Signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms tend to start occurring in early childhood, often between six and 18 months of age.1 It’s a lifelong condition, meaning the signs and symptoms of autism continue throughout a person’s lifetime.
ASD symptoms can present differently from person to person and be affected by their age, gender, and a variety of other factors. If you believe you or someone you know may have autism, it’s important to speak with a licensed mental health professional or doctor to receive an official diagnosis.
Signs of autism in children
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every 36 children in the United States has ASD.2 While it affects people of every demographic, boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. This doesn’t necessarily mean autism in girls is less common, but rather that it may present differently and go undiagnosed more often.
Signs of autism in babies can also occur. Autism is a developmental condition, so it’s important to watch for any missed milestones as a baby develops.
Early signs of autism in toddlers and young children include:
- Avoiding eye contact
- Disliking being held or cuddled
- Not responding when spoken to, but still hearing and responding to other noises
- Repeating words, phrases, or actions
- Not playing “pretend”
- Learning skills and then losing them
- Struggling with changes to routine
- Difficulty in social situations
Signs of autism in adults
Some people don’t receive an autism diagnosis until adulthood. They may have received a different or less accurate diagnosis in childhood, or they may have never received a diagnosis of any sort. Factors that could delay diagnosis until adulthood include the high cost and wait times for diagnostic services, as well as a lack of ASD-specific awareness in some healthcare settings.3
Because autism is a developmentally focused, it can be difficult to diagnose in adults. Children with ASD miss developmental milestones or arrive at them later than usual. Adults can’t be assessed in this way because their milestones were reached or missed long ago.
Additionally, in adulthood autism symptoms can overlap with symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s important not to try and self-diagnose ASD because its adult symptoms can be difficult to separate from other conditions. A doctor or mental health professional can offer a professional diagnosis.
ASD symptoms in adults include:
- Missing social cues
- Avoiding eye contact
- Difficulty reading body language
- Misunderstanding figures of speech
- Struggling with changes to routine
- Feeling overstimulated
- Deeply studying one or two topics or skills
- Engaging in repetitive, self-stimulating habits (“stimming”)
What is stimming?
Stimming is engaging in a repetitive, self-stimulating behavior as a way of self-soothing or expressing stressful emotions. We all engage in some form of stimming at some point. You may bite your nails or jiggle your foot during a test, pace around before a presentation, drum your fingers on a table in a meeting, or twirl your hair during a first date.
With ASD, stimming may be more obvious, or it may be harder to control. Common stimming behaviors for people with ASD include rocking, bouncing, rubbing, scratching, staring, snapping fingers, or repeating certain words or phrases.
If you suspect that you or a loved one may have ASD, it’s important to seek a professional evaluation. A doctor or therapist can assess symptoms and provide an accurate diagnosis, as well as recommend appropriate treatment options.
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