14 Early Signs of Autism

Autism is a developmental disability that results in impaired social skills, communication and abstract reasoning. This condition causes profound changes in the way that patients view the world around them and relate to others but can also range greatly in terms of severity and the impact that it has on an individual’s life.

The term autism can more broadly refer to ASD or ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’, indicating that there is a spectrum of different conditions that could fall under the autistic umbrella with those at either end of the spectrum being greatly removed. ‘Autistic disorder’ itself is a condition that is found on this spectrum at the more extreme end. Asperger’s syndrome meanwhile is considered a ‘less mild’ form of autism, with patients tending to be better able to integrate into society and live normal lives. Less extreme still are rett’s disorder and childhood integrative disorder.

Understanding these conditions and gaining help and support is critical for parents and for the healthy development and education of their children. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at 15 different signs of autism that you might be able to spot in infants. If you notice any of these and feel you have cause for concern, then you should seek a second opinion from your family physician.

1.  Avoids Eye Contact

One of the early signs of autism is that a child avoids eye contact. This is a very basic and initial form of social interaction that most children develop very early on. Normally this will happen during feeding or when being smiled at. Studies suggest that babies are able to recognize human faces nearly immediately after they are born and show preferential attention for them.

However, it’s important to remember that very young children also have very limited vision and thus may not be able to see you looking at them. Keep in mind too that late development in this scenario could actually point to vision problems.