How Did You Know Your Child Was Autistic?

My son doesn't really have a diagnosis yet, but it was my childcare provider who pointed out to us that he was "different". We were first time parents and really just thought it was part of his personality, but he is kind of borderline. There is a great new place you can go and see videos of autistic behaviors http://www.autismspeaks.org/video/glossary.php. Hopefully that will help a little.

Hi K.! Well, we are pretty sure my son has Autism. He goes to a special school right now in Aurora. It is called Hope Wall. He is 4 and in preschool and he started there when he was 3. Anyhow, these are some signs. They love doors, windows, locks, playing with hinges. They also have trouble with social settings and alot of stimulation is to much for them. They are wild sometimes and throw temper tantrums and they are very hard to handle alot of the time. Some kids dont show eye contact. Some dont like to be touched. Go to the new website autismspeaks.org. This is a great site. We have an awful time wiht my son. I would love to connect with other moms of autistic children.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

We knew my son had quirks but didn't think much about them until he didn't talk. My mother in law mentioned she was very concerned so I researched like crazy and found he had several red flags. He was diagnosed this year with classic autism. The thing about autism that is confusing though is the spectrum and how no two children on it are the same. My son hugs and cuddles, and has always laughed or smiled. However he didn't use eye contact, lined up his toys instead of playing with them, used patterns for everthing including himself, had severe meltdowns where he cried, screamed, and thrashed around for several hours at a time. We couldn't take him to the store, restaurant, anywhere in public or it was too overwhelming for him and he would meltdown. He wouldn't respond to his name and basically ignored us when we approached him. He really went to his own little world when a stranger approached him.

I'm so thankful for my MIL for even suggesting it because after First Steps, and now special ed preschool he is doing amazing with learning animals(that is his passion), and sign language so we've broken the language barrier which results in less meltdowns. He now plays with most of his toys appropriately and responds to his name half the time. We still have a long way to go and a rough path to walk but it will be ok:)

www.autismspeaks.org is a great resource. Are you a concerned for your own children? Your pediatrician should also have a check list.

My nephew is autistic so my husband and I had really kept a close eye on my daughter since the day she was born, for any signs. I really like the autismspeak's video glossary. It shows typical examples of autistic kids' behavior (i.e. reading a book, playing with blocks, etc) vs non-autistic kids behavior. The videos are shown side by side, so u can see the difference. Also, all pediatricians are required to screen now when kids turn age 2, so yours should be doing it to your daughter soon.
Signs my nephew had from the beginning:

lack of eye contact
No interaction/warmth with caregivers or parents
lack of speech or pointing
repetitive behavior, called "stimming"
unable to tolerate crowded places
He is 3 now, and does not speak at all yet. Good luck to you.

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with Autism at age 3. Our biggest red flag was his speech, he was pretty much non-verbal. When we went through the whole screening process, we had too look back at EVERYTHING from my pregnancy on. We realized that he did not make eye contact, and he really had no awareness of his surroundings.
He has done WONDERFULLY with early intervention, and we have high hopes of him fully mainstreaming into a regular 1st grade classroom next year! =)

K.,
My nephew has Aspergynes Syndrome (not sure if I spelled it right) but it is very similar to autism. What I noticed is that he has a very difficult time answering questions directly. Seems the lack of basic social skills is the most noticeable thing.

I don't have a child with Autism but was a special education teacher. Here are some things I can think of and what parents have told me.

Lack of eye contact
Rarely asks for help
Rarely seeks interactions with others
Plays with toys inappropriately (spins the block and doesn't stack for example)
Doesn't point
Loses a skill that they previously had
Seems deaf
Rarely seeks physical contact with parents
Hand flaps or has stereotypical behavior
Echolalic (repeats words heard but doesn't use them in context)

Again one of these doesn't necessary mean Autism. Also typically children are diagnosed before the age of 2 or 3 and it is more common in boys. The website the others mentioned is a great resource!!