Autism: signs and symptoms between 0 and 3 years

Usually the child who has some degree of autism has difficulty communicating and playing with other children, although no physical changes appear. In addition, it can also exhibit inappropriate behaviors, which are often justified by parents or family members such as hyperactivity or shyness, for example.

Autism is a syndrome that causes problems in communication, socialization and behavior, and its diagnosis can only be confirmed when the child is able to communicate to demonstrate the signs, which usually happens between 2 and 3 years of age. To find out what it is and what causes this condition, check out infantile autism.

However, in the baby from 0 to 3 years old, it is already possible to notice some of the warning signs and symptoms, such as:

1. Newborn does not react to sounds

The baby is able to hear and react to this stimulus since pregnancy and when it is born it is normal to be frightened when it hears a very loud noise, such as when an object falls close to it. It is also normal for the child to turn his face to the side where the sound of a song or toy comes from and in this case, the autistic baby does not show any interest and does not react to any type of sound, which can leave his parents worried, thinking about the possibility of deafness.

The ear test can be performed and shows that there is no hearing impairment, increasing the suspicion that the baby has some alteration.

2. Baby makes no sound

It is normal that when babies are awake, they try to interact, drawing the attention of parents or their caregivers with small screams and moans, which are called babbling. In case of autism, the baby does not make a sound because despite having no impairment in speech, he prefers to remain silent, without interacting with others around him, so the autistic baby does not make sounds like "drool", "ada" or "ohh".

Children over 2 years old must already form small sentences, but in the case of autism it is common for them to not use more than 2 words, forming a sentence, and are limited to just pointing out what they want using an adult's finger or then they repeat the words that are said to him several times in a row.

Read the guidelines of our speech therapist to find out what to do if your child has only changes in speech development.

3. Does not smile and has no facial expressions

Babies can start smiling at about 2 months, and although they do not know exactly what a smile means, they 'train' these facial movements, especially when they are close to adults and other children. In the autistic baby the smile is not present and the child can always look the same facial expression, as if he was never happy or satisfied.

4. Don't like hugs and kisses

Usually babies like kisses and hugs because they feel more secure and loved. In the case of autism, there is a certain repulsion for proximity and therefore the baby does not like to be held, does not look in the eyes

5. Does not respond when called

At 1 year of age the child is already able to respond when called, so when the father or mother calls for him, he can make a sound or go to him. In the case of the autistic person, the child does not respond, does not make a sound and does not address the caller, ignoring him completely, as if he had not heard anything.

6. Don't play with other children

In addition to not trying to be close to other children, autists prefer to stay away from them, avoiding all kinds of approach, fleeing from them.

7. Has repetitive movements

One of the characteristics of autism is stereotyped movements, which consist of movements that are repeated constantly, such as moving your hands, hitting your head, hitting your head on the wall, swinging or having other more complex movements. These movements can begin to be noticed after 1 year of life and tend to remain and intensify if treatment is not started.

What to do if you suspect autism

If the baby or child has some of these signs, it is recommended to consult the pediatrician to assess the problem and identify whether it is in fact a symptom of autism, initiating the appropriate treatment with psychomotricity, speech therapy and medication sessions, for example.

Generally, when autism is identified early, it is possible to have therapy with the child, in order to improve his communication and relationship skills, drastically reducing the degree of autism and allowing him to have a life similar to that of other children his age.

To understand about how to treat, check out autism treatment.