- Does not turn and look (respond) when name is called
- Does not participate in back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or age.
- Does not gesture (point to objects, wave hello or bye-bye, etc.)
- Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
- Does not say single words by 16 months of age
- Does not initiate two word phrases by 24 months of age
- Loses words or social skills at any age
Other possible symptoms:
- Does not smile when smiled at.
- Has poor eye contact
- Spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order
- Gets "stuck" on doing the same things over and over - i.e., spins objects
- Is not interested in other children and prefers to play along
- Walks on his/ her toes
- Has odd movements or patterns
If your child is exhibiting any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation.
For more information on autism, please visit First Signs or the Centers for Disease Control.