BABY AUTISM SIGNS AND AUTISM BEHAVIOUR GUIDE

Have you thought or felt anything unusual in your baby’s behavior?

Have you ever thought , “has my baby got autistim behaviour”?

In my practice, I have had enquiries from a number of parents about baby autism signs.

A close friend of mine spotted his own child’s autism behaviour when the child was just under 2 years old. It helped that, like myself, he had some experience in autism evaluation during his training years. With so much information around for parents like yourselves it could be a stressful and anxious period of searching for answers to your child’s unusual behaviour.

I have to strongly stress that it is not advisable to draw your own conclusions about your baby’s behavior from all the information that you have your disposal. You should seek the advice of an ‘expert in autism evaluation’ before making up your mind about your baby’s behaviour.

One of the commonest mistakes parents make is to make judgements based on information from the internet and printed text in various forms. This includes information and links that are provided to you in this very page. It may also be good to caution you against asking for advice from parents of chidren who already have firm diagnosis of autism(or autistic spectrum disorder).

Awareness of ASD(Autistic Spectrum Disorders- The correct medical terminology for AUTISM), amongst the medical fraternity as well as the general public has been on the increase over the past few decades with a consequent rise in the rates of diagnosis. For instance, an incidence of 1 in 110 babies has been postulated for the US in a recent publication.

A Lack of (or) altered “Social Interaction” & “Communication” is considered the hallmark of ASD. It goes without saying that defining what falls outside the realm of “Normal” Social Interaction and Communication, is exceptionally challenging. Hence the advice that any concrete conclusions should be only made with the help of an expert professional who is well versed in this area.

Then, you will often see and hear that “Lack of or Limited Smiling” & “Eye Contact” in any child are warning signs of ASD. A word of advice from me is to resist the urge to make your own judgements about your child’s behaviour. The process leading to a formal diagnosis is very thorough, meticulous and often involves more than one professional (like a psychologist, a psychiatrist: a paediatrician)

An expert assessment may involve the following processes-

• A detailed history in relation to your child from your pregnancy through to the current time. This will include general health as well as developmental assessment of your child.

• A questionnaire(like the checklist for autism in toddlers (CHAT) that is common in the United Kingdom)- Commonly asked questions are-

→ does your child take an interest in other children?

→ does your child ever pretend, for example, to make a cup of tea using a toy cup and teapot, or pretend other things?

→ does your child ever bring objects to show you?

• Assessment exercises involving things like- asking the child to point out certain objects, testing their ability at imaginative play with various toys & pretend playing.

• Information collection regarding the child’s behaviour and activities from other agencies like nurseries, school etc.

• A series of appointments may be required to examine specific skills and activities of your child. This is otherwise called a “focused observation” the aim of which is to look at your child’s language, behaviour, cognitive ability(thinking pattern) and interaction with others.

• A clinical examination is always done by a Paediatrician as a part of the assessment procedure.

• Many a time, your child may also have blood tests done- for eg:- to rule out any genetic causes

• At the end of such an assessment process, a diagnosis or exclusion of ASD is made by the professionals.

After diagnosis

• Some parents feel relieved; i.e. they have found an explanation for their child’s unusual behaviour patterns

• Others have a sense of disbelief and shock- “how can this happen to their child and what does it mean for the future”?

Not A Label

ASD is not a permanent label that your child will be tagged with.

A diagnosis offers an insight into your child's uniqueness- their individuality, personality and character.

Most parents grasp the situation quickly and adapt their child’s upbringing in a way that best guides their growth, well-being and development.

Parents commonly face a range of day-to-day challenges in the following areas-

- Behaviour

- Sleep Problems


- Eating
Problems

- School and Education

Importantly, however, kindly remember that a little bit of patience, perseverance and self-education about ASD, will make your child’s life ( and Yours!) dramatically different for the better.Also, join a support group/network of similar parents as this will go a long way in assisting you day in day out.

The National Autistic Society(UK), provides one of the best resources there is on the subject. (A DIRECT LINK IS PROVIDED BELOW) National Autistic Society-UK