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Early Warning System: Autism and At-Risk Children

By Kristina R. Anderson
Early Warning System: Autism and At-Risk Children

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WARNING SIGNS

EXPERTS AGREE the more common telltale signs, such as a dearth of responses to family social cues, delayed speech, repetitive behaviors and unusual social and emotional reactions, typically do not show up until the child is between the ages of 2 and 4 years. There are other earlier, more subtle clues, though, before the age of 2, that parents could pick up on if they knew what to look for.

  • Reduced shared enjoyment with others (e.g. laughing during peek-a-boo)
  • Reduced pointing; by the time a child is 18 months, he or she should start to point at objects to get other people’s attention, and be able to follow other people’s pointing
  • Reduced showing objects to other people (e.g. handing Mom a toy for the sole purpose of sharing the experience with her)
  • Reduced social orienting; unable to give cues
  • Difficulty making eye contact
  • Children not responding to their name or to the parent’s voice
  • Not showing interest in their parents’ faces
  • Reduced use of gestures or subtle social communications child may be able to wave “bye-bye,” but is not initiating the wave
  • Kids who are inconsolable; some are comforted by parents holding them, and some are not
  • Inconsistent response to sounds; deafness may be suspected
  • Reduced environmental exploration; some infants who are at risk for autism are passive and lack an intense curiosity to explore a large number of toys and objects

Dr. Aubyn Stahmer, clinical coordinator for the Integrated Toddler Program for Children with Autism at Children’s Hospital, also believes these subtle clues should be brought up to the child’s pediatrician at the time the parents notice something could be amiss. Stahmer says normally there is an enchanting “social dance” between parent and child where they interact with one another in a delightful reciprocal fashion. When this doesn’t occur, intervention experts can teach parents how to respond in a manner that is a perfect fit for the unique temperament of the child.

If you are a San Diego pediatrician and would like to join the Early Identification Center, contact kpierce@ucsd.edu.