A child or adult with an Autism Spectrum Disorder might display the following signs or symptoms:

Social Skills

• Fail to respond to his or her name
• Have poor eye contact
• Do not babble or coo
• Do not point, reach, or wave to show interest
• Do not look at objects when another person points at them
• Prefer not to be held or cuddled or might cuddle only when they want to
• Prefer play alone - retreats into his or her "own world"
• Appear to be unaware when other people talk to them but respond to other sounds
• Have trouble relating to others or not have an interest in other people at all
• Have trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
• Have difficulty understanding social “rules” and relationships

Language

• Have a delay or absence of spoken language
• Lose previously acquired language abilities
• Repeat or echo words or phrases said to them, or repeat words or phrases in place of normal language (echolalia)
• Speak with abnormal rhythm or tone
• May be very interested in people, but do not know how to talk, play, or relate to them
• Have trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motions

Behavior

• Repeat actions over and over again, such as rocking, spinning or hand flapping
• Do not play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll)
• Have self-injurious behaviors and/or apparent insensitivity to pain
• Have inappropriate attachments to objects or an unusual preoccupation with a topic of interest
• May be fascinated byparts of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car
• Develop specific routines or rituals
• Moves constantly
• Have trouble adapting when a routine changes
• Have unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound
• Have no real fear of dangers
• May be unusually sensitie to light, sound and touch and yet oblivious to pain

If you notice these signs, it is important to "Act Early" and contact a doctor or nurse if you notice these signs and/or a child experiences a dramatic loss of skills at any age.