Autistic

There are a variety of signs that can suggest that a toddler might be autistic. These can include:

– A significant problem with developing non-verbal communication skills, such as facial expressions, body posture, and eye-to-eye gazing
– A lack of shared interests with other toddlers
– A failure to make friendships with children of the same age
– Difficulty understanding other peoples’ feelings, or a lack of empathy
– Delayed speech, or a lack of talking
– Repetitive use of language, often a phrase or word that the toddler has heard previously
– An un-usual focus on the smaller parts of a toy (such as a wheel on a toy car rather than the car itself
– A Preoccupation with patterned topics, such as license plates or train schedules
– An inability to function without a routine (such as going to school via the same route every day)
– Rocking of the body or flapping of the hands
– A lack of interest in age-appropriate games
– The appearance of hearing difficulties
– Some form of special skills, such as memorizing lists or calculating dates
– Unusual sense perceptions, such as not feeling pain or seeming to be overly sensitive to pain.

Fortunately for the child with autism and for his parents, autism does not have to be totally disabling. If diagnosed early and treated appropriately, most toddlers with autism will indeed improve their ability to relate with others, and to help themselves, and to communicate. Most autistic children don’t have to continue to live in their own world, socially isolated from everyone else. Still, roughly 2/3 of people with autism as adults are not able to lead independent lives, requiring a variety of care giving well into adulthood and through the rest of their lives.

Source:
http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/what-are-the-signs-of-toddler-autism