Child Autism Symptom - Early Signs

Is your child on a healthy developmental path? Or is she headed for trouble? If you are holding your baby in your arms right now or watching your toddler play, the answers could be right before your eyes. The earliest signs that a child is withdrawing from the social world, struggling with emotional regulation, or failing to learn basic communication skills can be easy to recognize once you know what they are. In fact, researchers know that many of the danger signs are the very ones that often trouble parents months or years before a child is formally diagnosed with a developmental delay or disorder. They are the very things a parent worries about when a baby seems distant or unresponsive, an eighteen-month-old is not talking, or a three-year-old is not playing with other children. The first challenge is to close that gap: to harness the observational power of parents and the knowledge of scientists to get children the earliest help possible. Over the next few posts, you'll learn how to do your part as a parent to make sure your child's development gets the attention it deserves.