Autism is a condition that requires specialized care, and as such, it should be diagnosed as early as possible. Parents who start caring for their autistic children early are able to prepare them to lead a normal life much easier, and are able to build a rapport and communication that may be difficult if the condition is diagnosed later in life. But in order to diagnose your child with autism yourself, you have to know what the signs are.
Of course, your doctor should do the actual official diagnosis, but if you know the signs then you can bring your findings to the doctor’s attention. With that in mind, here are some signs that you should be aware of and look for if you suspect that your child might have autism. These are the major signs associated with the illness, and while finding one may not indicate autism, finding several should definitely be considered carefully.
1. Rocking & Flapping
One of the first signs to be aware of is rocking and flapping. You have probably seen this behavior before with autistic people. This is especially prevalent in children with autism.
Rocking their bodies back and forth while they are in a sitting position on the floor or in a chair is definitely something to be concerned about, particularly if you notice that this behavior happens quite often; the reason that children with autism rock back and forth has to do with the difficulty they have processing the sensory signals that they are getting.
Another thing that you may notice with autistic children is that they flap their hands or arms. These are both very common symptoms. The flapping happens because it is difficult for autistic children to communicate what they are thinking or feeling. This is one of the ways that they try to get their point across.