Diane Munz, a developmental paediatrician in Montreal who has worked with children on the spectrum since 1980, has some straightforward advice about when parents should start to be concerned. ?The things that alarm me at six months are kids who don?t make eye contact, who don?t have a social smile, who are not cooing in response to their parents and are unresponsive socially. When that?s happening, you should probably start investigating.?
Still, for children that young, Munz acknowledges it?s more a case of flagging suspicions than actively seeking out a diagnosis. In fact, she always checks a six-month-old?s vision and hearing before testing for anything else. She strongly recommends waiting until a kid reaches the cognitive age of 12 months (cognitive age can be defined as a kind of baseline of language, social skills and play interests for your child) before testing for autism with the expectation of a definitive diagnosis.
.related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding:0.5rem;margin-left:0.5rem;float:right;border:1px solid #ccc}@media (max-width: 525px){.related-article-block{float:none;display:block;width:280px;margin:0 auto 2rem}}

Today?s Parent launches first autism eBook for Canadian parentsA major area of concern is regression. One-third of children who end up being diagnosed with autism start out meeting their early milestones and developing typically, and then suddenly, inexplicably start falling behind their peers. ?If they?re saying a few...