Early Signs of Autism

April is Autism Awareness Month and I'm posting this because I have a great friend, Melanie, who has an autistic son and she cares enough to inform other parents of the early signs.

Watch for the Red Flags of Autism

(The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an immediate evaluation.)

In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” often referred to as “red flags,” that indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:



•No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
•No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
•No babbling by 12 months
•No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
•No words by 16 months
•No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
•Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
*This information has been provided by First Signs, Inc. ©2001-2005. Reprinted with permission. For more information about recognizing the early signs of developmental and behavioral disorders, please visit http://www.firstsigns.org or the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/actearly.