Knowing how to detect autism as early as possible to quickly start early intervention for the child is key to achieving the best results in the child’s development. To achieve this goal, it is essential that parents, teachers, and all people related to the child’s environment know what autism is and all its characteristics.
What is autism and what are its symptoms?
Autism is a neurobiological disorder whose symptoms are detected in the child’s early years and last a lifetime.
The list of autism symptoms to consider for knowing how to detect autism focuses, above all, on significant deficiencies in communicating and interacting, as well as on the appearance of repetitive behavioral patterns.
We can start thinking about how to detect autism when the child exhibits some of the following behaviors:
• Disinterest in schoolmates
• Does not share their interests with others, even through gestures
• Does not engage in symbolic play
• Does not establish eye contact with the interlocutor
• Has literal language (if it exists)
• Avoids physical contact
• Reacts little to their parents’ voice
• May show unusual and always repetitive movements, such as rocking or walking on tiptoes.
How and when to detect autism?
Autism and autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed at 3 years of age. The role of parents is fundamental to knowing how to detect autism, as they are the first to notice that their child’s development does not follow typical patterns. Various investigations have shown that when parents express their doubts about a child’s behavior, they are usually correct. It is advisable to perform the corresponding tests quickly.
How to detect autism in babies
Knowing how to detect autism in babies is one of the main questions faced by pediatricians and early childhood education experts, other professionals who are in direct contact with the little ones.
When visiting a neuropediatrician, the specialist will perform various standardized tests that can help determine how to detect autism and certify the diagnosis, taking into account unusual behaviors in infants, such as:
• Crying regulation problems
• Lack of social smile
• Does not point to objects
• Absence of babbling
• Emission of sounds and expression of few words
• Regression of skills from 18 months onwards
Detection of autism in children
From 3 years of age, children should currently already be diagnosed. This does not imply that there are still many cases to resolve, most of the time because it is difficult to know how to detect autism when this disorder is associated with other pathologies.
Late detection of autism
The later autism is detected in a child, the longer it takes for them to receive appropriate attention for the stimulation of their skills and behaviors. That is, they are not allowed to advance in their development. For this reason, it is essential that parents go to the pediatrician and professionals as soon as they notice the first symptoms to know how to detect autism.
Degrees of autism
In addition to knowing how to detect autism, it is important that we know the different degrees of autism that exist:
Grade 1 autistic disorder is the most profound, and the one we identify most commonly.
Regressive autism of grade 2 appears at a certain point in development. That is, when the child already has acquired skills that they will progressively lose.
High-functioning autism, or grade 3, is the mildest. Therefore, the child may have an apparently normal development in many aspects. These children are the ones in whom it is most difficult to know how to detect autism.
At ISEP, we take this type of disorder very seriously, which is why it is an important part of our Master’s in Autism Spectrum Disorders, where everything necessary to face it with guarantees and in a professional and appropriate manner is covered. If you are interested in receiving information about this master’s program, contact us and we will resolve all your doubts.