If you suspect your child has an ASD, ask yourself these questions:
- Does my child make good eye contact?
- Does my child point at or draw my attention to things he/she is interested in?
- Does my child speak as well as other children his/her age?
- Is my child able to follow directions?
- Does my child play with toys in a normal manner?
- Would my child rather play alone than with others?
- Does my child bring things he/she is interested in to me to show them to me?
- Is my child able to appropriately tell me what he/she wants?
- Does my child have extremely powerful or unusually long tantrums?
- Does my child act as though he/she is in his/her own world and tune others out?
- Is my child oddly attached to certain items, particularly hard things rather than soft ones?
- Does my child over the age of two play imaginatively
If you have answered “no” to one or more of the questions 1-9 or yes to one or more of the questions 10-13, discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician.
If you or your doctor think there could be a problem, ask for a referral to see a developmental pediatrician or other specialist, or you can contact your local early intervention agency (for children under 3) or public school (for children 3 years old and older). More information on who to speak to can be found at the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.