Diagnosing autism can be difficult since there is no medical test, like a blood test, to diagnose the disorder. Doctors look at the child’s behavior and development to make a diagnosis.
If your child exhibits some of these signs, or you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks, or acts, contact your child’s doctor, and share your concerns:
- Lacks appropriate eye contact
- Prefers to be alone
- Echoes words or phrases
- Has difficulty interacting with others
- Flaps their hands, rocks their body, or spins in circles
- Insists on sameness or repetition
- Has inappropriate attachments to objects
- Laughs or giggles inappropriately
- Dislikes cuddling
- Has difficulty expressing needs; may use gestures
- Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
- Displays no real fear of dangers
- Appears insensitive to pain
- Exhibits sustained unusual or repetitive play; uneven physical or verbal skill
