Autism Symptoms in Young Children An Overview

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What is Autism?

• Autism is a complex neurobehavioral condition
  that causes impairment in
• social interaction, and language and
  communication skills.
• It typically manifests in children between the
  ages of 2 and 4 years.
• There have been cases where the first signs were
  seen in children as
• young as 6 to 18 months.

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What happens when a child has Autism?

• Autism impacts the social skills, communication
  skills, and behaviour of the child.
• It delays the achievement of milestones, with
  many children requiring intervention
• for communication, motor skills, cognitive
  skills and even behaviour management.

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Earliest symptoms of Autism in infants and young
toddlers

• ? Delayed/not meeting developmental
  milestones
• ? Little to no eye contact
• ? Not responding to their name
• ? Engaging in repetitive movements like
  rocking, arm flapping, etc.
• ? Lining up toys and focusing on parts of the
  toy rather than the whole
• ? Blank/expressionless
• The above are considered red flags and require
  immediate attention,
• screening, and early intervention therapy.

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Age-wise milestones that a child must attain

• At 6 months Sitting up (with support), crawling,
  laughing and gurgling
• Some children can crawl as late 8-9 months (and
  this is normal)
• At 9 months Sitting up without support, standing
  up without support, responding
• with soundsand facial expressions, cruising along
  furniture (attempting to walk).
• The milestone of standing up without support can
  be achieved even as late
• as 10-11 months
• At 12 months Babbling, responding to name
  making gestures like waving,
• pointing, and reaching for an object/person
  walking few steps

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• At 16 months Speech skills (using words,
  speaking 2-3 syllable words, improved
• balance and coordination in movements
• At 24 months Advanced speech skills
  (constructing short sentences/phrases),
• climbing 4-5 steps without support
• RED FLAG Some children may suddenly regress or
  lose communication skills between 12-24
• months after developing them. This is a big red
  flag and must be addressed immediately.
• Excessive screen time has also been known to
  cause speech delay.

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Behavioral challenges for children with autism

• ? Sensory processing difficulties
• ? Obsessed by a particular part of object
• ? Obsessive interests
• ? Getting upset with minor changes to
  routine
• ? Playing with toys the same way every time
• ? Lines up toys or other objects and gets
  upset when order is changed
• ? Displaying emotions in an exaggerated
  manner
• ? Lack of fear or more fear than expected
• ? Unaware of hazards and dangers
• ? Hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive
  behavior

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Behavioral challenges for children with autism

• ? No shared interests with peers by 15
  months of age
• ? No facial expressions like happy, sad,
  angry, and surprised by 9 months of age
• ? Using few or no gestures by 12 months of
  age (for example, not waving goodbye)
• ? Avoiding or not maintaining eye contact
• ? Not responding to name by 9 months of age
• ? Not interested in pretend play, even by 4
  years of age
• ? Not pointing to show something interesting
  by 18 months of age
• ? Not noticing when others are hurt or upset
  by 24 months of age
• ? Preferring solitary and repetitive play
• ? Not able to grasp the concept of
  turn-taking
• ? Not initiating interaction with peers

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Other symptoms parents and caregivers need to
watch out for

• ? Unusual mood or emotional reactions
• ? Anxiety, stress, or excessive worry
• ? Delayed language and movement skills
• ? Delayed cognitive or learning skills
• ? Gastrointestinal issues (for example,
  constipation)
• ? Unusual eating and sleeping habits

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Early intervention and its benefits

• Early intervention (EI) enables children with
  autism to develop skills that
• will significantly elevate their quality of life.
• It is a play-based therapy involving a
  combination of
• - Intervention
• - Therapy
• - Practice
• EI can greatly benefit children younger than the
  age of 7 years, as their short
• attention spans may not be conducive to
  learning-based interventions.

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Autism treatment at Plexus

• Plexus offers the best autism treatment plans for
  your child.
• Our holistic, and timely treatment plans include
• ? Sensory integration therapy
• ? Behaviour retraining therapy
• ? Cognitive behaviour therapy
• ? Social skills training
• ? Improved awareness
• ? Speech therapy
• ? Reduction in hyperactivity habits
• At Plexus, With a combination of therapies and
  treatments under the guidance
• of Indias foremost neurologist and Autism
  specialist, Dr Naeem Sadiq we offer
• treatment that suits your childs needs and
  lifestyle.

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Its a wonderful life. Even for a child with
Autism.