Signs Of Autism: 10 Possible Autism-Related Delays In 6- to 12-Month-Old Children

Though autism is often not diagnosed until the age of three, some children begin to show signs of developmental delay before they turn a year old. While not all infants and toddlers with delays will develop autism spectrum disorders (ASD), experts point to early detection of these signs as key to capitalizing on early diagnosis and intervention, which is believed to improve developmental outcomes.

According to Dr. Rebecca Landa, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Md., parents need to be empowered to identify the warning signs of ASD and other communication delays.

"We want to encourage parents to become good observers of their children's development so that they can see the earliest indicators of delays in a baby's communication, social and motor skills," says Dr. Landa, who also cautions that some children who develop ASD don’t show signs until after the second birthday or regress after appearing to develop typically.

For the past decade, Dr. Landa has followed infant siblings of children with autism to identify red flags of the disorder in their earliest form. Her research has shown that diagnosis is possible in some children as young as 14 months and sparked the development of early intervention models that have been shown to improve outcomes for toddlers showing signs of ASD as young as one and two years old.

Dr. Landa recommends that as parents play with their infant (6-12 months), they look for the following signs that have been linked to later diagnosis of ASD or other communication disorders:

1. Rarely smiles when approached by caregivers
2. Rarely tries to imitate sounds and movements others make, such as smiling and laughing, during simple social exchanges
3. Delayed or infrequent babbling
4. Does not respond to his or her name with increasing consistency from 6 - 12 months
5. Does not gesture to communicate by 10 months
6. Poor eye contact
7. Seeks your attention infrequently
8. Repeatedly stiffens arms, hands, legs or displays unusual body movements such as rotating the hands on the wrists, uncommon postures or other repetitive behaviors
9. Does not reach up toward you when you reach to pick him or her up
10. Delays in motor development, including delayed rolling over, pushing up and crawling

"If parents suspect something is wrong with their child's development, or that their child is losing skills, they should talk to their pediatrician or another developmental expert," says Dr. Landa. "Don't adopt a 'wait and see' perspective. We want to identify delays early in development so that intervention can begin when children's brains are more malleable and still developing their circuitry."

ABOUT THE KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE:
Internationally recognized for improving the lives of children and adolescents with disorders and injuries of the brain and spinal cord, the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD serves more than 16,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services and school-based programs. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe, and is home to a team of investigators who are contributing to the understanding of how disorders develop while pioneering new interventions and earlier diagnosis. For more information on Kennedy Krieger Institute, visit www.kennedykrieger.org.

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Comments

[Carol79]

08:45 PM on 04/22/2012

The first time a parent is told that their child has Autism will be a moment that they never forget.

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It is vital at this difficult time in your child’s life that you put aside your fears and anger so that you can realise this one important truth: you are the key to your child’s future.
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[Giselle Burns]

08:01 AM on 03/30/2012

The quote from the post (pasted below) is a wonderful ideal. But as a parent, I took my child to the doctor and have repeatedly been told the doesn't have autism - he's been diagnosed with other issues including developmental delay. So many of these signs could be ticked off for my son (now 4) when he was a baby and although we didn't realise til later at around 1 and a half that he was showing autistic signs. What happens when you're seen as over anxious? When you know damn well you're not. I don't want to wait another three years for them to diagnose him and then say, 'oops!' What to do?

"If parents suspect something is wrong with their child's development, or that their child is losing skills, they should talk to their pediatrician or another developmental expert," says Dr. Landa. "Don't adopt a 'wait and see' perspective. We want to identify delays early in development so that intervention can begin when children's brains are more malleable and still developing their circuitry."

[Hanan Almasoud]

09:43 AM on 03/29/2012

Training parents in identifying the early signs of autism will
Play a vital role in the early detection of autism and consequently the early intervention. I think it is an awareness issue especially in developing countries.. In some cases children with severe autism may not be diagnosed until they reach adulthood.
Hanan Almasoud- Lecturer and researcher at King Saud University-Saudi Arabia

[sherri yandle]

12:02 PM on 03/28/2012

Thank you for posting an informative article for parents. I would also like to add that parent's should watch for signs of sensory issues; for example...does your child dislike certain textures or seem to get upset at the sound of running water? Our son cringed and cried when we would put baby lotion on him and hated the feel of stuffed animals. Some are very sensitive to changes in the brightness of lights or the volume level of the activity around them. If your child suddenly is upset and you can't calm them down, take note of the environment and write it down. This could help you notice a pattern of what may be upsetting them.

[Taio1247]

08:31 AM on 03/30/2012

Wow thanks for the extra good comments and extra examples