Friday, November 9, 2007

Red Flags of Autism


I am often asked: how did I know...what were the early warning signs? Well, I came across this list of social & communication red flags (source www.firstsigns.org) just before Matthew turned two and that's what tipped me off. One of these days (when I have time!) I will write a post detailing Matthew's history up the day he was diagnosed with ASD.

If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician for an immediate evaluation:

  • No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
  • No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
  • No babbling by 12 months
  • No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
  • No words by 16 months
  • No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
  • Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

Matthew began to point and wave at 26 months and is now starting to put 2 words together. We are very proud of him!

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