Red Flags of Autism Spectrum Disorders
The following list of signs represents a broad range, but it’s not an exhaustive nor is it meant to be a check-list. If your child displays several signs of possible developmental delay or developmental disability and your presentiment suggests something is not right, consult your doctor and ask for an evaluation.
Impairment in Social Interaction:
- Lack of appropriate eye gaze
- Lack of warm, joyful expressions
- Lack of sharing interest or enjoyment
- Lack of response to name
Impairment in Communication:
- Lack of showing gestures
- Lack of coordination of nonverbal communication
- Unusual prosody (little variation in pitch, odd intonation, irregular rhythm, unusual voice quality)
Repetitive Behaviors &Restricted Interests:
- Repetitive movements with objects
- Repetitive movements
Regression–loss of aquired skills average onset 19–21 months
- Language losses
Loss of words and language comprehension - social losses
Eye contact, interest in people, social smiling, interactive games
Developmental Milestones
All babies develop at their own pace, so it is difficult for a parent or professional to determine exactly when a baby will master a given developmental milestone. The developmental milestones listed below will give you an idea of what to expect throughout your baby’s first year of life. Although there is a range within what is considered “normal”, talk to your pediatrician if you think your baby is not reaching these important developmental milestones.
By 3 months of age
Motor Skills
- lift head when held at your shoulder
- lift head and chest when lying on his stomach
- turn head from side to side when lying on his stomach
- follow a moving object or person with his eyes
- grasp rattle when given to her
- wiggle and kick with arms and legs
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- turn head toward bright colors and lights
- turn toward the sound of a human voice
- recognize bottle or breast
- respond to your shaking a rattle or bell
Language and Social Skills
- make cooing, gurgling sounds
- smile when smiled at
- communicate hunger, fear, discomfort (through crying or facial expression)
- usually quiet down at the sound of a soothing voice or when held
By 6 months of age
Motor Skills
- hold head steady when sitting with your help
- reach for and grasp objects
- play with his toes
- help hold the bottle during feeding
- explore by mouthing and banging objects
- move toys from one hand to another
- pull up to a sitting position on her own if you grasp her hands
- sit with only a little support
- roll over
- bounce when held in a standing position
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- open his mouth for the spoon
- imitate familiar actions you perform
Language and Social Skills
- babble, making almost sing-song sounds
- know familiar faces
- laugh and squeal with delight
- scream if annoyed
- smile at herself in a mirror
By 12 months of age
Motor Skills
- drink from a cup with help
- feed herself finger food like raisinsgrasp small objects by using her thumb and index or forefinger
- use his first finger to poke or point
- put small blocks in and take them out of a container
- knock two blocks together
- sit well without support
- crawl on hands and knees
- pull himself to stand or take steps holding onto furniture
- stand alone momentarily
- walk with one hand held
Sensory and Thinking Skills
- copy sounds and actions you make
- respond to music with body motion
- try to accomplish simple goals (seeing and then crawling to a toy)
- look for an object she watched fall out of sight (such as a spoon that falls under the table)
Language and Social Skills
- babble, but it sometimes “sounds like” talking
- say his first word
- recognize family members’ names
- try to “talk” with you
- respond to another’s distress by showing distress or crying
- show affection to familiar adults
- show apprehension about strangers
- raise her arms when she wants to be picked up
- understand simple commands
