What Are the Earliest Most Reliable Signs of ASD?

Play Skills At age 4-12 months 12+ months 16+ months 30 + months Social Interaction At age 4 months 6 months 9 months 12 months 15 months 18 months 24 months 36 months Joint Attention At age 2 months 8 months 9 months 10 months 12 months 14 months 14 months Investigate Further and Consider Autism if: At age 9 months 12 months 16 months 24 months Any age Your child Did not babble Did not point or gesture Did not use single words Did not use 2-word phrases Had a loss of language or social skills Could your child Exchange smiles Follow a caregiver with his eyes Follow a point Show objects Point to obtain an object Point to indicate to another an object of interest Look to others to gather social information Did your child Show interest in faces, smile back, initiate smiles Relate to parents with joy, smile often when playing Orient to name, play give-and-take Use gestures to get needs met, repeat actions, show objects Check parents facial expression, draw attention to objects of interest, begin to show empathy Pretend play, attract parental attention by looks or gestures Enjoy playing next to children, offer toys Imagine self as a character, talk for objects, play show and tell, talk about feelings Did your child Enjoy toys for their sensory value mouthing, feeling, and hearing them Use toys as they were intended feed dolls Give objects identities other than intended (use blocks as cars or food) Imaginative play make believe/role play