of others' feelings
Doesn't point at or bring objects to share interest
Inappropriately approaches a social interaction by being passive, aggressive or disruptive
Has difficulty recognizing nonverbal cues, such as interpreting other people's facial expressions, body postures or tone of voice
Patterns of behaviour
A child or adult with autism spectrum disorder may have limited, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities, including any of these signs:
Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping
Performs activities that could cause self-harm, such as biting or head-banging
Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change
Has problems with coordination or has odd movement patterns, such as clumsiness or walking on toes, and has odd, stiff or exaggerated body language
Is fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn't understand the overall purpose or function of the object
Is unusually sensitive to light, sound or touch, yet may be indifferent to pain or temperature
Doesn't engage in imitative or make-believe play
Fixates on an object or activity with abnormal intensity or focus
Has specific food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or refusing foods with a certain texture
As they mature, some children with autism spectrum disorder become more engaged with others and show fewer disturbances in behaviour. Some, usually those with the least severe problems, eventually may lead normal or near-normal lives. Others, however, continue to have difficulty with language or social skills, and the teen years can bring worse behavioural and emotional problems.
When to see a doctor
Babies develop at their own pace, and many don't follow exact timelines found in some parenting books. But children with autism spectrum disorder usually show some signs of delayed development before age 2 years.
If you're concerned about your child's development or you suspect that your child may have autism spectrum disorder, discuss your concerns with your doctor. The symptoms associated with the disorder can also be linked with other developmental disorders.
Signs of autism spectrum disorder often appear early in development when there are obvious delays in language skills and social interactions. Your doctor may recommend developmental tests to identify if your child has delays in cognitive, language and social skills, if your child:
Doesn't respond with a smile or happy expression by 6 months
Doesn't mimic sounds or facial expressions by 9 months
Doesn't babble or coo by 12 months
Doesn't gesture — such as point or wave — by 14 months
Doesn't say single words by 16 months
Doesn't play "make-believe" or pretend by 18 months
Doesn't say two-word phrases by 24 months
Loses language skills or social skills at any age
No link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder
One of the greatest controversies in autism spectrum disorder canters on whether a link exists between the disorder and childhood vaccines. Despite extensive research, no reliable study has shown a link between autism spectrum disorder and any vaccines. In fact, the original study that ignited the debate years ago has been retracted due to poor design and questionable research methods.
Avoiding childhood vaccinations can place your child and others in danger of catching and spreading serious diseases, including whooping cough (pertussis), measles or mumps.
Risk factors
The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder is rising. It's not clear whether this is due to better detection and reporting or a real increase in the number of cases, or both.
Autism spectrum disorder affects children of all races and nationalities, but certain factors increase a child's risk. These may include:
Your child's sex. Boys are about four times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder than girls are.
Family history. Families who have one child with autism spectrum disorder have an increased risk of having another child with the disorder. It's also not uncommon for parents or relatives of a child with autism spectrum disorder to have minor problems with social or communication skills themselves or to engage in certain behaviors typical of the disorder.
Other disorders. Children with certain medical conditions have a higher than normal risk of autism spectrum disorder or autism-like symptoms. Examples include fragile X syndrome, an inherited disorder that causes intellectual problems; tuberous sclerosis, a condition in which benign tumors develop in the brain; and Rett syndrome, a genetic condition occurring almost exclusively in girls, which causes slowing of head growth, intellectual disability and loss of purposeful hand use.
Extremely preterm babies. Babies born before 26 weeks of gestation may have a greater risk of autism spectrum disorder.
Parents' ages. There may be a connection between children born to older parents and autism spectrum disorder, but more research is necessary to establish this link.
Complications
Problems with social interactions, communication and behaviour can lead to:
Problems in school and with successful learning
Employment problems
Inability to live independently
Social isolation
Stress within the family
Victimization and being bullied
Prevention
There's no way to prevent autism spectrum disorder, but there are treatment options. Early diagnosis and intervention is most helpful and can improve behaviour, skills and language development. However, intervention is helpful at any age. Though children usually don't outgrow autism spectrum disorder symptoms, they may learn to function well.
