What are the signs of autism?
Signs of autism start to show in young children when they are normally between two and six years of age. These signs can include:
- A delay in learning to talk when other children easily grasp speaking.
- Avoidance of eye contact and seeming as though they are physically in pain when you touch them, resulting in them avoiding being touched by other people.
- Adverse reactions to sounds, smells and sights that are normal to others but can be stressful to autism sufferers.
- Repetitive motions such as continuously rocking back and forth, pacing or flapping their hands.
- Seemingly strange responses to objects and people and often expressing a disliking to a change in their patterns and routines. They may react aggressively or even resort to self-harm.
- A failure to react to certain objects or people, acting as though they are not aware of them at all.
- Inability to play “make believe” games
- Loss of skills they once had
- Seizures, which normally become prevalent in adolescence.
- Difficulty in communicating with other people.
- Heightened skills in certain areas. These may include: drawing, music, mathematics and even a unique ability to remember facts. In these cases, children test higher in written exams.
- Poor coordination in movement such as running, this is because the condition can affect large muscles in the body, causing them to work differently.