Detecting autism in children

Autism spectrum disorder or ASD refers to a developmental and neurological disorder that begins in a person’s early childhood and lasts throughout his or her life. Autism greatly affects how a person will learn and interact with others. Studies show that by the age of two, signs or symptoms can be identified to aid parents in recognizing if their child may have the disorder, explains behavioral medicine professional Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Neurologists state that the most common method for detecting autism is a comparative measurement of a child’s development with given milestones established for children in the same age group. One sign of early autism is an impaired ability to communicate. Children with ASD may exhibit marked inability to initiate or sustain conversations, repetitive use of language, or delay or total lack of spoken language.

Aside from communication barriers, many undiagnosed children will display social cues that show that they are not developing like other kids of the same age group. These are an inability to reciprocate emotions; failure to develop relationships with peers; repetitive patterns of behavior; and impairment in nonverbal behaviors such as eye contact, body posture, and facial expression. Experts would usually look for at least two of these symptoms when diagnosing autism.

A child with ASD may choose not to converse at all, or simply repeat things they hear. Many of them will repeat lines they like from games, movies, TV shows, and commercials. They may also insist on listening to the same song, watching the same film, or have a fascination with certain objects like toys, cars, or even geometric shapes, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Dr. Curtis Cripe is the head of research and development at the NTL Group, which specializes in the development of brain-based technology for treating various neurological disorders. Visit this blog for similar posts.