7 Early Signs of Autism Every Parent Should Know

Summary

This video highlights subtle red flags that may indicate autism in young children, particularly around the age of 12 months. It discusses signs such as inconsistent eye contact, lack of gestures, repetitive movements, and difficulty sharing enjoyment with others. The presenter emphasizes that these behaviors do not necessarily mean a child has autism but suggests that parents consult with a healthcare professional for further evaluation if these signs are observed. The video also offers a developmental checklist and tips for encouraging communication and interaction in young children.

Takeaways

• 👁️ Not consistently using eye contact to communicate, like looking at an adult to initiate or continue play, may be a subtle red flag of autism.
• 🙋‍♀️ Babies typically use a range of gestures by 12 months, such as pointing, waving, and holding up their arms to communicate. Lack of these gestures can be a red flag.
• 🔄 Difficulty responding to gestures or copying actions, such as waving or clapping, is another indicator of potential developmental concerns.
• 😊 Babies naturally share their interest and enjoyment with others, like looking back at you during play or showing toys. Not doing so can be a red flag.
• ♻️ Repetitive actions or movements, like turning lights on and off or flapping hands, can signal autism if done frequently and not part of varied play.
• 👂 Not responding consistently to their name being called, especially after a few tries, may be a sign of developmental challenges or hearing issues.
• 🗣️ Not babbling in a conversational way by 12 months, where the baby uses varied pitch and directs babble toward others, can be a red flag.
• 💬 Lack of words by 12 months is common, but gestures like pointing and clapping should still be present as key forms of communication.
• 🔍 Some children might use alternative ways to communicate, such as grabbing hands to lead adults to objects, instead of gestures like pointing.
• 🛑 If these behaviors persist over time, they may indicate developmental delays, warranting a check-up with a healthcare professional.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The video aims to walk viewers through subtle red flags that may indicate autism in very young children, focusing on signs that could prompt further assessment by a doctor or allied health professional.

Does showing some of these red flags automatically mean a child has autism?

No, showing some of these red flags does not automatically mean a child has autism. It may suggest that a doctor or allied health professional should be consulted for further assessment.

What is the first red flag mentioned in the video?

The first red flag is that a child is not consistently using eye contact to gain attention, which is typically seen in activities like sharing something or requesting an action.

What is the importance of gestures in identifying early signs of autism?

Gestures, such as pointing, waving, or raising hands, are key communication tools for babies. Not consistently using gestures to communicate can be a red flag for autism.

What might indicate a child is having difficulty responding to gestures?

If a child does not respond to gestures like pointing or copying actions such as clapping or waving, it could be a red flag for autism.

How do toddlers typically share their interest or enjoyment with others?

Toddlers typically share their interest by smiling, laughing, pointing at objects, or showing toys to others. A lack of this behavior might indicate difficulty in social interaction, which is a red flag.

What are some examples of repetitive actions that might be red flags?

Examples include repeatedly turning light switches on and off, watching fans spin, or playing with objects in the same manner over and over, such as watching sand fall or spinning toy wheels.

What does the video mention about body movements that could be red flags?

Repetitive body movements, such as hand flapping, walking on toes most of the time, or running in circles, are mentioned as possible red flags if they are consistent and persistent forms of play.

How important is a child’s response to their name as an indicator?

Consistent response to their name is important. If a child does not respond to their name being called, especially after multiple attempts, it can be a red flag, though hearing issues should also be considered.

What should a parent look for in terms of babbling at 12 months of age?

At 12 months, a child should be babbling in a conversational way, using different pitches and responding to the person speaking. A lack of babbling or absence of conversational tones may be a red flag.

Outlines

00:00

👶 Identifying Early Signs of Autism in Toddlers

The video begins by discussing subtle signs of autism in very young children, emphasizing that displaying these signs doesn't necessarily mean the child has autism, but parents should consult a doctor for further assessment. The first sign discussed is the inconsistency in using eye contact to communicate, like not looking up after stopping an activity to gain attention. Typical toddlers use eye contact to engage, express needs, or show emotions, but children with potential autism may not.

05:03

🖐️ Lack of Gestures as a Communication Tool

The second red flag covered is the child's failure to use gestures consistently. By 12 months, babies typically use gestures like raising arms to be picked up, pointing to objects, or waving. Children with potential autism might instead lead a parent to an object without looking up, missing the back-and-forth interaction essential for communication. If gestures like pointing, clapping, or waving are absent or infrequent, it is a notable warning sign.

👀 Difficulty Responding to and Copying Gestures

Another red flag is when a child doesn't respond to or imitate gestures. At 12 months, children often mimic actions like clapping, waving, or smiling. Toddlers also enjoy imitating daily activities like brushing their hair or teeth. If the child doesn't copy actions or respond to gestures like pointing, it may indicate an issue. The importance of this developmental milestone is emphasized, encouraging parents to download a checklist for further evaluation.

😕 Lack of Shared Enjoyment and Interaction

The video also highlights the importance of toddlers sharing their enjoyment with others, such as smiling, laughing, or showing toys to adults. Typically, toddlers will check in with parents while playing to share the moment. If a child doesn't seek this interaction or doesn’t look back after pointing to something interesting, it could be another sign of autism. A lack of back-and-forth engagement during play or while showing objects is concerning.

🔄 Repetitive Actions and Movements

Repetitive behaviors in play or body movements are flagged as potential indicators of autism. Examples include repeatedly turning lights on and off, watching a fan, or staring at objects like sand or toy wheels. In terms of body movements, children may display repetitive hand flapping, finger circles, or head shaking. The key concern is when these actions persist as a main form of play rather than being brief, occasional behaviors.

🗣️ Inconsistent Response to Name or Familiar Voices

The video addresses the issue of toddlers not consistently responding to their name or familiar voices, even when hearing is normal. Typically, a child will respond by the second or third call, especially if engaged in play. A child who is otherwise social and communicative but fails to respond to their name when not facing the parent may need their hearing evaluated.

🍼 Delayed Babbling or Lack of Conversational Sounds

The final red flag discussed is the lack of babbling or conversational sounds by 12 months. Toddlers should be using varied babble and directing it at others, mimicking conversations. If they are silent or only repeat simple sounds without conversational variation, this could indicate a developmental issue. Parents are advised to encourage gesture use alongside words to help develop their child's communication skills.

Keywords

💡Eye contact

Eye contact refers to the act of looking into another person's eyes to communicate or engage. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a key social interaction tool used by young children to gain attention or express needs. A lack of consistent eye contact, such as not looking up at a parent when a game is interrupted, can be an early indicator of autism.

💡Gestures

Gestures include movements of the body, particularly the hands and arms, used to express or communicate. For example, children may wave, point, or raise their hands to be picked up. The video mentions that children around 12 months typically use a range of gestures, and an absence of these can be a red flag for developmental delays or autism.

💡Repetitive actions

Repetitive actions are behaviors that a child performs over and over again, either in play or as bodily movements. Examples include flipping a light switch repeatedly or watching the wheels of a toy car spin. While repetitive behaviors are common to some extent, an over-reliance on these actions can be a sign of autism.

💡Responding to name

Responding to name involves turning towards or acknowledging someone when their name is called. The video indicates that children should typically respond to their names by 12 months old, even if engaged in another activity. Difficulty in responding to one's name could be indicative of hearing issues or early signs of autism.

💡Babbling

Babbling is the production of repetitive consonant-vowel sounds, like 'ba-ba' or 'ga-ga,' used by infants as they develop language skills. At 12 months, children use babbling in a conversational manner, directing it towards others and varying its pitch. A lack of babbling can signal developmental delays.

💡Sharing enjoyment

Sharing enjoyment refers to a child's natural tendency to engage others in their happiness, such as smiling or showing a toy to a caregiver. Children at 12 months often look back at parents while playing to share their joy. The absence of such behaviors could be a subtle indicator of autism.

💡Copying gestures

Copying gestures involves mimicking actions or expressions, such as waving back when someone waves or clapping hands in response to another's clapping. By 12 months, most children actively imitate behaviors they observe. A lack of imitation may point to developmental concerns.

💡Milestone

A milestone is a significant stage in a child’s development, such as walking, talking, or using gestures. In the video, milestones are used as reference points to determine if a child is developing typically for their age. Missing milestones like babbling or using gestures by 12 months can suggest developmental issues.

💡Pointing

Pointing is a specific gesture where a child extends a finger to direct attention to an object of interest. It is a way for children to communicate non-verbally before they develop speech. The video explains that children should not only point but also look back to see if the adult has understood their interest, and a lack of this behavior can be a red flag.

💡Developmental checklist

A developmental checklist is a tool used to track a child’s growth and development across various domains, such as motor skills, language, and social interactions. The video encourages parents to use such a checklist to ensure that their child is meeting age-appropriate milestones, providing an early way to identify potential developmental delays.

Highlights

Subtle red flags in young children may indicate autism, but do not confirm a diagnosis; it's recommended to consult a doctor or allied health professional for further assessment.

Not consistently using eye contact to gain attention can be an early sign. For example, a child not looking back after stopping a game, like rolling a ball, could indicate difficulty.

Lack of consistent use of gestures by 12 months, such as pointing or waving, is another red flag, as babies typically use these gestures to communicate.

If a child doesn’t respond to gestures or imitate actions, such as clapping or waving, by 12 months, this may indicate developmental concerns.

Children around 12 months should consistently share their interests, like showing toys or pointing at objects, and referencing back to adults. A lack of this behavior could be a red flag.

Repetitive actions or movements, such as turning a light switch on and off repeatedly or spinning toy wheels without engaging in typical play, may signal autism.

Repetitive body movements like hand flapping, toe walking, or head shaking, especially if these behaviors persist, can also be red flags.

Not consistently responding to their name or familiar voices by 12 months, especially after multiple attempts, is another potential indicator of autism.

By 12 months, children typically babble in a conversational manner. A lack of directed babble or a lack of varied pitch in babbling is a concern.

Children should engage in back-and-forth interactions with babbling as if they are having a conversation. A lack of this conversational babble could signal developmental issues.

If a toddler doesn’t share enjoyment, like smiling at a parent or referencing back to them while playing, this could be a developmental red flag.

If a child frequently engages in repetitive play, like watching sand fall instead of filling a bucket or staring at fans, it could indicate autism.

Not consistently responding to gestures, like pointing to an object or following a parent's gesture to look at something, by 12 months is another red flag.

Toddlers typically copy everyday actions, like brushing hair or teeth. A lack of imitating these actions by 12 months may indicate developmental concerns.

A checklist for developmental milestones at 12 months is recommended to ensure the child is meeting important benchmarks for communication and interaction.

Transcripts

- In this video, I'm going to walk you through

the subtle red flags that may be indicators

of autism in very young children.

Now remember if your child shows some of these signs,

it doesn't mean they have autism.

It might just mean that you should book in with your doctor

or an allied health professional for a further assessment.

So the first sign is not consistently using eye contact

to gain your attention.

So at this age, typically, children will use eye contact

to either show you something,

start a conversation,

or express their feelings, or request something.

So for example, if you were rolling a ball back and forth

between your 12-month old and you stop rolling that ball,

what you would typically see

is the 12-month old would look at the ball,

then maybe make a noise and then look up at you.

And that would be to tell you,

"Hey, why aren't you rolling that ball back to me?"

Whereas a child who is having difficulty

with giving eye contact

to gain your attention might just continue

to look at that ball.

The second red flag is not consistently using gestures.

So by 12 months of age,

babies use a wide range of gestures to communicate with you.

So they might hold their arms up

to tell you that they want to be picked up.

They might hold their hand out

to just show you something that's in their hand.

They might wave hello or goodbye.

They might clap their hands.

They might shake their head, yes or no.

And lastly, they might point.

So for example, your baby might point

to the bottle that's on the bench then look at you,

which is the key component,

they look back at you

to make sure that you follow their point

and you understand what they're asking.

But a baby who finds it difficult

to consistently use gestures might,

instead of pointing, just go and grab your hand

and not look up at you

and then take you over to the bottle

and place your hand on the bottle.

And that is how they communicate with you

that they want that bottle.

So if your child rarely uses gestures

to communicate with you, then that is also a red flag.

This leads me onto the next red flag,

which is doesn't respond to gestures

or copy your actions or gestures.

So at 12 months of age,

babies respond to a wide range of gestures,

which are used by parents or others.

So for example,

if you were out walking with your baby and you said,

"Look, there's a dog," while pointing,

typically, the child will look in that direction

and try and find that dog.

Also, babies are sponges, and they love to copy.

So at 12 months of age,

when you do a gesture or an action,

typically, you are going to see your toddler do that

exact same action.

So you might clap, and they will clap,

or you'll say, "Wave goodbye,"

and then they will wave goodbye,

or you will smile at them,

and they will smile in return.

You will also notice

that toddlers will want to copy everyday actions

that you're doing.

So while you're brushing your hair,

your toddler might want to brush their hair as well.

Or while you're brushing your teeth,

your toddler might want to brush their teeth

or try and brush yours.

So if you find that your toddler is not responding

to your gestures or not copying your actions or gestures,

then that is also a red flag.

While we're on the topic of gestures

which is an important milestone that a baby achieves

in that first year of life,

remember to click on the free developmental checklist

in the description box below

if your baby is 12 months of age

and you just want to make sure that they're achieving

all the milestones they should be at this age.

Rarely sharing their interest

or enjoyment with others is also a red flag.

So at 12 months of age,

they are extremely social beings that have a strong desire

to share any of their enjoyment with you.

And they do that in multiple ways.

So for example, when you walk past your toddler,

they might smile at you

to try and engage you in a conversation.

They might laugh with you.

They might come up and hold a toy in front of you

so that you can see what they're wanting to show you.

Or they'll point to an object that's of interest to them.

So they might point to a toy that's on a shelf

or they might point to a dog that's outside.

They might look up at you to request more.

And you'll also notice that when they are playing,

they will frequently look back at you

just to make sure that you stay in the room

and just to check in.

A toddler who's finding it difficult

to share enjoyment with others might play and be smiling

and laughing while they're playing,

but they don't reference back to you.

So they won't look back at you.

Or they might come and show you a toy

by dropping it into your lap or into your hands,

but they don't look up at you to share that interaction

and that enjoyment.

Or lastly, they might point

at something of interest to them.

So they might be out walking with you

and point to a dog,

but they don't look back at you

to make sure you've followed that point

and know what they're pointing at.

Repetitive actions or movements can also be a red flag.

Now when we're talking about repetitive actions

or movements, we can be talking about the child's play

or their body movements.

So in regards to a child's play,

they might have a very particular interest

or they might get stuck on a particular object or toy

and do the same action over and over again.

So for example, your little one might enjoy turning

the light switch on and off on and off

or they might enjoy watching the fans spin around

or just looking at the lights in the room.

They might enjoy just watching the sand fall from their hand

when they're in the sand pit

rather than using a spade to fill up the bucket.

Or they might enjoy watching the wheels spin on a truck

or a train rather than actually driving that train around.

In regards to body movement,

what you typically see is the child doing the same movement

over and over again.

So this might be hands splaying or finger circles.

Or the child might put the hand in front of their face

and then wave their fingers to see the changing light.

You might see the flapping of the hands

at the side of their body.

You might see them walking on their toes most of the time.

Now it needs to be most of the time, not sporadic.

Or you might also see that hand stiffening

when they are walking.

Or the child might shake their head back and forward

as a form of play.

Or they might enjoy running around in circles.

Now doing these behaviors for a few days is completely fine,

but if your child continues to do these behaviors

and that's their kind of form of play,

then that is a potential red flag.

Another red flag is not consistent responding

to when their name is called

or the sound of a familiar voice.

So at 12 months of age,

they will typically respond to their name being called

on the second or third attempt,

particularly if they're engaged in activity.

If your child's hearing is fine

and they're not responding consistently

to their name being called

even when you're directly in front of them,

then that is a red flag.

But if you notice that your toddler is extremely social

and tries to interact and engage you in play

and is babbling and smiling

but they just don't respond to their name being called

when their back is turn to you,

then that might be an indication

that their hearing needs to be assessed.

Not babbling is also a red flag.

At 12 months of age,

a toddler may say their first words,

but they are definitely using babble

in a conversational way.

And by that, I mean they are directing

their babble towards someone.

You will also notice that when you speak to your toddler

and you stop talking,

your toddler will start to babble back

as if they're saying real words.

And their babble also changes up and down in pitch.

So instead of going the ga-ga-ga or ba-ba-ba,

they start to have it go up and down

as if they're having a real conversation with you.

If you notice that your toddler is not babbling,

or when they are making sounds,

it doesn't sound like they're actually having

a conversation with you,

then that is a red flag.

Now as I said, at 12 months of age,

your toddler may be using words,

but they're definitely using gestures.

So if you want to help them start to say their first words,

as well as use their gestures to communicate with you

and help to reduce those frustrations

they may be experiencing,

make sure you click on this video.

Remember to click on that free PDF document,

and I'll see you next week

where I'll share more parenting tips and tricks.