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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms

- Avoiding eye contact or preferring to be alone
- Struggling to understand others’ feelings or when others are upset
- Not speaking or having trouble developing language skills
- Repeating words or phrases without knowing how to use them
- Getting upset by minor changes in one’s routine or surroundings
- Having intense focus or intensity related to a specific activity or interest
- Having perseverative symptoms (persistent repetition of thoughts, speech patterns, or behaviors beyond what’s considered socially appropriate)
- Making the same movements or gestures over and over again, such as hand flapping or spinning (also known as stimming)
- Having unusual or intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights, or colors (sensory processing issues)
ASD Symptoms in Babies and Young Children
Children with ASD might display very specific, sometimes intense, interests in subjects that others might not, says Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, MD, director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. In a conversation, a child with autism might return intently to one topic over and over. That was the case for one child whom Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele worked with who had a very strong interest in sharks and did not talk about any other topic, for example.
- Delayed skills with language
- Doesn’t make eye contact with others
- Doesn’t respond to their name by 9 months old
- Not showing facial expressions reflecting happiness or sadness by 9 months old
- Doesn’t wave goodbye or make other gestures by age 1
- Doesn’t share interests with others, such as showing you an object they like, by 15 months
- Doesn’t point to things that interest them by 18 months
- Can’t tell when others are upset or hurt by age 2
- Doesn’t notice or join other kids in play by age 3
- Doesn’t play pretend (such as with superheroes) by age 4
- Doesn’t sing, dance, or act by age 5
ASD Symptoms in Older Children and Adults
Diagnosing ASD in previously undiagnosed adults can be challenging because the condition is so variable and can affect people differently over time, especially as people develop ways to manage or mask, or camouflage, their difficulties, says Veenstra-VanderWeele.
- Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling
- Taking things very literally and struggling to understand sarcasm, idioms, or figures of speech
- Difficulty reading nonverbal cues like body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice
- Finding it hard to express their own emotions or understand social rules intuitively
- Avoiding eye contact or finding it uncomfortable
- Having highly focused and intense interests in specific subjects or hobbies
- Repeating certain movements, sounds, or phrases
- Being more or less sensitive to sensory experiences, such as bright lights, loud noises, and certain textures or smells