Behavior of Infants and Children with Autism

Communication

Infants With Autism

Avoid eye contact
Seem deaf
Start developing language, then abruptly stop talking all together

Normal Infants

Study mother's face
Easily stimulated by sounds
Keep adding to their vocabulary and expanding grammatical usage

Social Relationships

Children With Autism

Act as if unaware of the coming and going of others
Physically attack and injure others without provocation
Inaccessible, as if in a shell

Normal Children

Cry when mother leaves the room and are anxious with strangers
Get upset when hungry or frustrated
Recognize familiar faces and smile

Additional Red Flags that Parents Should Note:

Your Child May Have Autism if He/She:

* does not respond to his/her name.

* cannot explain what he/she wants.

* language skills are slow to develop or speech is delayed.

* doesn’t follow directions.

* at times, seems to be deaf.

* doesn’t point or wave "bye-bye."

* used to say a few words or babble, but now doesn't.

* throws intense or violent tantrums.

* has odd movement patterns.

* is overly active, uncooperative, or resistant.

* doesn't know how to play with toys.

* doesn't smile when smiled at.

* has poor eye contact.

* gets "stuck" doing the same things over and over and can't move on to other things.

* seems to prefer to play alone.

* gets things for him/herself only.

* is very independent for his/her age.

* does things "early" compared to other children.

* seems to be in his/her "own world."

* seems to tune people out.

* is not interested in other children.

* walks on his/her toes.

* shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules

(i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants).

* spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.

Source: Filipek et al. (1999). Screening and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29(6): 439-484.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These lists are not intended to be used to assess whether a particular child has autism. Diagnosis should only be done by a specialist using highly detailed background information and behavioral observations.