Additional Information

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people with ASD have:

• Difficulty with communication and interaction with other people
• Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors
• Symptoms that hurt the person's ability to function properly in school, work, and other areas of life. 

Here are some of the red flags I have encountered during the autism evaluation:

For younger children:

•  If your child is over 15 months old, he or she does not respond to his or her name when you call several times nor return to your smile or funny gestures/facial expressions. 
• Your child shows speech delay, or he/she is nonverbal or lost speech when he/she turns 18 months or two years old. 
• Your child does not make eye contact, appears disengaged from what is going on around him/her, and prefers to engage in self-directed play. 
• Not making eye contact alone cannot be a red flag for autism, given that children with a trauma history or social anxiety have difficulty making eye contact. 

For older children: 

•  Your child has no friends, has difficulty making connections with peers, tends to be literal, and struggles to pick up social cues.
• Your child's speech may sound formal or pedantic, and he/she may have detailed information about specific topics of his/her interest but has difficulty engaging in everyday back-and-forth conversation. 

For more detailed info: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Autism-Spectrum-Disorder-Fact-Sheet#3082_2