Behavior Characteristics of Autism, Is Your Child Autistic?

With all the recent publicity of Autism in the news and internet you might be wondering what the behavior characteristics of Autism are. There are three distinctive behavior characteristics of Autism. Autism is a condition that affects the normal growth of the brain so that the individual has difficulty with day-to-day living and impairs social interaction and communication, along with restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling. If you see these behavior characteristics of Autism in your child speak to their doctor about having them evaluated. The sooner that Autism is discovered the better the chances are at treating it.

Autistic children display unusual behavior. The typical behavior characteristics of Autism are likely to include some of the following:

1. Does not reach developmental milestones on time. Each child develops differently. Some children will crawl at four months while others will not until they are several months older. This can be perfectly normal. The problem starts when every milestone is much later than usual. If your child is not meeting the developmental stages talk with your doctor.

2. Child does not talk. Children learn to talk at different ages. Some will start talking very young while others will just start blurting out whole sentences one day. This can be very normal. However if your child does not have any babbling type talk by the age of one this could be a cause for concern. Most children will say some words by the time they are sixteen months. If your child is not, ask your doctor if they think an evaluation is necessary.

3. No eye contact is one of the common behavior characteristics of Autism. Most babies and children will look at you when you are talking to them. Autistic children will often not give you eye contact. It will appear they are looking off into a daze instead of paying attention to you. They will not point to objects. They will not look at something you are trying to show them. Instead they look past it.

4. Do not respond to you when you are talking to them. This can be with looks or words.

5. Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping.

6. Autistic children have a hard time with schedule or routine changes. The child may feel the need to engage in repetitive behaviors and ritualized activities, ranging from lining up items to following a rigid routine.

7. May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch. A majority of autistic people are either hyper or hypo sensitive to light, sound, crowds and other external stimulation. Some have both hyper and hypo sensitivities. This often results in autistic people covering their ears, and avoiding or reacting negatively to brightly lit areas.

8. Child does not show emotion. This is another one of the behavior characteristics of Autism that is common. Autistic children do not show any emotion. They do not smile back when a person smiles at them. They do not show any cares when someone around them is expressing pain, or crying. The Autistic child does not usually like to be held or cuddled. They will not reach up for their parents to hold them.

9. Likes to play by their self. The Autistic child usually will play alone. They feel more comfortable being by them self. They have a hard time making friends. They do not know how to relate to other kids. They do not understand when another child is joking with them. They take everything said to them literally.

10. The child loses skills they knew. The child may have learned to talk and then it seems as if they forgot how. They can learn a new skill and then a week later have no idea how to do it. Autistic children often lose skills they have learned.

These are just a few of the behavior characteristics of Autism. If you notice any of them in your children talk to their doctor. All children with Autism will not have every sign. Getting them diagnosed as soon as possible will allow treatment to begin sooner. Getting your child evaluated as soon as you suspect a problem is very important. Even if there is nothing wrong it is better to be safe. The earlier treatment can be started the better for the child.