How to Recognize the Signs of Autism (with Pictures)

If your child is showing early autistic traits, request an evaluation from your pediatrician, who can evaluate them as early as 9 months and then track their progress. If your baby doesn’t follow objects with their eyes or smile by 3 months old, these could be very early signs of autism. Typically, babies will also babble by the time they’re 7 months old and begin saying single words by 1 year, but autistic babies may never speak. Around this age, most babies will also respond to simple games and respond to their name, but autistic babies may not have this ability. Another early indicator of autism is if your baby isn’t crawling or gesturing by 12 months. You’ll also want to look for stimming, like rocking, spinning, or waving constantly, as a possible sign of autism. To learn how to watch for sensory stimuli as a sign of autism, keep reading.