Warning Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

If your child has any of the following symptoms he/she should be assessed by someone with experience with ASD. Not all pediatricians understand the early warning signs of ASD. Do not allow your child to miss out on critical learning time because you have been told to “wait another six months and see”. Now is the time to act.

If by 1 year of age: Your child is not at least babbling (saying repetitive consonant/vowel sounds like dadada or bababa), it is time for an assessment.

OR

If by 16 months of age: Your child is not at least producing one-word sentences (saying ‘milk’ when he/she want more milk or ‘up’ when he/she want to be picked up), it is time for an assessment.

OR

If by 2 years of age: Your child is not at least producing consistent two-word phases (‘want bye-bye’, ‘need help’, ‘open door’), it is time for an assessment.

 

If at any of these ages: Your child does not make eye contact with you, does not point or gesture for things he/she wants, or does not engage in joint attention (looking at or pointing to something and then looking to see if you are looking at the same object), it is time for an assessment.

What an assessment is and is not: An assessment is a way of determining if there is a reason to be concerned. It looks at your child’s functioning in the areas of key concern for ASD. It will look for warning signs in the areas of communication, social interaction, and repetitive body movements. An assessment will help you to decide if something needs to be done and, if so, what type of help your child might need. An assessment is not a diagnosis. It cannot tell you that your child definitely has ASD and, as a result, it cannot label your child.