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