| Autism Parent Society

SELF INVOLVED

Children on the Spectrum tend to be quite self involved and do not seek out interaction

REPETITIVE BEHAVIOur

Autistic children often indulge in repetitive behaviour and stimming

The Warning Signs

limited interests

The child is very keenly focused on limited activities and resists change

limited communication

Autistic children often have undeveloped or underdevloped communication

screening at home FOR

AUTISM

No parent wants to believe that there is something wrong with their precious child, but they are the first ones to notice when something is wrong. An early diagnosis of Autism combined with the right therapies can substantially help the child overcome Autism, in some cases children have completely lost the diagnosis.

Parents know their children better than anyone and can spot warning signs that a Pediatrician may miss in a ten minute visit. Early diagnosis is only possible if parents are made aware of the warning signs of Autism, if caught in infancy treatments can take advantage of the remarkable plasticity of the young brain and reverse a lot of the issues that arise. Parents should bear in mind the following developmental red flags:

By 6 months: No facial expressions of joy such as smiles.
By 9 months: No interaction with sounds and smiles.
By 12 months: No name response or baby talk, no pointing or reaching out for people and objects
By 18 months: No spoken words.

Parents of infants and toddlers should also be on the look out for the following warning signs:

The child begins to develop language then loses it, or doesn’t acquire language at all
The child appears deaf, responds unevenly or not at all to sounds
The child has difficulty in transitioning from one activity to another (tantrums)
The child has difficulty sleeping / wakes at night
The child does not point with his fingers
The child does not bond with or is indifferent to parents’ presence/absence
The child has a restricted/selected diet
The child has no or limited imaginative play
The child shows no interest in playing with other children
The child suffers from chronic gastrointestinal problems/ repeated infection.

Older children may exhibit more diverse symptoms of autism related to social skills, speech, language and non verbal communication difficulties and rigidity in behaviour, some of which are provided below:

Problems in Social skills :

1. Shows little interest in people near him/her or is uninterested.
2. Is unable to connect with his peer group.

3. Prefers not to be touched, not even to show affection.

4. Does not play pretend games or use toys as intended
5. Has difficulty expressing emotions

Problems in Speech & Language :
1. Speaks in an abnormal voice or pitch.
2. Repeats the same phrase without meaning it.

3. Repeats questions rather than answering them.

4. Makes grammatical errors or refers to himself in the third person.

5. Is unable to understand irony or sarcasm.

Problems in non verbal communication :

1. Is unable to understand gestures and facial expressions.

2. Makes very few if any, gestures.

3. Odd movements such as walking on tip toes or moving fingers around eyes.

4. Unusual reactions to sounds, smells, textures.
5. Avoids eye contact.

Problems with Flexibility:

1. Demands a rigid routine/fixed pattern.

2. Difficulty in adapting to change.

3. Obsessively lines things.

4. Fixates on keys, light switches etc.

5. Repetitive movements such as rocking, hand flapping etc.

Please do not panic if your child shows one or more of these warning signs, we are providing links to two assessments below that can help you decide if your child is afflicted with or is at risk of autism.

1. The 3 Minute Child Autism Test at https://www.psycom.net/child-autism-test
2. The M-CHAT-R available at https://www.autismspeaks.org/screen-your-child

NEXT STEPS

If you have observed the warning signs stated above, don’t waste time, remember “a stitch in time, saves nine”. Take the following steps.

Approach your Pediatrician

Discuss your concerns with your Pediatrician and have them refer you to a Child Psychologist or Developmental Pediatrician

Formal Assesment

The Doctor will conduct a professional assessment, discuss the results with you and advice you on the treatment options.

Begin Treatment

Do not adopt a wait and watch attitude, children do not simply grow out of autism but with the right treatment can overcome most, if not all, challenges posed by it.