/other items, is either very messy or very clean, prone to hyperactivity due to overstimulation
If any of these things have raised red flags about your child, or somebody you know, the very best thing you can do is see a professional who can help steer you in the right direction towards early intervention. At Kahlon Family Services, we can not diagnose a child, but we can work alongside your family and other professionals (like Occupational, Speech and Physical Therapists) to see change. Whatever the age of the child, we can help.
Visit our website on www.kahlonfamilyservices.com
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