World Autism Day on April -2 "Signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders"

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

Ø  Less likely to show concern (empathy) for others

Ø  Has difficulty in establishing and keeping friendships