7 Early Signs of Autism That Should Not Be Ignored!
Early signs of autism are often subtle and hard to recognize. These early signs of autism are often perceived as awkward and normal mannerisms of a growling child. That is why autism is not diagnosed until much later.
However, understanding and recognizing the early signs of autism can help your child tremendously. There are many early intervention programs and different therapy treatments that can boost your child’s social and academic development and gradually make them more independent and self-reliant.
Autism is a developmental disorder that is marked by difficulty with social interaction and communication. It is important to understand that autism does not mean that something is wrong with your child. Individuals who are diagnosed with Autism can tend to have high intelligence quotient, amazing creativity and a unique style of approaching life.
The major impact is seen on their ability to socialize and interact with others. That is why most children with autism will show intense discomfort and awkward behaviors when asked to interact with others.
More than 1 million cases of autism are reported in India each year. The prevalence of autism in the UK is increasing with every 1 in 100 children being diagnosed with Autism.
The developmental disorder is increasingly common and helping our children at a young age with appropriate therapy support can be a complete game-changer in how their adult life turns out.
The first step is to recognize and accept the early signs of autism. Many parents remain in denial because they believe that autism means something is wrong with their child. As parents it is normal to feel this way. However denial will cause more harm to your child who can benefit amazingly from adequate therapy treatments.
6 Major Early Signs of Autism
1. Constantly moving
This is one of the most common early signs of autism in children. The constant moving and restlessness may be an attempt to process their surroundings visually.
They might move their eyes in a rapid, jerky motion, or have a habit of constantly moving their head from side to side or up and down. This is not a sign of them being disobedient or even mischievous, but rather a way for them to learn about their environment and process what they see
If your child is constantly in motion, try to let them know that it’s okay to sit still sometimes. There is no need to start punishing them or scolding them for their behaviour, but you can gently encourage them to stay still.
This may be a sign that they’re under too much sensory stimulation, so try to reduce the noise and visual stimuli in your home. This might include keeping the TV on mute or limiting the number of people who are around.
2. Lack of eye contact
One of the most early signs of autism is lack of eye contact.. Autistic children may seem to avoid eye contact at all costs, or they may look away every time you try to look them in the eyes.
This may be due to a sensitivity to light, or they may just not understand the importance of making eye contact while talking to other people. If your child has a form of autism that prevents them from learning to make eye contact, try to be patient. They might respond better to communication methods like typed messages or even sign language.
3. No response to their name being called
Some kids just have a hard time hearing their name whenever it’s called and will ignore it, but if your child does that very often then it could indicate early signs of autism.
If your child is nonverbal (meaning they aren’t old enough to talk), this is a normal part of their development. However, if they’re old enough to speak and still don’t respond to their name, it could be a sign they don’t understand what you’re saying to them.
4. Difficulty communicating and interacting with others
If your child is having trouble communicating with others, they may be showing early signs of autism.
Autism is characterized by difficulty, delay and discomfort with social interaction and communication. Children with autism generally like to keep to themselves and prefer being aloof. It could be possible that your child is simply shy or introverted but extreme social avoidance can indicate something serious.
If you notice that your child prefers to remain alone and finds social settings uncomfortable then you can talk to a child counsellor to understand the underlying cause of such behavior.
5. Repeated behaviors or rituals
If your child has a habit of doing the same thing repeatedly, especially if they can’t seem to stop themselves, they may have autism.
Some kids do this because they want to learn everything there is to know about a specific thing, while others might do this because they’re anxious. If your child has a specific interest, like collecting rocks, that’s normal.
But if they’re interested in collecting only specific rocks, and they absolutely must collect them every day, there could be something more serious at play. It could denote early signs of autism.
Kids with autism may also have certain things that they have to do over and over. This might be related to something like their daily schedule, or sitting in the same place only, eating the same breakfast etc, using only one route to go somewhere etc.
6. Inability to understand what other people are thinking or feeling
If your child has trouble reading other people’s facial expressions or actions, they may have autism. People with this condition tend to miss social cues that other kids their age are able to pick up on.
Children with Autism often struggle with recognizing when someone is in a bad mood, or they might not understand the importance of apologizing when they’ve made other people upset.
If your child seems oblivious to the emotions of others, try to have a discussion with them about basic human emotions. For example, you could ask them why people smile or why they make certain expressions.
What Can You Do?
It may be difficult to come to terms with the fact that your child could be diagnosed with Autism. However we urge you to not lose any hope and dreams of giving your child the best life they can have.
Many children with autism have grown up to achieve success, create healthy relationships and establish a stable family and personal life. The biggest and the most infamous example is Albert Einstein.
When you notice any ‘different’ or awkward behaviors in your child, talk to a child counsellor to understand your child better instead of ignoring them or staying in denial.
Giving a strong familial support, and being consistent with their therapy treatments can help your child overcome the challenges of autism spectrum disorder and lead a happier and stable life.
A Child Counsellor can play a major role in your child’s mental and emotional well-being. Hence, feel free to clear any doubts and ensure that you have found the right and trusted Child Counsellor
We understand that these constant struggles can drain your energy and the whole process of finding the best Child Counsellor can feel like a hassle. The hardest part is just the start.
And we are here to make sure that your hardest part turns into a smooth and easy step towards giving the best care to your child. Our Child Counsellor meets all these important criteria and are highly trusted and top professionals.
Let us cover the hassles for you so you can be assured that your child is in the right care!
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