What are Autism Symptoms in Toddlers |Autism Help

Toddlers are cute, bubbly, happy and smiling! They respond gleefully when called by their names. They giggle when we clap or show something that amuses them.

What if the child doesn’t respond?

I have met several mothers who initially thought that their baby had a a hearing impairment. Parents rush to the Doctor saying that the baby doesn’t react when clapped or even turn around or smile when clapped.

Well – it might be a hearing problem, but autism cannot be ruled out as well.

That’s not all, these toddlers are seen to show some repetitive behaviors that include flapping of hands, moving hands in a particular head, unusual signs like jumping on bed, moving or shaking legs and heads unusually and not responding to any calls from parents or anyone.

Parents can look out for some Early Signs of Autism that might just make autism diagnosis a bit easier and probably quicker.

Read: Can Autism be detected during pregnancy?

3 Classic Autism Symptoms to Check in Toddlers

First – Lack of Joint Attention

What is that?

Suppose the baby is lying down on the bed.

You move a toy or a ball just above his eyes. Doesn’t the baby look back and forth with the object? The baby connects with the person as well – smiles, giggles, hand movements, shows excitement or many even fear, cries out. The baby is engaged – this is called joint attention.

When the baby exchanges emotional expressions that can be ( happiness in form of giggles and smiles), cries out, shows excitement, fear, reacts, makes sounds and gestures – these are all normal signs and known as reciprocal social interaction.

This is extremely important for autism diagnosis.

It is seen that babies with autism do not react like other babies. They usually do not have any such expression.

Second – The Use of Hand Gestures

By the age of 12 months most toddlers can easily and happily look right in the direction of an object or if the parent points at something.

They will again look back at the parent and usually smile.

But children with autism will IGNORE this. This is when parents start worrying about the hearing abilities of the baby.

By 15 months of age, most babies can point and reach out for objects they desire. However, children on the autism spectrum might not do so.

Toddlers with mild autism might take the parent’s hand and lead the parent towards the object.

Third – NO eye contact

Your baby will not look at you when you call out.

The baby doesn’t seem to hear and doesn’t look at your eyes – no matter what the situation is.

Lack or NO eye contact is a classic symptom of autism.

However, with time, there are several other symptoms that can be seen in toddlers with autism.

Autism Symptoms in Toddlers

Remember, all babies are not the same and so their symptoms wouldn’t be the same as well. Your baby might have many of these symptoms or none.

Social communication difficulties:

Delayed or absent development of spoken language.
Difficulty initiating or sustaining conversations.
Limited or no eye contact.
Difficulty understanding nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions or gestures.
Lack of interest in sharing experiences or emotions with others.

Impaired social interaction:

Difficulty developing and maintaining relationships with peers.
Lack of interest in playing or interacting with other children.
Limited or absent imaginative or pretend to play.
Preference for solitary activities.

Engaging in repetitive movements or behaviors (e.g., hand-flapping, rocking)

Parents often notice that there are certain activities that the child does again and again. Usually, other children of the same age do not do these.

Insistence on sameness and strict adherence to routines.
The toddler remains preoccupied with certain things and doesn’t show interest in usual things.
Unusual sensory interests or sensitivities (e.g., fascination with lights or textures, hypersensitivity to certain sounds).

Delayed speech and language development.

This is perhaps the most common symptom that alerts parents. The toddler shows.

Difficulty understanding and using gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
Echolalia (repeating words or phrases without understanding their meaning).
Unusual pitch, tone, or rhythm of speech.

Sensory sensitivities:

The toddler is hypersensitive to sensory input (e.g., touch, sound, taste, smell, sight).
The child feels overwhelmed or uncomfortable in certain environment. These include areas that have loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces.
The toddler reacts by producing unusual or intense reactions to specific stimuli (e.g., covering ears, avoiding certain textures).

Also Read: Start Improving your Life in 7 Days

People Also Ask:

How do I know if my 2-year-old has autism?

There are several signs to look for. Call your child by his or her name. If the toddler doesn’t respond at all, it might autism. Also, if you notice your child is not waving bye-bye or even clapping when being asked to, it can be a sign. It might be a sign if the baby doesn’t consistently smile back or react when people smile at them.

Do autistic babies sleep a lot?

Autistic toddlers have immense problems in sleeping and settling down. They do not have regular sleeping or waking patterns. They can sleep very late and get up quite early. They can even sleep a lot less than other children of their age.

What is mild autism in Toddlers?

It is a type of autism, where the toddler faces difficulty in interacting and communicating with others. The toddler can also be quite sensitive to tastes, pain, sounds and other sensations. But, the baby carries out other tasks quite well.

What are the signs of mild autism?

The child plays only certain games – can be 1 game only.
The child is quite reluctant to make friends or engage in experiences.
The child is not happy if there is disruption in routines.
The child doesn’t like some forms of interaction like cuddling and hugging.

Can a child recover from mild autism?

Autism is a lifelong condition but it is known that 3-25% of children slowly recover from autism and lead a normal life.

Do Autistic kids smile?

Very rarely. They do not show much facial expression, or they cannot express their happiness.

Can Autism be reduced?

There is actually no cure for autism because it is a condition, and it needs to be managed. Children need to go for various therapies that will help them to keep the condition managed.