How to identify early signs of Autism in Toddlers?

As a parent, it would be very heartbreaking to suddenly realize that your chirpy baby has a medical problem; and knowing it to be incurable will be all the more disheartening. Although, autism was mainly linked with genetic manipulation of an individual, recent research has revealed the fact that some of the environmental triggers may also have key effects in the development of Autism. As a matter of fact, it is well understood by the pattern so far that early detection of autism can reduce or slow down the progressive damage, helping your baby to be more independent.

Autism is categorized as a developmental disorder and is mainly affecting social as well as emotional well being of a child. The signs, symptoms as well as severity of their exhibition may be child specific, depending upon the extent of damage; although, as a responsible parent, it is very imperative to understand normal developmental pattern of a baby and if at any point of time, you feel your child is not reaching the milestone, you should consult your medical practitioner for early detection of any abnormality.

There are certain red flags, which have been outlined and should be taken as an indication that your child may be at risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder. If any of the following symptoms have been exhibited by your child, you should get an immediate help from your practitioner.

·         No expression of joy and/or smile on your baby’s face by six months or thereafter.

·         No sharing of sound, smiles or other facial expression at the end of nine months.

·         No sharing of gestures such as pointing, showing or reaching towards any object, even after one year of age.

·         No babbling or saying meaningful words by the end of two years.

·         Any loss of skills such as babbling, social response, no response by the age of 2 years.

·         No personal interest in interaction, playing, or any involvement in any activity till the age of 2 years.

·         No emotional response towards cuddling and/or no eye contact. It has been noted that an autism child will behave in a different way.

As a parent, you understand your child well in order to locate the earliest red alerts of autism, and it is very important to pinpoint the difference, which is not normal. For that matter, it is always advisable to:

·         Monitor child’s developmental milestone: - Autism being a developmental disorder, indications like abstinence from social, emotional as well as physical involvement in any activity should never be underestimated.

·         Action against the concern: - Every child can react in a different way, thus when it is a matter of healthy development, the range of normal would be wider. Although, if there is a concern, you should not delay in consulting a doctor.

·         Always trust your instinct: - As a parent, you should always trust your instinct first. If you really feel that something is wrong or not normal with your child’s development, kindly consult your practitioner first.

With recent medical development, multiple treatment regimens can be attempted to stop the progression of damage, such as stem cells therapy. With its application in treating variety of degenerative disorders, stem cells technology has opened new avenues in the cure for autistic children. Besides having potential to stimulate normal functioning of brain cells, these autologous stem cells also have the functional capacity to trigger in viva regeneration of resident stem cells, create a potential microenvironment to secrete growth factors and immunoglobulins, thus promoting symptomatic improvement and stopping the disease progression.