Signs of Autism in Babies — “Is my baby in the spectrum?”
Having a baby is rewarding and enjoyable despite the constant diaper changes and sleepless nights. But along with happiness comes our endless worries. As parents, we have an intimate understanding of your child’s development. When they do not reach the expected milestones for their age, we worry that something’s wrong.
Developmental delays are common in childhood, occurring in 10 to 15 percent of preschool children—while about 1 to 3 percent experience global developmental delays. If you think there’s cause for concern over how your child acts, speaks, talks, plays, or learns, it is imperative to spot it early. Then, you should see a doctor for further evaluation.
In this blog, we will tell you the possible signs of autism in babies and autism-related developmental delays in 6- to 12-month-old children, to prepare and empower you as parents.
What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are a series of physical or behavioural checkpoints in a child’s growth. This means that children are expected to perform specific tasks at a certain age, such as taking the first step, waving “bye-bye”, or smiling for the first time. In each age range, milestones are different and emerge over time, serving as a framework for learning and growth. Milestones include cognitive skills, motor coordination, social interaction, and adaptive responses.
Children develop at their own pace. Some skip milestones, while others take their time. Therefore, observing your child’s development is crucial to detecting problems. Well-baby consultations are targeted to catch developmental delays early on and to evaluate for certain conditions that may affect a child’s development, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What is a developmental delay?
Typically, a developmental delay occurs when a child does not achieve milestones compared to children of the same age. The degree of developmental delay can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe. This means that a child’s development does not follow a typical pattern. A child with autism, for example, has language abilities but cannot use them to communicate. Meanwhile, developmental regression occurs when a child has normal development during the first few months or even years of life but fails to acquire new skills or loses previously acquired skills.
Not every child with a delay will have a developmental disability, a severe and lifelong impairment in areas of development that can affect adaptive, learning, and self-sufficiency skills.
Early signs of autism in babies
Catching the early signs of autism in babies is vital so that they will receive proper treatment. Here are the signs and symptoms common to infants between 6 and 12 months old that could indicate further evaluation is needed.
1. Has little to no eye contact and joint attention
Joint attention refers to two people sharing a focus on the same object after one alerts the other to the item using nonverbal or verbal cues. For instance, a parent or caregiver points to a toy or tells the child about it. After, the child will look at the toy. Joint attention is vital to communicating, connecting, and interacting with others.
Meanwhile, babies as early as six to eight weeks old start to look you in the eye. From there, they would consistently use eye contact to get someone’s behaviour and share focus with their caregivers. In children with autism, however, they may look you in the eye for the first weeks of life, but the behaviour will change and drop as time passes by.
2. Inconsistency in respond to name
One of the most documented behaviours in infancy that distinguishes children with autism from those with typical development is a decreased tendency to respond to their names. Failure to respond consistently to a child’s name by their first birthday is often an early sign of autism spectrum disorder.
3. Shows no or less response to a parent's smile or other facial expressions
By age 4 months, babies can copy facial expressions like smiling or frowning. Meanwhile, at 6 months old, babies should recognise other people’s emotions and be able to respond to them. However, a child on the spectrum does not always smile back when you beam at them. Sometimes, they respond to certain expressions or experiences with inappropriate facial expressions.
4. Does not point and use gestures
Gesturing is one of the earliest forms of communication. Before children learn to talk, they use gestures to communicate. Some examples include waving “bye-bye”, clapping their hands without being asked to, and shaking their heads to say no or nodding to say yes—meanwhile, infants with autism point and gesture much less than other children.
Also, autistic children rarely point or hold objects to show you things, for example, pointing at a dog and looking back at you to ensure you’re also looking at it. Another sign is that their gaze does not follow you when you’re pointing or looking at something.
5. Does not babble
Babies usually begin babbling around 6 to 7 months of age. Infants can now produce sounds by mixing vowels with consonants, generating syllables. Babbling is an integral part of developing language skills.
Studies have shown that babies later diagnosed with autism are slower to start babbling and do so less often than other babies. Additionally, they cannot coo or make sounds, and they cannot babble words like “mama”, “baba”, or “dada.”
6. Seeks your attention infrequently
Naturally, babies are clingy to their parents or primary caregivers. Whenever you stepped out or left them alone, they would cry. However, those with autism may not cry, even when in pain. In some instances, they do not manifest any fear.
Infants with excessive passivity do not cry, are not interested in their surroundings, and do not move as much. They seem comfortable and show no signs of distress or hunger. In some instances, you may observe that your child sleeps all night long in the initial months of life.
7. Has speech or language delay
Infants and toddlers start talking at different ages. Although delayed speech is not unique to autism, parents of young autistic children frequently claim it is their top concern. However, according to a study, one-year-old infants on the spectrum often speak and comprehend fewer words than other children. Therefore, parents should consult a paediatrician if their kid is not talking by the time they are 16 months old or utilising two-word phrases by age two.
8. Does not reach up when parents try to pick them up
Babies frequently grasp up when they notice you approaching to grab them. Then, seeing your hand gesture, they get excited and flare their hands up. Children on the spectrum, however, don’t reach out to be picked up. Also, they don’t respond to cuddling or respond to social cues from others.
9. Does not respond to sounds and laugh
A baby’s laugh is music to the ears, especially when they squeal with excitement. Unfortunately, babies with autism do not laugh or even smile on their own. They also don’t turn their heads to locate where sounds come from. Additionally, they don’t turn their heads to look in the direction of the sounds. These infants also don’t attempt to get your attention or exhibit enthusiasm for activities like peek-a-boo.
10. Does not crawl or stand on their own
Typically, infants by age 8 months can sit on their own unsupported and begin to crawl by age 9 months. Babies will start pulling themselves up to stand between 7 and 12 months. Infants with autism don’t crawl and can’t stand when supported. Further, they become obsessed with some objects, carrying them for extended periods.
My child has signs of autism – now what?
Developmental milestones are guidelines to see if your child is developing as other kids. But remember that children develop at their own pace. However, early intervention is the key to helping children with autism get the help they need.
Meanwhile, spotting these signs in your baby will not automatically mean they have autism. A plethora of factors play roles in your child’s behaviour. So it’s helpful to see a developmental paediatrician for a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis.
It’s important to know that it’s not your fault. But you can do something to help your baby thrive and live a full life in the future. So please schedule a consultation with us today for an evaluation and to learn more about early autism signs, or call +65 6456 9950.
