What are the Symptoms of Autism? – Autism Signs & Traits

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is marked by difficulties with social communication and interaction skills. It also includes restricted and repetitive behaviors.¹ Each person with autism might experience these symptoms differently. But, doctors often check for these issues when diagnosing autism. They also consider how much support the person needs every day. This ranges from needing just a little support to needing very substantial support.¹ Still, not everyone with ASD will show these exact signs. And, people without ASD can sometimes have similar traits.¹

Key Takeaways

• Autism is characterized by challenges with social communication/interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
• Symptom severity is rated based on the level of daily support required, from level 1 to level 3.
• Autism can present differently in each person, and some non-autistic individuals may exhibit similar signs.
• Understanding the diverse range of autism traits is crucial for awareness and support.
• Early recognition of signs and seeking professional evaluation are important for accessing resources.

What are the symptoms of autism?

Social Communication and Interaction Challenges

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face social challenges. They may find it hard to talk with others and understand feelings. This can make simple things like starting a conversation or sharing emotions tough.² They might also struggle with eye contact and reading facial expressions. This makes them find it difficult to connect with others.

Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors

A core symptom of autism is repeating actions or words and sticking to strict routines. This might mean doing the same things over and over or preferring certain topics a lot. They could also have strong reactions to changes in their routines.² For example, they might like to line up their toys a certain way. They can also repeat things they’ve heard, like phrases, or focus too much on small parts of objects.²

Autism symptoms really affect how people communicate and connect with others. It’s important to know that these challenges come in many forms. This helps us provide the right help and support.²

Early Signs of Autism

Children under 12 months with autism might not babble much or at all³. They might avoid eye contact³ too. They usually find objects more interesting than people³. They might also seem like they don’t hear well³.

Between 12 and 24 months, more signs could show. Examples are a deep focus on a single subject, little interest in playing with other kids, and self-isolating behaviors. They might talk in repetitive ways and have trouble socializing normaly³.

Little or No Babbling

Most kids with autism face challenges in paying attention together with others⁴. They often lag behind in social communication skills at all joint attention stages⁴.

Lack of Eye Contact

Not making eye contact can be a sign of autism, along with not reacting to their name⁵.

More Interest in Objects than People

If a child shows a strong attachment to certain objects, it might be a warning sign of autism³. They may not play with toys like most kids do³.

Appearing Not to Hear When Spoken To

Kids at risk for autism could have unusual responses to sounds or textures³. Also, their voice might sound flat, without the usual changes in pitch or volume³.

Signs of Autism in Adults

Autism isn’t only for kids; adults can show its signs too.⁶ Some adults with autism weren’t diagnosed when they were young, even with clear symptoms.⁶ It’s important to spot autism signs in adults. This helps them get the help and resources they need.

Difficulty Understanding Others’ Thoughts and Feelings

Adults with autism might not get how others think and feel.⁶ They find it hard to pick up on social clues or share the feelings of others. This makes recognizing peer’s emotions tough for them.

Anxiety in Social Situations

Social situations can be very stressful for autistic adults.⁶ They often worry about following social rules and feel awkward around others. This can make it hard for them to relax and interact with people.

Trouble Making Friends

Making friends is not easy for many autistic adults.⁶ They might choose to be by themselves. Or they find it hard to start or keep a conversation. Sometimes, they can seem like they don’t care, which is often not the case.

Bluntness or Appearing Rude Unintentionally

By accident, autistic adults may come off as rude or uncaring.⁶ They can have a tough time with social rules, causing these missteps. Understanding and patience are crucial in such cases.

Autistic adults might take things too literally or do the same things every day.⁶ They can get very worried if their routine changes. Also, they might not catch on to subtle social expectations, like not talking over others. Knowing about these behaviors can help adults with autism and those close to them find the right help.

Autism Signs in Women and Girls

Autism might look different in women than in men. Girls with autism often learn to hide it to fit in.⁷ They may seem quieter and keep their feelings to themselves. This can make it hard for others to know they have autism.⁷ Girls and women with autism might not show as many repetitive actions as boys and men do.⁷

Learned to Hide Autism Signs

Women with autism might hide its signs better than men.⁷ This can lead to late or missed diagnoses. Doctors might miss spotting autism in girls because they look at information mostly from studying boys.⁷

Quieter and Hiding Feelings

Autistic women and girls might keep quiet about their emotions.⁷ They might not show the obvious signs of autism that boys often do.⁷

Appearing to Cope Better Socially

Girls with autism can seem to handle social situations better.⁷ People might not realize they’re different from boys with autism.⁷ Their behaviors, like being quiet, may not raise concerns because they’re seen as normal for girls. But if boys showed these behaviors, people might think it’s a sign of autism.⁷

Autism in women and girls is often hard to see because it looks different.⁸ Knowing these differences is key to finding autism early in girls. This can help them get the support they need.⁷

Repetitive Behaviors and Routines

Restricted and repetitive behaviors are key in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).⁹ They include a need for sameness, following routines, and doing the same movements or saying the same things over and over.⁹ It’s important to know about these behaviors to help those with autism.

Insistence on Sameness and Routines

Autism often involves a strong desire for sameness and strict routines.⁹ Changes, even small ones, can really upset someone with autism. They might want their life to follow a certain pattern every day.¹⁰ This makes it hard for them to handle new situations or sudden changes.

Repetitive Movements or Speech Patterns

“Stimming” is a common repetitive behavior in autism.¹⁰ It includes things like hand-flapping, playing with objects, or turning switches on and off.¹⁰ Autistic people might also repeat words or phrases.¹⁰ They do these actions to feel better or to calm themselves down.

Ritualistic Behaviors

Some people with autism have rituals, like watching the same videos or touching things in a specific order, that they must do over and over.¹⁰ These rituals can become very important to them, and not being able to do them can cause a lot of stress.¹⁰ They might also affect how a person interacts with others and limit what they can learn.

It’s vital to spot the different kinds of repetitive behaviors in autism and understand them.¹⁰ While some may not be harmful, others can affect daily life, emotional well-being, and safety.¹⁰ ABA therapy, a personalized method, can help manage these behaviors.¹⁰

Intense Interests and Sensory Issues

People with autism often focus intently on specific, narrow topics.¹¹ They might really love one object, like a toy or figurine.¹¹ Autism can cause sensitivity differences to light, sound, touch, or texture.¹¹ Also, people with autism might seek certain sensory experiences, like smelling things or being drawn to lights.¹¹

Highly Focused Interests

Folks on the autism spectrum often get super into certain subjects.¹¹ They could know a lot about things like dinosaurs, trains, or computer programming.¹¹ This interest becomes a big part of their lives and how they learn and have fun.

Strong Attachment to Objects

Alongside intense interests, they often bond with specific objects.¹¹ Items like a special toy or figurine can bring comfort and a feeling of stability.¹¹ They might use these objects as a calming tool or to help them understand daily life.

Sensory Sensitivities or Seeking Behaviors

Autism leads to different ways of dealing with sensory information.¹¹ Some may react strongly to too much noise, light, or rough textures.¹¹ This can make crowded places hard to handle and cause a lot of anxiety.¹¹

On the other hand, some might not notice these things and struggle to fit in.¹¹ They might seek certain sensory experiences, like clicking pens, touching fabrics, or watching spinning objects.¹¹

Supporting Autism and Sensory Needs

It’s crucial to meet the unique sensory needs of people with autism.¹¹ Getting advice from behavior or occupational therapists is helpful.¹¹ They can suggest ways to cope with sensory challenges and create plans that work for each person.¹¹

Other Autism Characteristics

Autistic people might have other unique traits in addition to the main symptoms.⁵ They could use methods like pointing at pictures or typing to communicate.⁵ Many also find it hard to plan tasks, handle many tasks at once, and make choices.⁵

Nonverbal Communication

Some autistic people don’t use spoken language to share their thoughts.⁵ They might use technology to write what they want to say, or use pictures to express themselves.⁵ Or, they may show their feelings through movement and actions.⁵

Executive Functioning Difficulties

Many individuals with autism find it challenging to manage their time or solve problems.⁵ They may find complex tasks and making decisions hard.⁵ Switching between activities can also be tough for them.⁵

Fine Motor Skill Challenges

Tasks needing fine motor skills, like writing or using utensils, can be hard for some autistics.¹ This makes certain everyday activities difficult to perform.¹

Need for Daily Living Support

Autistic individuals’ support needs can vary greatly.¹ Some need help with self-care or handling social settings.⁵ They might struggle to express or regulate their emotions, leading to behaviors like meltdowns or shutdowns.¹

Masking Autism Symptoms

Some autistic people, especially women and girls, hide their¹² autism signs. They do this to fit in or meet what society expects. This is known as masking.¹³ Masking could be acting like everything is okay in loud environments or making sure to look people in the eye when talking.¹² Studies tell us that girls and women with autism do this more. It can also bring on mental health problems.

¹³ When someone is autistic masking, they hide certain traits to match what is seen as normal. They do this to avoid negative reactions.¹³ Over time, this can make them feel more anxious, tired, and stressed. It can be hard for them to form true bonds with others, while they might also lose track of who they really are.

¹³ Adjusting behavior to fit in can be tough, always worrying about how you seem. It takes a big toll on both mind and heart.¹³ Signs can include not showing stimming action, copying what others do, sticking to scripts in talks, controlling eye contact, and hiding unique interests. They might even try too hard in social settings and then feel really tired from it all.

¹² Many Autistic adults, especially those who are pretty smart, often do autism masking.¹² This happens a lot with women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color), and genderqueer individuals.

¹² Girls and women are under a lot of pressure to fit in socially. So, they often use autistic masking. This includes those from BIPOC and Trans communities. They might change how they act to deal with what society expects.

¹⁴ There’s a lot of work involved for young adults with autism to seem ‘normal’. This is according to a research in Autism Research.¹⁴ A big number, 87%, of autistic women in mental health care have been wrongly diagnosed. This was found in a study in Autism in Adulthood.

¹⁴ A big part, 65%, of autistic adults feel very isolated.¹⁴ Normally, autism is diagnosed around 4.3 years in the U.S. But, masking might delay getting this important diagnosis for a long time. This info comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

¹⁴ A study by the National Autistic Society found that 45% of autistic adults have signs of being depressed.

¹³ It’s very important for those who mask to get help from mental health pros and support from the autism community.¹³ Making society more accepting of autism helps reduce the push for autistic folks to always try to fit in. This can make a big difference in their mental health and life satisfaction.

Getting an Autism Assessment

Seeing signs of autism in you or someone else means talking to a healthcare provider is crucial.¹⁵ The American Psychiatric Association updated the DSM-5 in 2013. It describes the key diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), focusing on social communication and interaction deficits.¹⁵ By 2022, a new version called the DSM-5-TR was released, with slightly clearer criteria for diagnosing autism.¹⁵

Recognizing Signs and Seeking Evaluation

When getting assessed, sharing photos, logs, or videos can aid the provider in understanding behavior and growth.¹⁶ The AAP recommends including autism screenings in the regular checkups for children at 18 and 24 months.¹⁶ The NCBDD suggests these screenings happen at 9, 18 and either 24 or 30 months.¹⁶ If autism is suspected, the provider might send the person to experts for in-depth evaluation and testing.¹⁷

Providing Observation Logs and Video Recordings

¹⁷ The M-CHAT acts as a questionnaire to spot potential autism, though it’s not foolproof.¹⁷ The STAT goes deeper, looking closely at behaviors that might indicate autism.¹⁷ Shockingly, 21% of kids with ADHD alone, but not autism, met autism criteria by ADOS standards.¹⁷ The ADI-R takes a long time – two hours – to assess.¹⁷ Details about early development help in this part of the process as symptoms are often clearer early in life.¹⁷ Testing cognitive skills, like thinking and problem-solving, is also part of a proper assessment.¹⁷ Diagnosis should come from someone skilled and experienced, familiar with many conditions.¹⁷

The Diagnostic Process

Diagnosing is not as simple as a medical test. Healthcare pros do a deep assessment. They look at how people think, talk, make friends, grow, and their interests.¹⁸ This team may include doctors, psychologists, therapists, and speech experts.¹⁸ They also check for other issues that might play a part.¹⁹

Comprehensive Assessments by Specialists

Pros use the DSM-5 to figure out .¹⁸ They give detailed checks on how behavior and skills develop. It’s said that kids should be diagnosed by age 2.¹⁹ Before a detailed check, all kids get a basic look during routine visits. For those showing differences, they do a more serious test with a special ASD team.¹⁹

Screening for Co-occurring Conditions

Telling apart from other issues in adults is tougher, as their symptoms might seem like other disorders. This needs a detailed evaluation by a pro in ASD.¹⁹ A proper diagnosis in adults helps understand hard times, spot strengths, and find good support.¹⁹

Using the DSM-5 Criteria

Per the DSM-5, people with battle in talking and dealing with others, have strict interests, repeat actions, and these affect their daily life.¹⁹ A kid must fit these DSM-5 rules to truly have .¹⁸ The two big areas looked at are the challenges in chatting and making friends, and the strict and repetitive actions. These are key in seeing if a child has .¹⁸

Autism Spectrum Disorder Severity Levels

Experts diagnose autism based on how much the person’s behaviors and communication are affected.²⁰ The DSM-5 says there are three levels: 1, 2, and 3.²⁰ These show how much help the person might need.²⁰

Severity goes from needing less support at level 1 to a lot of help at level 3.²¹ It’s about deciding the right support for each person.²¹

At level 1, individuals might find socializing hard but don’t need too much help.²⁰ Level 2 makes it harder for people to hide their autism. They also struggle more with talking and fixed behaviors.²⁰ Then, at level 3, help is critical since these individuals have serious problems with communication and routines.²⁰

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The DSM-5 brought in these three categories to describe how much support someone might need due to autism.²¹ At each level, there are different but specific challenges.²¹ For instance, social skills are hard for all levels but get even tougher at higher levels.²¹ This guide helps ensure the right kind of care is given.²¹

They look at how someone with autism struggles with socializing and their behaviors. Then they decide on a support level.²¹ Each level comes with its own set of issues, like not dealing well with changes or struggling to plan things.²¹

At level 3, there are added risks of being mistreated.²⁰ The DSM-4 saw autism differently, with five types, not three levels.²⁰ The three levels now make it clearer how to support someone with autism.²⁰ Still, these levels don’t show everything about every autistic person.²⁰

Everyone with autism is different. Their needs and challenges vary, and levels can’t capture it all.²⁰

The DSM-5 is key in diagnosing autism. It helps figure out support based on how autism affects someone.²⁰

Autism Signs and Age

The first signs of autism appear differently and at various times.²² Some children might show these signs by their first birthday. For others, these signs might not show up until they are 2 or older.²² It’s important to know that autism signs can come at different ages. Early spotting and getting help matter a lot.

Signs Up to 12 Months

By 12 months, some babies might not talk much or make eye contact. They might like playing with objects more than with people. And, they could seem not to hear you when you talk to them. These early signs could point to autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Signs Up to 2 Years

By the time a child turns 2, more signs might show, like being very focused on one thing. They might not care much about other kids, have behavior problems, or repeat words. It’s advised to check for autism at 18 and 24 months, and also have regular checks at 9, 18, and 30 months.²²

Signs at Any Age

A baby or older child might still show signs of autism at any time. They could avoid eye contact, have strong reactions to sounds or sights, like only certain topics, do the same things over and over, or not talk on time. Some studies say by age 2, a doctor’s ASD diagnosis is very reliable.²² Starting therapy early, especially focused on behavior, can do a lot to help with learning, talking, and making friends in young children with autism.²²

Support and Resources for Autism

Many support services are ready to help those with autism and their families. These are found everywhere, from local programs to big national groups. They focus on helping with challenges and making life better.

Local Support Services

Locally, you can find help from doctors, therapists, and community programs. They offer special therapies, support groups, and care breaks. They also help with school and social needs.

National Autism Organizations

National groups like Autism Speaks have a lot of info and support.²³ They make education materials, hold events, and push for better laws. They also help fund research to understand autism more.²³

Online Communities and Forums

Don’t forget online groups and forums for more help and info. These websites let people and families meet and share stories. They also give tips and build a community.

Thanks to all these services, individuals with autism and their families can find the help they need. Whether it’s local clinics, big advocacy groups, or online friends, support is out there. And it’s key to making life better.

Conclusion

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has two main symptoms. These include social communication and interaction issues, as well as the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors. These symptoms vary from person to person and can show up differently in children, adults, and varied genders. It’s very important to spot the signs early, get a professional’s view, and find the right support.²⁴ This helps those with autism and their families a lot. Understanding the wide range of traits in autism is key. It can lead to better awareness, acceptance, and support for the autistic community.

About 1 out of every 44 8-year-old children is affected by autism.²⁴ Boys and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) are over four times as likely to have autism as girls and children assigned female at birth (AFAB).²⁴ Signs of autism often appear between 1.5 and 3 years of age.²⁴ The term ASD covers many conditions like autism, Asperger’s, and PDD-NOS.²⁴

It’s crucial to understand the complexity of autism and support the varied needs of those with ASD. Knowing about the symptoms, causes, and resources can help us build a society that is more inclusive and welcoming for everyone, including individuals with autism and their families.

Source Links

1. https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-symptoms
2. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/signs-symptoms/index.html
3. https://neurosciences.ucsd.edu/centers-programs/autism/early/signs.html
4. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/Autism/Pages/Early-Signs-of-Autism-Spectrum-Disorders.aspx
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928
6. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326841
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8. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/understanding-undiagnosed-autism-adult-females
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10. https://abacentersfl.com/blog/repetitive-behaviors-in-autism/
11. https://behavioral-innovations.com/blog/types-of-sensory-issues-in-autism-examples-and-treatment-options
12. https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/what-is-masking-in-autism
13. https://nurselinecs.co.uk/autism/autistic-masking-symptoms/
14. https://www.abtaba.com/blog/autism-masking
15. https://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-diagnostic-criteria-dsm-5
16. https://autism.org/screening-assessment/
17. https://childmind.org/article/what-should-evaluation-autism-look-like/
18. https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/how-do-doctors-diagnose-autism
19. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd
20. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-are-the-three-levels-of-autism-260233
21. https://www.autismspeaks.org/levels-of-autism
22. https://www.autismspeaks.org/signs-autism
23. https://www.autismspeaks.org/
24. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8855-autism