As a speech-language pathologist, I often meet with parents of late talkers. When babies are late to start talking, many parents wonder if Autism could be the culprit. While that’s certainly not always the case, it can be. However, there are lots of other signs of Autism in 2-year-olds or toddlers that you can look out for. We’re reviewing them in this post.
Early Signs of Autism in 2-Year-Olds
While no child with Autism exhibits the exact same behaviors, there are some common signs that you can look out for.
Minimal Facial Expressions of Enjoyment or Not Paying Attention
One of the ways that Autism presents is through abnormal social interactions, so that is one of the signs we look for in children. However this can be challenging to identify in babies, especially because they are not talking yet!
So, one of the cues is if your baby shows minimal facial expressions of enjoyment during interactions or play. Or, if they often seem not to pay attention during interactions.
Not Requesting or Initiating Others’ Attention
Another sign to look for in babies is if they don’t seem to initiate or request others’ attention. You will notice this during play, or when you are interacting and communicating with them. Typically, as babies learn language, they show joint attention – which is where they look at you after something occurs.
For example, they may throw a ball and look to you to get your attention about it. It’s like they’re saying, “Look! I threw the ball!” If your baby doesn’t interact with you in this way, that could be considered an early sign of Autism.
Not Imitating Actions or Words
Another way that babies learn social interaction and language is by imitating you. This is one reason why it’s so important to practice interactive communication with them. They are learning their language cues from you, even from an early age.
So if your toddler does not seem to do this, it would be a good idea to bring this to your pediatrician’s attention.
Not Combining Gestures and Words at the Same Time
When babies and toddlers combine gestures and words, they are learning and practicing social interactions. If your toddler is not doing this, it could be an early sign of Autism.
Consulting The Experts
Our colleague, Ashley Brien, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, recently shared some specific examples of a toddler displaying early signs of Autism in this post. It is a helpful resource if you are concerned about your child’s development and want to learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The CDC also has lots of helpful information on its website. I encourage you to check it out to learn more about ASD.
Finally, if you do have concerns that your child is displaying early signs of Autism, it could be time to consult some experts. Discussing it with your pediatrician is a good first step.
Additionally, if your child has been slow to start talking, and that is where your initial concern for Autism initiated, then a late talker evaluation is a great place to start as well.
I’m Guy Garcia. I have successfully treated over 1000 late-talking toddlers, I am a board-certified speech-language pathologist, and I am the founder of Easy Talking Toddler.