Recognize the Signs of Autism In Your Child

Diagnosing autism --a developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction-- early is a powerful weapon to fight this condition. Parents rarely get an accurate diagnosis of autism before the age of 18 months. But that does not mean you can not seek treatment for your child's developmental delay. Perform therapy immediately before the atmosphere became concerned. As a parent it's important to trust your instincts and bring problems to the doctor your child's face. To that end, here are some milestones to look at your child's growth during the first year.

At the age of 3 months your baby should be able to:

• In response to a loud noise.
• Follow moving objects with his eyes.
• Trying to grasp and hold objects.
• Smile at people he knew (at least in the mother or father).
• Babbling.
• Show an interest in her face

At the age of 7 months your baby should be able to:

• Rotate the head to look for the origin of the sound.
• Shows affection.
• Laugh and cry when he feels happy.
• Reach out and and hold objects.
• Trying to find your attention with his behavior.
• Play simple games like boo.

At 12 months of age your baby should be able to:

• Crawling or walking using the belly (some babies never crawl).
• Saying single words.
• Can use gestures such as waving hands.
• Pinch with the index finger.
• Stand uses a walker.

At 24 months of age your baby should be able to:

• Walk.
• Mastering a minimum of 15 words.
• Pointing to the object or image that he likes.
• Imitating adult actions and words.
• Encourage toys.
• Follow the simple instructions, such as "point to the picture of an elephant."

If your child missed one or two milestones at the top, it does not mean your baby is suffering from autism. Each child develops at his own pace, and some children develop faster than others. There are children who are fluent speech but left behind his physical abilities such as pointing or walking. The above list is just a basic guideline. If in a few months there has been no new capabilities (or your baby's starting to lose his skills), you may need to evaluate your child's growth to a specialist in child development.