Does My Child Have Autism?
While the prevalence of autism continues to increase, its cause remains unknown.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of ASD?
With the advancement in diagnostic tools, most children with autism can be reliably diagnosed by the age of 3, and earlier diagnosis is possible even for children as young as 12 months old.
Parents are usually the first to notice peculiarities with their child’s development that do not follow the typical norm. Some of these peculiarities noted by parents include regression and onset of social aloofness and/or a lack of progress after the child has reached certain developmental milestones. This can occur as a pronounced regression over a few months time or it can come about gradually as a child’s development seems to stall.

Although symptoms of autism vary from child to child, the core areas affected include:
- Deficits in language and communication
- Underdeveloped cognitive and adaptive functioning
- Impairments in socialization and social interactions
- Restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior and interests
These essential skill deficits cause children to fall progressively further behind their typical peers as they grow older. The cause is unknown, but evidence points to physiological and neurological abnormalities.
Children with autism generally do not learn in the same way that children normally learn, because, in part, they lack the fundamental skills which enable them to acquire and process basic information. These difficulties result in significant delays in their development of language, play, and social skills, including failure to notice and learn through imitation of their peers.
If you think your child or a child in your life might have autism, take the first step toward seeing if they need extra care, attention, and support from you. Seek a diagnosis and support from professionals who use an evidence-based approach to achieve goals that help children thrive.
Related Articles:

In the previous videos, Toby has discussed how to increase students’ awareness to teacher’s instructions in class and increase students’ language and comprehension skills. In this video, Toby will talk about how to increase children’s motivation in listening to instruction in class. In the beginning, parents can do roleplay trainings with their child at home […]

Parent’s concern: Every time my son goes to the barber shop, he cries and will not sit on the chair for a second. What should I do? Autism Partnership Director, Mr. Toby Mountjoy who’s been working with children with autism for over 25 years is answering this question.

Parent’s concern: My son is 4 years old and he has difficulties in waiting for anything. When we asked him to wait, he would throw tantrum, screaming and crying. He is always like that when couldn’t get what he wanted immediately. This really stresses me out a lot, anything I can do? Autism Partnership Director, […]
Contact us Today
with concerns or for resources to help you determine if your child has ASD and the steps to take after receiving a diagnosis.