Autism can be diagnosed at any age. For some people their diagnosis of autism won't become apparent until after they start school and in some cases when they are an adult.
ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later.
It is often the case that the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder are not noticed until after three years of age or even much later, but it is still not possible for those characteristics to develop later in life and be considered ASD.
Most children with autism are diagnosed after the age of three, and in some cases, autism can be diagnosed as early as 18 months of age.
Often children show symptoms of autism within the first year. A small number of children appear to develop normally in the first year, and then go through a period of regression between 18 and 24 months of age when they develop autism symptoms.
For now, we don't know the exact cause of autism however research suggests it's a combination of developmental, genetic and environmental factors.
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
What are the early warning signs for autism spectrum disorder? The early warning signs for an ASD include concerns about a child's social skills, communication, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, activities, and emotional regulation.
Unfortunately, no. There's no way to grow out of autism. An autism diagnosis will last for a person's lifetime, and treatment is intended to lower the reactions and characteristics of symptoms. As a developmental disorder, autism has no known cure.
It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a "cure".
Characteristics of Mild Autism
Repetitive or fixated behaviors, interests, or activities: Autistic people often repeat movements or words as a way to self-regulate, a behavior often referred to as “stimming.” They may also adhere to specific routines and have specific and intense interests.
Not all children with autism show all the signs. Many children who don't have autism show a few. That's why professional evaluation is crucial.
Children are often diagnosed with autism before the age of 3. However, it's not unusual for a child with with level 1 ASD, or so-called high-functioning autism, to go undiagnosed until social challenges arise in school. Some people are not diagnosed with autism until adulthood.
Although typically developing children generally produce their first words between 12 and 18 months old (Tager-Flusberg et al. 2009; Zubrick et al. 2007), children with ASD are reported to do so at an average age of 36 months (Howlin 2003).
Autism has a wide spectrum and not every individual with autism can find a place in mainstream schools. However, I have had a few success stories where the right support and timely intervention helped. Several students from my schools were able to successfully complete their education from mainstream schools.
Adults who have not received appropriate treatment may have trouble living independently, may be unemployed, and may struggle with relationships. Autism can also impact physical and mental health, according to the 2017 National Autism Indicators Report: Developmental Disability Services and Outcomes in Adulthood.
Two types of reaction are typical of autism meltdowns – an explosive reaction or a withdrawal. Explosive reactions may involve screaming, shouting, aggressive behaviour or crying. On the other hand, less explosive reactions may include refusing to communicate or interact, withdrawing themselves or shutting down.
A child with level 1 autism may understand and speak in complete sentences, but have difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation. Children with ASD level 1 experience some inflexibility of behavior, like difficulty switching between tasks, staying organized, and planning.
Children with Asperger's Syndrome exhibit poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, limited facial expressions and other peculiar mannerisms. They might engage in obsessive routines and show an unusual sensitivity to sensory stimuli.
The most widely accepted risk factors operate during gestation or around the time of birth. Various pregnancy and birth complications are associated with an increased risk of autism. These include preterm birth, low birth weight and maternal diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy.
The team found that mothers passed only half of their structural variants on to their autistic children—a frequency that would be expected by chance alone—suggesting that variants inherited from mothers were not associated with autism. But surprisingly, fathers did pass on substantially more than 50% of their variants.
High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.