Signs of Autism

At 2 years old, my son still could not speak any words. The words that he could only say (and read) was reciting the alphabet and counting numbers 1-10. He didn’t look at you when you call him, also you need to call him at least thrice or more to get his attention. He didn’t point at the things that he wants to get, instead he will push you to the place. He didn’t call me “Mama”. His favorite play was lining up his toy cars which I thought back then that he was just playing a traffic jam. He didn’t like to play with other kids, he wanted to play on his own.

I thought that the reason he was delayed developmentally was because he doesn’t have any playmates. That is why we decided to enroll him in a Toddler class near us. He was observed/evaluated by the directress upon enrollment and she said that there is a possibility that my son has “mild autism”. She advised me to look for a Developmental Pediatrician. At that time, the question that was ringing in my mind was, what am I going to do next?… I have no idea what Autism is, so I thought that everything will be just fine.

That was when I researched about Autism, and I was shocked and surprised that it is not like any cold or disease that can be cured by any medicine. I was heart broken to know that it doesn’t have any cure at all. The only way that he can adapt to this world is by having an intervention as early as possible to catch up.

He is 5 years old now, and I am glad that there are a lot of improvement from his attitude and skills compared before. He doesn’t line up his toys now. He can now tell what he wants. He understands instructions and follows them. He looks at you when he is being called. He likes to play with other children now. Though he still struggles to communicate, compared before he knows a lot of words now (he even knows some words that I didn’t knew about 🙂 ). .

Here is a nice article to read from Mayo Clinic about the symptoms of Autism.

Social skills

Fails to respond to his or her name
Has poor eye contact
Appears not to hear you at times
Resists cuddling and holding
Appears unaware of others’ feelings
Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her own world
Doesn’t ask for help or request things

Language

Doesn’t speak or has delayed speech
Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences
Doesn’t make eye contact when making requests
Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech
Can’t start a conversation or keep one going
May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn’t understand how to use them
Doesn’t appear to understand simple questions or directions

Behavior

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping
Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change
Moves constantly
May be fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn’t understand the “big picture” of the subject
May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch, and yet oblivious to pain
Does not engage in imitative or make-believe play
May have odd food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or craving items that are not food, such as chalk or dirt
May perform activities that could cause self-harm, such as headbanging

Every child develops at a different pace—so you don’t need to panic if your child is a little late to talk or walk. When it comes to healthy development, there’s a wide range of “normal.” But if your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or you suspect a problem, share your concerns with your child’s doctor immediately. Don’t wait!!!

-via Help Guide