Autism has been an increasingly recognized problem since the 90’s. Autism can have a wide variety of symptoms, from repetitive behavior to self-injury to problems in social settings. Signs of autism often show themselves early, usually by 6 months old. As autism becomes a larger problem in children, it can make many new or expecting parents worry about their own children; however, signs of autism are often obvious and easy to spot.
Autistic infants usually smile less often than other infants and respond less to their own name. They also look at others and observe their environment less than most infants. Autistic toddlers often take longer than other children to form attachments to others and avoid eye contact. They also tend to have problems with taking turns with others and many autistic children communicate by manipulating another individual’s hand. By the time that most autistic children are three-years-old they have made it a habit of avoiding others when possible. They often show a lack of understanding of social norms and don’t respond as well to emotions as other children. They might also have problems communicating with others non-verbally; however, most autistic will still have become attached to their primary caregiver by this point and usually can get along with people they see often, such as siblings.
While the exact cause of autism is still being researched, most scientists agree that there heredity plays a role in determining whether or not a child becomes autistic, as children with autistic relatives are more likely to develop autism than other children. When deciding whether or not a child might be autistic, it is a good idea to try and look at the family history of the child for other cases of autism. There is also no medical test in practice to determine whether or not a child is autistic, and the diagnosis is usually left up to the judgment of a child psychiatrist.
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