Symptoms of Autism usually present during the first year and a half of a child’s life.

Early diagnosis of autism can make a dramatic difference with the outcome of the child’s success.
Although Autism does not typically show up until at least 14 months of age there are some earlier warning signs that can act as red flags to watch for.

All of these signs and symptoms may be indicative of several disorders so it is important to get your child properly evaluated by a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.

The head growth in children with Autism seems to increase exponentially in the first twelve months.
When you have your baby evaluated at their clinic appointments, if they do not do so, ask them to measure the circumference of the child’s head and have it plotted on the growth chart so that you can see exactly where your child is in proportion with other children’s expected growth.

If your baby is still having trouble sitting up at 10-12 months and has a tendency to tip or not put their hands out to catch themselves as they fall forward then you may want to mention that at your Doctors visit.

Autistic children generally develop otherwise just like other children, then somewhere between 14 months and 3 years they start to regress.

Autistic children usually have problems in the following areas:

Communication

A number of children with Autism lose any speech that they have already developed since birth. Others speech becomes repetitive and rather than have an actual conversation, as much as a child will, they will repeat things they have heard or repea00000533t the same words over and over again. They may also develop echolalia which basically means that the last thing that you say is what they will answer. For example if you ask if they want a hamburger or a hot dog they will say hot dog and if it was the hamburger that they really wanted they will become upset that you misunderstood them.
They also have difficulty with non-verbal communication as in reading ****** expressions and have difficulty understanding humor or sarcasm.

Social Interaction

Usually Autistic children withdraw. They have difficulty making or maintaining friendships. They lose eye contact. They are happier keeping to themselves and appear uncomfortable in large settings of people. They are unwilling to be touched or held and will pull away when you try.

Unusual Way Of Playing

The Autistic child sees play objects in a different way and will use them differently than another child. They may like cars but will spin the wheels over and over again for hours. They have a tendency to organize objects and will spend hours lining them up and placing them in an order known just to them. Sometimes it is obvious to the casual observer but oftentimes not.

The child with Autism plays solitarily unless they are needing another 00004000person to use as an object e.g. they will sit on your lap at the table if they know that they need to be higher up on the chair to reach it. At these times they will simply back up and climb as they would an object.

Autistic children may engage in repetitive movements such as flapping of their hands or wriggling their fingers in front of their eyes.

They like a routine and will get upset if something is moved or if there is a change in the way things are usually done.

Note well, however, that these are just warning signs and a proper evaluation by a physician or psychologist is important to determine if it is truly Autism or another disorder.

It is also well to note that Autism is a Spectrum Disorder meaning that there can be a very large scale difference between one Autistic child and another.

Early intervention is important when dealing with this spectrum, the success of the child depends on it.

Donna Mason has been a Registered Nurse for the past 16 years. She is the mother of 6 children, 3 of whom have varying degrees of Autism. For more information on Autism signs and symptoms, and to learn more about this mother’s battle in the fight against this misunderstood condition, visit us on the web at: http://www.autisticadventures.blogspot.com

It would seem that the numbers of children diagnosed with autism is going up all the time. This might be because the higher functioning types of autism are just now being diagnosed and understood. Many children who were once labeled as shy and awkward are now being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The lower functioning types of autism are easier to spot, and they are often not hard to diagnose. A parent that knows more about the symtoms of autism in children will have an easier time deciding if their child needs evaluation or not.

Social Issues: One thing that seems to plague all children with autism is social awkwardness and problems interacting with peers. They don’t seem to be able to relate to anyone, have problems with eye contact, and tend to show signs of agitation rather easily. They also seem to prefer to play alone rather than rise to the challenge of making friends. They tend to show no emotional reaction to anything or anyone, and shy away from group activities.

Communicating: Those with autism might start out talking fine, but then regress later. Others have good communication skills. Some do not communicate with spoken words at all. Those with classic autism often use gestures rather than saying words, will repeat words and phrases that they do know, and often use odd phrases that rhyme over and over again.

Stimulus Response: One of the symptoms of autism is a lack of response to many things that others respond to right away. This is something that is often very obvious. They either respond in an inappropriate manner or not at all. Some will not respond to noises or stimulus in any way, which scares parents. Others might be overly sensitive to touch, sound, and even the feeling of clothing on their skin. They may also get lost in patterns and explore with0000086C rubbing and licking.

Atypical Behavior: Another of the common symptoms of autism in children is problematic behavior. This might include being completely passive, or being extremely and sometimes violently aggressive. These children often have tantrums. These tantrums might come with the slightest upset in normal routine. These children may be first diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder because they lack any type of attention span. They also demonstrate many repetitive movements, and seem to focus on one thing for a very long time.

Playtime: Though children with autism do play some, they often play on their own. The want to play with other children in many cases, but lack the social skills to maintain or even form friendships. This brings anxiety, and pushes them to play on their own where they feel safe. They may show repetition in play, and might be so focused on something that there seems to be nothing that will drag their attention away from what they are doing.

Though these symtoms of autism in children are often quite obvious, there are some children who hide these well, or function so well in most cases that one symptom might be mistakenly thought to be a different problem at first. If a parent suspects that there are any problems, and that they may have a child with autism, they want to get a diagnosis as quickly as possible. There are many great programs for children with autism. It is much easier on the parent, child, and entire family once a proper diagnosis can be reached.

By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a free newsletter for more information on autistic.In the newsletter you’ll find out more about the signs and symptoms of autism.

Allergy induced autism has only been recognized by scientists and doctors for a relatively short time since the “discovery” of autism. Since being recognized, its presence has become increasingly common; in line with the increase in autism cases.

Those who are at the highest risk for allergy induced autism are children who have regressive autism – that is, those children who develop normally and start regressing at around the age of two years – and children with behavioral and neurological problems in combination with extreme digestive issues (such as intractable constipation).

Such children are generally incapable of metabolizing (digesting) important common food proteins; specifically casein and gluten. Casein is one of milk’s main proteins and is also commonly utilized in the manufacturing of foods. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and several grains and is often added in the manufacturing of food.

In some children with autism, gluten and casein aren’t digested in the normal way. Instead, they are metabolized only partially and become a substance quite similar to morphine, which can pass through the wall of the digestive tract and enter the blood stream.

These children also often have a “mutant” form of protein in their urine after ingesting casein or gluten. This protein is believed to be the byproduct of the creation of the morphine-like substance; the result of which is “spacey” behavior in children and a virtual addiction to foods that contain casein and gluten.

Due to this improper digestive functioning, these children are also incapable of eliminating many of the chemicals within their environment and their food. These can include pesticides, pollution, detergent additives, artificial colorings and flavorings, chemical food additives, and other substances that can become toxic when built up to unusually high quantities.

The symptoms of autism will 0000259Etypically present themselves within a child’s first three years. While some autistic children may have intolerance to chemicals in food, other substances can impact other children. The most common “culprits” are believed to be corn, sugar, wheat, and citrus fruits. Symptoms may be completely unnoticeable, however, it is common for children with the disorder to experience low blood sugar, excessive sweating (particularly at night), bloating, diarrhea, incapability to regulate body temperature, rhinitis, a redness in the face and/or ears, and under-eye circles.

The reduction or elimination of problem substances from a child’s diet will not cure their autism, but it can help with some of the symptoms of allergy induced autism. And this approach has been found to be effective in many children and adults. The improvements reported have been significant in some cases, but for many children, who appeared to be severely autistic, restricting their diet has reduced their symptoms only as long as they don’t deviate from the strict dietary limitations.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans’ brand new Autism Newsletter – Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out about allergy induced autism and for information on different types of autism please visit The Essential Guide To Autism.