What are some of the early signs and symptoms of ASD?
Typical infants are socially responsive to others. They smile when others smile at them and initiate smiles and laughs when playing with toys or people. By 6 months or so, babies typically respond to their own name by orienting toward the person when called. Typically developing babies are very responsive to the voices of familiar people, and often respond with smiles, looks, and facial expression. In contrast, a baby or toddler with ASD may not smile back or may smile less often than expected. He/she may not seek out cuddling like other children, may not make much eye contact with others, and/or may not respond when his/her name is called. Parents often first suspect a hearing or vision impairment. When typical infants observe other children crying, they may pucker up join in crying. In contrast, children with ASD may seem unaware of the emotional expressions of others. A child with ASD may appear to “tune others out”. Failing to engage in joint or shared attention is a very important
