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Autism Signs: 3 Major Signals that Your Child May Have Autism Disorders


According to recent statistics, it is said that 1 out of every 150 children today are born with autism. The term itself actually refers to a number of number of different autism disorders; some of which a child may outgrow, and others that cause lifelong problems. In most cases these disorders can be detected before the age of three, and sometimes even before a child reaches 18 months.

The causes of autism aren’t known, but as a parent understanding autism signs are important to catching the problem early, and in turn enabling yourself to do what you can to help your child.

According to the NIMH (national institute of mental health) there are three main areas in which you may see signs that your child suffers from an autism disorder.
Autism Signs – Social Skills
The first area (and the most common in severe cases) that a parent should look at is their child’s social development. A child with autism may develop social problems in one or more of the following areas.

1.    Doesn’t like to be held - may shy away from contact even from parents.
2.    Isn’t aware of facial expressions and/or hand movements (can’t tell what you are feeling by your tone and inflections.
3.    Enjoys being alone more than playing with others.
4.    Won’t maintain eye contact.
5.    Is slow to learn and respond to their name.

Autism Signs – Behavioral Problems
The next area where a parent should be aware is their child’s behavior. In this case, the signs of autism are less clear. A child with autism may have behavior problems ranging from slight obsessive over a toy to outright anger and tendencies to through tantrums without reason.

If your child constantly displays odd behavior and they also have one of the other warning signs, it may be time to talk to your doctor.
Autism Signs – Language Difficulties
The final autism sign comes from the way a child learns language. By the age of three most children can speak somewhat clearly, and they are able to form simple (and sometimes complex) sentences.

A child with autism may:

1.    Be slow to learn words.
2.    Learn words, but have trouble making sentences.
3.    Speak without tone (no excitement, sadness, etc that most people display when they talk)
4.    Have a tendency to use gestures to get what they want to avoid speaking.

The reality of it is that there is no cure for autism. Learning autism sign though, will enable you as a parent to know the problem ahead of time and to create an environment that helps your autistic child overcome their difficulties.