Signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders
Basic social interaction
Ø Unusual or inappropriate body language,
gestures, and facial expressions (e.g. avoiding eye contact or using facial
expressions that don’t match what he or she is saying) doesn’t point to or hold up objects to show
people things, share an experience or show that she wants something
Ø Lack of interest in other people or in sharing
interests or achievements (e.g. showing you a drawing, pointing to a bird).
Ø doesn’t understand simple one-step instructions
– for example, `Give the ball to me’, or `Show me the dog’
Ø copies what she hears from others or from the TV
– for example, when you ask if she wants more drink, she echoes back `more
drink’.
Ø doesn’t show interest in other children
Ø Unlikely to approach others or to pursue
social interaction; prefers to be alone.
Ø doesn’t consistently respond to his/her name
Ø doesn’t smile at caregivers without first being
smiled at or tickled
Ø Difficulty understanding other people’s
feelings and nonverbal cues.
Ø Difficulty or failure to make friends with
children the same age.
Ø doesn’t use eye contact to get someone’s
attention
Ø doesn’t use gestures on her own
Ø doesn’t engage in pretend play
Speech and language
Ø Delay in learning how to speak (after the age
of 2) or doesn’t talk at all.
Ø Says no
single words by 15 months or 2-word phrases by 24 months
Ø May
repeat exactly what others say without understanding its meaning (echolalia)
Ø Responds
to sounds
Ø May
refer to self as “you” and others as “I” (pronoun reversal)
Ø Shows no
or less interest in communicating
Ø Doesn’t understand simple statements or
questions.
Ø Taking what is said too literally, missing
humor, irony, and sarcasm.
Ø Speaking in an abnormal tone of voice, or with
an odd rhythm or pitch.
Ø Less
likely to start or continue a conversation
Ø May have
a good rote memory, especially for numbers, songs, TV jingles, or a specific
topic
Ø Repeating words or phrases over and over
without communicative intent.
Ø Trouble starting a conversation or keeping it
going.
Ø Difficulty communicating needs or desires.
Restricted behavior and play
Ø Repetitive body movements (hand flapping,
rocking, spinning); moving constantly.
Ø has an intense interest in certain objects and
becomes ‘stuck’ on particular toys or objects – for example, he will flick the
light switch off and on repeatedly, or will play only with car
Ø Obsessive attachment to unusual objects
(rubber bands, keys, light switches).
Ø Preoccupation with a specific topic of
interest, often involving numbers or symbols (maps, license plates, sports
statistics).
Ø interacts with toys and objects in one
particular way, rather than more broadly or in the way they were intended to be
played with – for example, turning the wheels of a toy car or lining up objects
Ø Resists
snuggling when picked up; arches back instead
Ø May have
temperament differences during infancy, such as being described as a very quiet
or very fussy baby
Ø is very interested in unusual objects or
activities – for example, drains, metal objects, or watching a specific ad on
TV
Ø A strong need for sameness, order, and
routines (e.g. lines up toys, follows a rigid schedule). Gets upset by change
in their routine or environment.
Ø focuses narrowly on objects and activities, such
as turning the wheels of a toy car or lining up objects
Ø is easily upset by change and must follow
routines – for example, sleeping, feeding or leaving the house must be done in
the same way every time
Ø seeks sensory stimulation – for example, rubs
objects on his mouth, or face, or seeks vibrating objects like washing
machines, or flutters his fingers to the side of his eyes to watch the light
flicker.
Ø Makes
little or no eye contact
Ø Shows no
or less expression in response to parent’s smile or other facial expressions
Ø Clumsiness, abnormal posture, or odd ways of
moving.
Ø Fascinated by spinning objects, moving pieces,
or parts of toys (e.g. spinning the wheels on a race car, instead of playing
with the whole car). repeats body movements
or has unusual body movements, such as back-arching, hand-flapping and walking
on his toes
Ø No or
less pointing to objects or events to get parents to look at them
Ø is extremely sensitive to sensory experiences –
for example, is easily upset by certain sounds, or will eat only foods with a
certain texture
Ø May
avoid following a parent’s gaze or finger to see what parent is looking at or
pointing to
Ø Less
likely to bring objects to show to parents just to share his interest
Ø Less
likely to show appropriate facial expressions
Ø Difficulty
in recognizing what others might be thinking or feeling by looking at their
facial expressions
facial expressions
Ø Less
likely to show concern (empathy) for others
Ø Has
difficulty in establishing and keeping friendships
