Early Signs of Autism

"Looking back, I should have known something was amiss when she wouldn't sit still to have a book read to her.  It wouldn't be until the age of 3 when she would allow a book to be read just before she fell asleep.  Even then she wasn't interested, she just "allowed" it to happen"

  
Mother first found out that her children had Autism when her pediatrician expressed concern about her daughter's lack of speech at the age of 2 years.  It would be another year before he would refer her for a speech evaluation.  At the age of 3 years, her daughter was diagnosed with Autism.  Her son was 2 years old, at the time, and he also showed all signs of Autism.  

After much research, experimenting with diet & supplements, and educational intervention, it would be the 2 year old that would make the greatest and fastest leaps in recovery.  Her daughter would also recover but at a much slower pace and with some residual symptoms.

  

Wearing a weighted vest and completely oblivious of the other children.

Early diagnosis made the difference.  As mother researched Autism, all experimental treatments that she considered came with the same advisory, "a child under the age of 3 can reverse the diagnosis and a child over the age of 3 will see great improvements."  The advisory proved true and that is why it is essential to get an early diagnosis and start working with a child right away.

Here is mother's 3 year old and 2 year old "playing" with toys.  They would pull all the books off the bookshelf and throw them in the center of the room.  Then they would pile all of their toys on the floor and strip the bedding off and throw it over the toys and then jump from the bed onto the pile.  No imaginary play.  No talking.  Just destruction and jumping.  All day.  Every day.

There are several signs to look for in babies and young children that include the way they play with toys and interact with others but speech is very important and can be a sign of other problems aside from Autism.  With this being said, the following article comes from the Revolution Health website:

Although speech and language continue to develop through adolescence, children usually reach major milestones in predictable stages by 6 years of age. The exact pace at which speech and language develop varies among children, especially the age at which they begin to talk. 

Communication skills are often categorized as receptive language and expressive language. Receptive language is the understanding of words and sounds. Expressive language is the use of speech (sounds and words) and gestures to communicate meaning.

Details of the developmental milestones can be evaluated according to age.

• Birth to age 1:
  
  
  • Babies begin to process the communication signals they receive and learn to vary their cry to communicate their needs. During the first months of life, they are usually able to recognize their mother's voice and actively listen to language rhythms. By 6 months of age, most babies express themselves through cooing with vowels and one or two consonants. This progresses to babbling and repeating sounds.
  • By their first birthday, babies understand and can identify each parent, often by name ("mama," "dada"). They repeat sounds they hear and may know a few words.
• Ages 1 to 3:
  
  
  • After the first birthday through age 2, a toddler's speech and language foundation grows rapidly. During that time, 1-year-olds learn that words have meaning. They point to things they want, and often use one- or two-syllable sounds, such as "baba" for "bottle." By age 2, children usually can say at least 50 words and recognize the names of many objects, including those in pictures. They also understand simple requests and statements, such as "all gone."
  • Many 2-year-olds talk a lot. They usually can name some body parts (such as arms and legs) and objects (such as a book). Not all their words are intelligible; some are made-up and combined with real words. In addition to understanding simple requests, they can also follow them (such as "put the book on the table"). They should be able to say at least 50 words. They usually can say between 150 to 200 words, some of which are simple phrases, such as "want cookie." Pronouns (such as "me" or "she") are used, but often incorrectly.
  • Some children are naturally quieter than others. However, a child who consistently uses gestures and facial expressions to communicate should be evaluated by a doctor. These children are at increased risk for having speech problems.
• Age 3 through 5:
  
  
  • More sophisticated speech and language develops from ages 3 through 5. By age 3, most children learn new words quickly and can follow two-part directions (such as "wash your face and put your shoes away"). They start to use plurals and form short complete sentences. And most of the time their speech can be understood by others outside of their family. "Why" and "what" become popular questions.
  • Most 4-year-olds use longer sentences and can describe an event. They understand how things are different, such as the distinction between children and grown-ups. Most 5-year-olds can carry on a conversation with another person.