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Kamloops Infant Development society
Autism Red Flags
Autism Red Flags
Here are some red flags for Autism. These red flags are not meant as a diagnostic tool, only as early warning signs.
What to watch for in toddlers aged 12-24 months
- No words by 16 months
- Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys or excessively lines up toys or other objects
- Is attached to one particular toy or object
- At times, seems to be hearing impaired
- Does not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
- Does not play "pretend" games (e.g. pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months
- Avoids eye contact and wants to be alone
- Avoids or resists physical contact
- Is not comforted by others during distress
- Gives unrelated answers to questions
- Gets upset by minor changes
- Has obsessive interests
- Flaps his hands, rocks his body, or spins in circles
- Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
- Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions
- Has a loss of speech or babbling or social skills
What to watch for in toddlers 2 years and older
- Has a lack of gestures: pointing, reaching, waving, showing
- Has a lack of sharing interest or enjoyment with others
- Does repetitive movements with objects
- Lack of appropriate eye gaze
- Has a lack of response to name (something parents report very frequently)
- Has a lack of warm, joyful expressions
- Unusual prosody (rhythm and intonation of language talks in a flat, robot-like, or sing-song voice)
- Does repetitive movements or posturing of the body
- Has no two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Has trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
- Repeats words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
- Only interacts to achieve a desired goal
- Does not understand personal space boundaries
- Avoids or resists physical contact
- Is not comforted by others during distress
- Gives unrelated answers to questions
- Gets upset by minor changes
- Has obsessive interests
- Flaps her hands, rocks her body, or spins in circles
- Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
- Has flat or inappropriate facial expressions
- Plays with toys the same way every time
- Likes parts of objects (e.g. wheels)
- Is very organized
- Has to follow certain routines
- Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys, or excessively lines up toys or other objects
- At times, seems to be hearing impaired
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