What is Autism?
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children in the United States today.
Early Signs of Autism
Social communication and social interaction characteristics related to ASD can include:
- Avoids or does not keep eye contact
- Does not respond to name by 9 months of age
- Does not show facial expressions like happy, sad, angry, and surprised by 9 months of age
- Does not play simple interactive games like pat-a-cake by 12 months of age
Restricted or repetitive interests and behaviors
- Lines up toys or other objects and gets upset when order is changed
- Repeats words or phrases over and over (i.e., echolalia)
- Plays with toys the same way every time
- Is focused on parts of objects (e.g., wheels)
Developmental Milestones
Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. Performing certain actions and learning skills are considered developmental milestones.
M-CHAT-R Autism Test
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a screener that will ask a series of 20 questions about your child’s behavior. The results will let you know if a further evaluation may be needed.
