i work at a daycare, and we think that a 2 year old boy who we take care of may have autism. he barely talks at all, and he spends most of his time laying on the ground playing by himself rather than interacting with the other children. i would like to know if these are signs of autism, and what the other common symptoms are.
At age two, signs of autism include: in the area of communication: language delay, lack of gestures such as waving "bye bye" and pointing, not responding to his name; in the area of socialization: lack of eye contact, preferring to play alone or playing inappropriately compared to other toddlers, seeming uninterested in others and their activities; in the area of play: repetitive play, sensory issues (putting his hands over his ears), playing with the same toys all the time, no pretend play.
These are just a few things. Some children with autism don’t do any of these things, some do them, but inconsistently. Please refer the parent for assessment if you aren’t sure. Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out, but the sooner, the better. Sometimes, the psychologist will want to come and observe at the daycare also. Good for you guys for being concerned.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Go to http://www.autism.com
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References :
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
There are also different types of autism.
I have worked with a couple of older autistic students – all high-functioning with verbal skills.
The one common factor was lack of eye contact and lack of vocal inflection. One of the boys used to rock back and forth while talking and look around. He also spoke very monotone and was actually incredibly intelligent at certain things.
Another thing was interrupting and being unaware of others reactions and social cues in general.
They also would become fixated on one thing at a time and it was difficult to get them to do other tasks.
In some areas, autistic children can be very advanced for their age. I have never delt with a child as young as two, and I am not an expert on child development or autism – I just had a couple of students who had autism. I read some books and material as I did not have an other resources at the time. However, in your situation, I would highly suggest finding someone who is knowledgeable in autism spectrum disorders and read up on the different types and symptoms of autism.
References :
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Autism is a condition surrounded by myth and generalizations about people with autism that are rarely appropriate. The common beliefs that people with autism never express emotion, never smile or laugh, never make eye contact, never talk, and never display affection are simply that—myths. Just as every person is unique, with his or her own personality and characteristics, every person with autism manifests the disorder in his or her unique way.
The list of symptoms and behaviors associated with autism is long, and each affected person expresses his or her own combination of these behaviors. None of these clinical features is common to all people with autism, and many are occasionally exhibited by people who are not autistic.
That said, however, all people with autism have abnormal functioning in 3 core areas of development: social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and the presence of repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. The diagnosis of autism is typically made when impairment is significant in all 3 areas.
Impaired reciprocal social interaction – Examples include the following:
Poor use of body language and nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures
Lack of awareness of feelings of others and the expression of emotions, such as pleasure (laughing) or distress (crying), for reasons not apparent to others
Remaining aloof, preferring to be alone
Difficulty interacting with other people and failure to make peer friendships
May not want to cuddle or be cuddled
Lack of or abnormal social play
Not responding to verbal cues (acting as if deaf)
Impaired communication – Examples include the following:
Delay in, or the total lack of, the development of spoken language or speech
If speech is developed, it is abnormal in content and quality.
Difficulty expressing needs and wants, verbally and/or nonverbally
Repeating words or phrases back when spoken to (known as echolalia)
Inability to initiate or sustain conversation
Absent or poorly developed imaginary play
Restricted repertoire of interests, behaviors, and activities – Examples include the following:
Insisting on following routines and sameness, resisting change
Ritualistic or compulsive behaviors
Sustained odd play
Repetitive body movements (hand flapping, rocking) and/or abnormal posture (toe walking)
Preoccupation with parts of objects or a fascination with repetitive movement (spinning wheels, turning on and off lights)
Narrow, restricted interests (dates/calendars, numbers, weather, movie credits)
There are a number of associated features and behaviors that are seen in some people with autism, including the following:
Cognitive function: Autism occurs at all intelligence levels. Although about 75% of autistic individuals have an intelligence quotient (IQ) below average, the other 25% have an average or above average intelligence. The performance IQ is generally higher than the verbal IQ. A small percentage have high intelligence in a specific area such as mathematics.
Neurologic function
Seizures may develop in 25-35% of children with autism and can be resistant to treatment. The onset of seizures peaks in early childhood and again in adolescence. There is an increased risk of seizures in children with autism who have mental retardation or a family history of autism.
Uneven gross and/or fine motor skills (well developed in some areas, poorly developed in others)
Behavioral symptoms
Aggressive or self-injurious behavior
Noticeable extreme underactivity or overactivity
Throwing tantrums
Short attention span
Abnormal responses to sensory stimuli (expressing oversensitivity or undersensitivity to pain)
Abnormalities in eating or sleeping
Not responding to normal teaching methods
Playing in odd or unusual ways
Having inappropriate attachment to objects
Having no apparent fear of dangerous situations
Mood and affect
Mood and affect vary considerably, and may include being unaware of the feelings of others, withdrawn, or emotionally labile. Some people with autism become outwardly anxious or they may become depressed in response to the realization of their problems.
In some children with autism who express affection, the affection may be indiscriminate.
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Hope that helps!
References :
http://www.emedicinehealth.com
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
At age two, signs of autism include: in the area of communication: language delay, lack of gestures such as waving "bye bye" and pointing, not responding to his name; in the area of socialization: lack of eye contact, preferring to play alone or playing inappropriately compared to other toddlers, seeming uninterested in others and their activities; in the area of play: repetitive play, sensory issues (putting his hands over his ears), playing with the same toys all the time, no pretend play.
These are just a few things. Some children with autism don’t do any of these things, some do them, but inconsistently. Please refer the parent for assessment if you aren’t sure. Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out, but the sooner, the better. Sometimes, the psychologist will want to come and observe at the daycare also. Good for you guys for being concerned.
References :
Lic. Psychologist who works in the area of autism spectrum disorders