Possible Red Flags for Autism

Parents, caregivers, family members, teachers, and others who spend a lot of time with children can look for "red flags." Some may mean a delay in one or more areas of development, while others are more typical of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

The child:

< does not respond to his/her name.
cannot explain what he/she wants.
is slow to develop language skills or speech is delayed.
doesn't follow directions.
sometimes seems to be deaf.
seems to hear sometimes, but not other times. doesn't point or wave "bye-bye."
used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn't.
throws intense or violent tantrums.
has odd movement patterns.
is overly active, uncooperative, or resistant.
doesn't know how to play with toys.
doesn't smile when smiled at.
has poor eye contact.
gets "stuck" doing the same things over and over and can't move on to other things.
seems to prefer to play alone.
gets things for him/herself only.
is very independent for his/her age.
does things "early" compared to other children.
seems to be in his/her "own world."
seems to tune people out.
is not interested in other children.
walks on his/her toes.
shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules (i.e., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants).
spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order.