What are the signs of autism?

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria, a child must show “persistent deficits in three areas of social communication and interaction plus at least two of four types of restricted, repetitive behaviors” in order to be diagnosed with autism.

While this criteria helps provide a diagnosis, it does not mean that the behaviors a child might present with will look the same for each individual. For example, one child with deficits in social awareness may struggle to reach out to their peers to initiate new connections, while another child may be very interested in meeting new people but has social anxiety. Here are some common signs and symptoms:

• A child with autism may avoid eye contact, be unable to respond to their name, lack appropriate facial expressions, use very few gestures, or show delays in other developmentally appropriate responses.
• Children with autism may also demonstrate repetitive behaviors or interests that lie outside of what is developmentally expected. This could look like a child being upset when their blocks are moved out of order, repeating the same phrases or words, getting frustrated with minor changes to their routine, or showing other signs of repetitive or restricted behavior.

• Many kids with autism have co-occurring conditions. Some commonly associated conditions include ADHD, asthma, epilepsy, sleep and immune disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, and OCD.

  Check out our article Autism 101 to learn more.