Possible Specific Symptoms of Autism

From: The Importance of Early Diagnosis in Autism,
Autism Society Ontario

for newborns to eighteen month olds with autism

At 18 months, an infant with autism may:

•Be late to smile or not smile
•Not demonstrate attachment behaviour especially to his/her primary caregiver
•Avoid people’s gaze
•Not reach out, even in anticipation of being picked up
•Not seek comforting or may be difficult to soothe
•Prefer to be alone
•Not cuddle
•Exhibit simple repeated actions with their body, such as flapping their hands or rocking
•Exhibit simple repeated action with objects, such as the wheels of a toy car
•Have an intense dislike of any changes in routines or the surroundings
•Show a lack of nonverbal communication:
-no gestures to communicate
-no response to body language
-not copying facial expressions or gestures, such as pointing, clapping or waving
•Show a lack of response to attempts to communicate with the infant
 
 for one and a half to four year olds with autism

Children with autism may:

•Prefer to be alone
•Not come for comfort, even when ill, hurt or tired
•Not imitate or have impaired imitation
•Avoid people’s gaze
•Lack an awareness of other people’s existence
•An older child may exhibit a failure to greet people or take turns while playing or interacting
•Have delayed language development
•Have weak language comprehension
•Fail to develop language for communication, e.g. the child does not use language to ask for something
•Lack appropriate gestures
•Have unusual first words
•Tend to repeat what is said to him or her
•Display an unusual manner of talking, e.g. with unusual tone, off-rhythm, squeaky, or sing-song voice
•Strangely manipulate objects, e.g. spinning them or aligning them
•Have unusual body movements, e.g. hand-flicking or hand twisting, spinning, head-banging, or whole body movements
•Persistently be preoccupied with parts of objects
•Show an attachment to unusual objects
•Show marked distress over changes in trivial aspects of the environment
•Show an unreasonable insistence on following routines in precise detail
•Have difficulty in toilet training
•Have extreme fears
 

in children aged four years & older

Children with autism may:

•Not imitate others
•Treat people like objects
•Lack an awareness of the existence or feelings of others
•Not play with other children
•Lack or have unusual emotional responses
•Be socially unresponsive
•Be indifferent or respond negatively to physical affection
•Show no interest in making friends
•Not understand conventions of social interaction, such as turn-taking
•Not initiate interactions
•Be socially awkward
•Show little expressive language
•Have delayed language development
•Rarely or never use appropriate gestures
•Show improper use of pronouns, statements and questions
•Fail to initiate conversation
•Say strange things
•Have unusual tone or rhythm of speech
•Not use speech in a meaningful way
•Repeat remarks made by others
•Frequently make irrelevant remarks
•Have great difficulty with abstract language
•Be preoccupied with one or only a few narrow interests
•Have an excessive need for sameness
•Show an attachment to unusual objects
•Show market distress over changes in trivial aspects of the environment
•Show unreasonable insistence on following routines in a particular and rigid way
•Twirl sticks, or flap pieces of paper
•Be fascinated with spinning objects
•Adhere to routines
•Be very good at rote memory tasks such as repeating lists of items or facts