Early signs of autism in children aged 1-3 years.

Many children are slow to speak and prefer playing alone, causing parents to worry they might have autism. Experts point out early warning signs that parents should not ignore.

Not responding when called by name, delayed speech, or loss of language skills are early signs of autism in young children, according to experts. Photo: Unsplash .

According to Dr. Dinh Thac, Head of the Psychology Department at Children's Hospital 1, the number of children with delayed speech is on the rise, causing many parents to worry that their children may have autism spectrum disorder. However, delayed speech does not necessarily mean a child has autism; the important thing is to recognize the accompanying signs early so that timely intervention can be provided.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that primarily affects a child's ability to communicate, interact socially, and behave. The disorder may be related to genetic factors, co-occurring neurological disorders, or environmental influences such as exposure to toxic substances during pregnancy, and a lack of attention and interaction from family.

According to the expert, the most noticeable sign in autistic children is abnormalities in communication and social interaction. They often smile less, show little emotion to their parents, dislike playing with others, and tend to play alone. Many children have poor eye contact, are unresponsive when called by name, or do not share attention with those around them.

Additionally, children with autism often exhibit repetitive behaviors such as spinning objects, waving their hands, walking on tiptoes, or being only interested in certain activities. Some children are overly sensitive to sound, often covering their ears when hearing loud noises.

In particular, delayed speech or loss of language skills is a very important early warning sign. Parents should pay attention if their child does not babble by 12 months old, cannot say single words by 16 months, or cannot speak two-word sentences by 24 months old. A child who once spoke but then gradually loses the ability to communicate is also a cause for concern.

Children who smile infrequently, interact poorly, prefer playing alone, or have prolonged speech delays may be showing early warning signs of autism. Photo: Unsplash.

According to Dr. Dinh Thac, early screening can help detect the risk of autism in children from 18 months of age through the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) checklist.

This is a tool consisting of 23 questions to help parents assess their child's risk of developing autism spectrum disorder before taking the child to a specialist for examination and intervention.

Some key questions in the checklist include: whether the child shows interest in other children, whether they know how to point to express desires or attention, whether they respond when called by name, whether they make eye contact, whether they imitate adults or bring objects to show their parents.

Additionally, the checklist also notes unusual behaviors such as children being overly sensitive to noise, making strange finger movements near their face, often staring blankly, or wandering aimlessly.

According to the assessment guidelines, children are considered at high risk for autism if they have at least three unusual answers or two key questions answered "no". These key questions include questions 2, 7, 9, 13, 14, and 15.

Specifically for questions 11, 18, 20, and 22, if parents answer "yes," this is a warning sign of potential autism in children.

Early detection and intervention can significantly improve children's communication, learning, and social integration abilities.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhung-dau-hieu-tu-ky-som-o-tre-1-3-tuoi-post1653764.html