The Power of Early: Helping Families Change Their Child’s Trajectory
Information and Resources for Parents and Caregivers About Autism Spectrum Disorder
By Amy M. Wetherby, PhD, CCC-SLP
At a Glance
- Autism can be formally diagnosed at 18–24 months but is still routinely not being diagnosed until age 4 or 5.
- Warning signs of autism can be seen as early as 9 months of age.
- Not using gestures as a baby is a key predictor of a language delay and is one of the earliest observable signs of autism. A child should be using 16 gestures by 16 months of age.
- Early intervention is critical and can “rewire” the brain during its most rapid period of growth and development (80% of brain development occurs between ages 0 and 3). Even before a formal diagnosis of autism, early intervention services can begin.
What Is Autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by (1) social communication problems (e.g., difficulties using or understanding gestures and body language, reading other people’s feelings and emotions, or communicating/interacting with other people) and (2) repetitive, restricted behaviors such as flapping arms, focusing more on objects than on people, or saying the same phrase repeatedly.
As the word “spectrum” suggests, some children with autism may be more severely impacted by the symptoms of the disorder than others. Some children with autism may also be very sensitive to certain sounds, sights, or textures—and not react well to changes in routines.
16 Gestures by 16 Months
Developed by www.FirstWordsProject.com
Watching the growth of gestures tells parents and caregivers a lot about a child’s communication development—and whether they should be concerned if their child is not yet talking. (Note: Children generally speak their first word around 12 months of age, but for some it takes longer. Whether the child is using gestures is a key indicator of whether they are more likely to catch up—as simply a “late bloomer”—or whether they are a “later talker” who will go on to have a speech-language disorder, social communication disorder, or ASD.) Children use gestures to communicate meaningful messages.
Gestures are some of the earliest social communication milestones—and they are among the key indicators of whether a child’s development is on track or potentially behind what is expected. By 16 months of age, children should be making 16 specific gestures, such as taking an object and giving it back, shaking their head no if they don’t want something, lifting their arms if they want to be picked up, showing an object to another person to get them to look at it, and waving bye-bye. Children learn how to copy others’ actions by watching them and then doing it themselves, such as blowing a kiss. Although these actions seem basic, they are in fact quite sophisticated—communicating a want or need intentionally with someone else.
Although the gestures that a child learns may vary based on their family or culture, having 16 gestures by 16 months is a critical milestone because it launches a vocabulary burst at 18–21 months. At that time, children have the idea that everything has a name, and they learn new words rapidly. Children should be using 2 new gestures a month from 9 to 16 months. Research has shown that the development of gestures predicts language skills 2 years later. Noticing small gaps at this critical stage—and seeking help—makes a big difference in getting children ready for preschool and kindergarten.
16 Early Signs of Autism by 16 Months
Developed by www.AutismNavigator.com
Diagnosis for autism can be challenging because there are no medical or blood tests. The diagnosis is based on behavioral symptoms and features. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians screen children for autism at ages 18 and 24 months. Although autism can be diagnosed at age 18–24 months, it is routinely not diagnosed until 4 or 5 years of age.
The early signs of autism can have a cascading effect on brain development and can lead to significant social, language, and cognitive deficits—as well as challenging behaviors—if they’re not caught early. Without interest in other people, children have limited opportunities to learn. This is especially important between ages 0 and 3, when the majority of brain development is occurring. However, a child’s life trajectory can be changed with early identification and intervention for autism. Intervention can help children notice and interact with other people, opening up their opportunities for learning.
Families should be aware of 16 early signs of autism that unfold from 9 to 16 months—to help detect autism before it’s typically diagnosed. Some signs that a parent/caregiver can look for include the following:
- It’s hard to get baby to look at you.
- Baby rarely shares enjoyment with you.
- Baby uses little or no use of gestures such as show and point.
- Baby does little or no imitating of other people or pretending.
- Baby has excessive interest in particular objects or activities.
- Baby is more interested in objects than in people.
- Baby shows unusual movements of hands, fingers, or body.
See a full list of the 16 early signs of autism with more explanation.
Early Intervention and Resources for Families
Treatment by speech-language pathologists can begin before a formal diagnosis of autism, addressing social communication delays as well as speech and language delays. Parents can do the following to stay on top of the early signs of autism:
- Pay attention to communication and social milestones, and talk to the pediatrician if their child isn’t meeting them. These lookbooks and videos show you these skills in detail.
- Take the Social Communication Checkup—if a child is between 9 and 18 months, parents can answer questions online to screen their child for communication delay and autism.
- Seek an evaluation from a speech-language pathologist. These professionals can be found through referrals from pediatricians or local early intervention programs. View a list of private speech-language pathologists.