The red flags indicating at risk for early autism which can be obtained from history/ observation of the child:
- By 8 months of age poor eye contact and joint attention. For normally if mother shows a toy the child would exchange glances with mother who is holding the object of interest or smile at mother and look at the toy. This joint attention may not be seen in a child with autism
- By 10 months of age not responding to his name or not showing any interest in plays like “Peek a boo”.
- By 12 months of age not babbling bi syllables like ( “ba ba” or “ma ma”).
- By 15 months of age not waving/ pointing with index finger to indicate
- By 18 months of age not following simple commands & not speaking any meaningful words.
- By 24 months of age Not making two word phrases.
- Any loss of speech, babbling and social skills at any age
Observe the child outside the waiting room because they tend to cry in the chamber as they associate it with vaccination.
Pediatric Practice... Pearls for your Pediatric Office Practice 