Most experts agree that it's best to catch and treat autism as early as possible. What are the early signs of autism in children?
- unresponsiveness to people, and/or intent focus on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods;
- lack of response to their name;
- lack of eye contact;
- difficulty interpreting what others are thinking or feeling;
- delay in gaining speech and/or odd speech patterns;
- repetitive movements such as rocking or twirling, or self-abusive behavior such as head-banging;
- speaking in a flat or sing-song voice;
- unusually low or high sensitivity to pain, noise, light or crowds.
Source:
Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders) National Institute of Mental Health, 2004.

