Signs of autism in older children and teenagers might become noticeable when children have difficulty adjusting to new social situations in the school environment – for example, understanding and following instructions, making friends, and having age-appropriate interests. The number of signs varies according to children’s ages and the effect that autism has on their everyday lives. Some children have many early signs, whereas others have only a few.

not be interested in playing with other children.In the toddler years, signs of autism become more noticeable as children are expected to start talking and playing with other children. For example, children who are later diagnosed with autism might: In the first year of life, signs include differences in children’s social and communication development. Signs of autismĮarly signs of autism usually appear before children are 2 years old. Researchers have found many possible genes that might play a role in the development of autism. It’s more likely that several genes combine and act together. But it’s unlikely that one specific gene is responsible for autism. But it means that in autistic children, parts of the brain communicate with each other in an atypical way.Įvidence strongly suggests a genetic basis to autism. We don’t know why this rapid growth happens. The brains of autistic children tend to grow faster than average during early childhood, especially during the first three years of life. There might be several causes, including brain development and genetic factors. We don’t know exactly what causes autism. We’re making this change over time, so you’ll still see some articles that use a different approach. Many autistic people prefer this approach. This involves referring to ‘autistic children’, for example, rather than to ‘children with autism’. uses ‘identity first’ language to talk about autism, rather than ‘person first’ language. flutter fingers to the side of their eyes to watch the light flicker.Īutistic children have these characteristics because their brains have developed differently from other children’s brains.seek vibrating objects like the washing machine.do things like flicking a light switch repeatedly.Īutistic children might also be under-sensitive or over-sensitive to taste, touch, sight and sounds.

do repetitive movements like body-rocking or hand-flapping.make repetitive noises like grunts, throat-clearing or squealing.be confused by language and take things literally.įor example, children might collect only sticks or play only with cars.not use words or gestures to communicate.not use eye contact to get someone’s attention.Autistic children have three key characteristics.ĭifficulty interacting and communicating with others

Autism spectrum