Home »
Could My Toddler Be Autistic? Possible Signs of Autism in Toddlers
“Could My Child Be Autistic?”
With the epidemic of autism, one of the most common questions I’m asked during an initial speech-language evaluation with a child is, “Could my child be autistic?”
It’s a question that brings worried parents from all over the world to this website every day.
Today this question may be “Does my child have autism?” The word “autistic” has become offensive to some and is not used by professionals, but parents do continue to use this term during their initial search for answers.
Many people assume, incorrectly of course, that because a child isn’t talking by age two or three, he or she must be on the autism spectrum.
There are many reasons for speech-language delays in toddlers, and autism is only one of them. Late talking in and of itself usually does not mean autism.
Autism spectrum disorder is a complex disorder that lasts throughout a person’s life. Autism is called a developmental disorder because issues start before age three, during the critical period of development, and it causes problems in the way a child develops, learns, and grows. Areas affected by autism include delayed or disordered skills in:
1. Social Interaction – the way a child relates to and connects with others, particularly those outside his immediate family.
2. Language – the way a child understands and uses words, gestures, and symbols.
3. Cognitive – the way a child thinks and learns.
4. Motor – the way a child moves his body.
5. Sensory – the way a child takes in and processes information through his senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste, and movement.
Autism is a “spectrum disorder,” which means that all children with autism do not share exactly the same difficulties. Degrees can range from mild to severe.
Possible Signs of Autism in Toddlers
Below is list of the other concerns noted during daily routines in young children with autism spectrum disorder. This is not an official diagnostic list, but rather a list of concerns that parents might note. This list below was gathered from several sources.
- Does not consistently respond to his/her name.
- Cannot tell you what he/she wants with words or gestures.
- Doesn’t follow directions.
- Seems to be deaf at times.
- Seems to hear sometimes, but not others.
- Doesn’t point or wave bye-bye (past 15 months) or use other gestures such as shaking his head “yes” or “no” appropriately and back and forth in conversation.
- Used to say a few words or babble, but now he/she doesn’t.
- Throws intense or violent tantrums.
- Has odd movement patterns, such as flapping arms or shaking body, especially when excited.
- Shows other odd visual behaviors, such as staring repeatedly at spinning wheels on a toy or shifting his eyes to the side as he runs.
- Seems hyperactive much of the time; is always “on the go.”
- Is often uncooperative or oppositional during daily routines.
- Doesn’t know how to play with toys. Might spin or line them up excessively.
- Doesn’t smile when smiled at.
- Doesn’t make eye contact. He/she seems to look right through/past you.
- Gets “stuck” on things over and over and can’t move on to other things.
- Seems to prefer to play alone.
- Gets things for him/herself only, without asking for help.
- Is very independent for his/her age.
- Seems to be in his/her “own world.”
- Seems to tune people out.
- Shows very little interest in other children.
- May interact inappropriately with other children.
- Walks on his/her toes.
- Shows unusual attachments to toys, objects, or schedules (e.g., always holding a string or having to put socks on before pants).
- Spends a lot of time lining things up or putting things in a certain order, and gets upset if this is disrupted.
- Has delayed speech-language skills when compared to other children of the same age.
- Memorizes and quotes long scripts of favorite TV shows, sing entire songs, or label lots of objects, but he/she uses very few “real” or meaningful words to ask for things or participate in conversation.
- Repeats what he/she hears rather than using words on his own.
- Learns to read at age two or three (or has a very strong interest in visual symbols such as letters and numbers), but has difficulty communicating with others in a meaningful way.
- Is a very picky eater. May eat only three or four different foods.
Let me reiterate that the presence of a few, or even several, of these concerns does not mean that a child will receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Please discuss these signs/symptoms with your pediatrician, and then decide whether a comprehensive developmental assessment is needed for your child.
Research tells us that early identification and treatment for children with these difficulties is essential before these symptoms become severe and chronic patterns are established. Waiting until a child is in preschool or kindergarten before seeking professional and educational assistance NEVER leads to the best outcome for a child with any developmental delay. The earlier a child is diagnosed, the better chance he has of correcting his problems.
Research also tells us that children with autism, regardless of the severity, can make progress with specialized intervention that focuses on facilitating developmentally appropriate skills. The recommended “best practices guideline” for a child with autism is that he or she be involved in AT LEAST 25 HOURS PER WEEK of engaged time with caring, nurturing adults. This can be a combination of time in therapy, structured and developmentally appropriate preschool (NOT “Mother’s Day Out”), and quality, focused 1:1 play at home with mom and dad or other trained assistants.
Parents of children with autism play a crucial role in determining the ultimate outcome for their child. Success comes when parents make a huge commitment to learning their child’s unique strengths and weakness, become their child’s biggest advocates, and wholeheartedly embrace a comprehensive approach to improving their child’s developmental skills. This means getting a child professionally evaluated as soon as your gut tells you there’s a problem, selecting and following through with appropriate treatments, and pursuing additional education about your child’s needs until you become the best “expert” you can be. It’s not easy, but it will be worth it.
————————————————————————————————————————-
If you’re looking for additional resources to help you work with your child at home to improve his ability to use and understand words, I can help!!
Help My Child Learn to Understand Words and Follow Directions
Other helpful information:
Product Recommendations for Parents and Professionals
If your child can’t imitate any words, here’s a step-by-step approach to helping him learn!
Get My Free eBook
A Parent's Guide to Understanding Speech Language Development
Get real-time clinical coaching and Q&A for professionals and parents who want practical answers, clearer next steps, and direct access to Laura’s expertise.
Recent Posts
Teach Me To Talk Testimonials
Happy Therapists, Teachers, Parents & Children
"Laura, I am a long time follower. You have mentored me from a distance for many years. I've watched many of your courses and purchased 5-6 of your books. I just wanted to take a moment as a sister in Christ to say- --- Thank you!! I'm in my 33rd year as an SLP and still love it! I work in the public schools and have grown my skills along the way with your help. Thank you thank you thank you and, Many blessings to you and your daughter!!!"
Camille, SLP
"Laura,
Three years ago, my then 2year old (adopted) was only saying two words - momma and boat. We had been doing speech therapy for 6 months, and he loved to play, but he was entirely uninterested in talking. A dear friend who is a SLP recommended I look you up online. Since then, I've read your emails, listened to hours of your podcasts, ordered two of your therapy manuals, and watched many of your videos.
My now 5year old tells elaborate stories now, and if you didn't know his background, you would never guess. And thanks to the hours that I have spent with your guidance, when our next son, now a 2.5yr old, didn't talk (after a craniotomy), I had tools to get started with him. His speech has just taken off in the last month or so.
Thank you so much for all that you do to help parents facilitate speech therapy with their kiddos. And thank you for your gentle, confident living of your faith.
God's blessings."
Rachel (mom to 3 boys in a now very noisy house!)
"Hi Laura!
I became an SLP in 2004 and you were my first SLP crush! I was so fortunate to have a supportive school district that allowed me to purchase your videos and the Teach Me to Talk handbook. Not only was the handbook a life saver (I literally called it my Bible lol), but the videos, oh how the videos changed my life, and the lives of the families I worked with! I remember telling my families that they'd love you, not only because you spoke directly to families, jargon free, but also because of your southern dialect. You speak directly and clearly, but never rushed and never over anyone's head, something I highly value. I told families that I could listen to you read the phone book and it would capture my attention. You see, I'm from Ohio where we don't get a whole lot of diversity and cool dialects, so listening to you talk about my favorite topics was a breath of fresh air. So many of us think talking over people's heads makes us more credible or whatever, but now that I've been around over 20 years, I can say you had it right all along. Southern speech included 😊"
Heather Welling, M.A., CCC-SLP, Early Intervention in Summit County, OH
"I found the modality checklists to be invaluable. I had something in hand that I can use right off the printer."
Elizabeth, SLP
"LOVED this program! It was jam-packed with a ton of information that will take time to incorporate into therapy sessions. (Not only is the child learning new skills, so am I as a therapist!) I've known about strength-based therapy and have done it, but not to the extent and to the organization offered in this training. I am looking forward to seeing how my therapy changes and how my little ones progress by using this program."
Leah, SLP
"This program was extremely beneficial for use in my practice. All of the information, handouts and techniques that were presented were amazing. Easy to follow along. I liked that it was broken up into different videos/sections."
Michele, SLP
"Thank you for including real-life stories and anecdotes from your own practice. Very helpful."
Ellen, SLP
"I loved the clear strengths guidance, and the reminder not to push too hard in therapy!"
Elizabeth, SLP
"The course was very helpful and practical. I will certainly apply this approach to children on my caseload. I kept thinking about children that already "graduated" from EI and wish I had this knowledge when I still had them on my caseload. (Although I did put a lot of other Teach Me to Talk information into practice!)"
Heidi, SLP
"I appreciated learning the 7 C's of Communication, which seemed to include, (restated/reorganized/ summarized) information from '11 Skills Toddlers Master Before Words Emerge', which I have successfully used for years now (Thank you so much!!!!). I appreciated the additional information included to better assist toddlers with ASD since that population, unfortunately, continues to rise. I also appreciated the focus on regulating children and the need to keep them regulated, since dysregulation and sensory impairment in toddlers is also rising. These are areas I did not study in grad school. I appreciate the worksheets we can provide for parents to identify strengths and how to use these strengths more effectively in treatment. Thank you again, for your essential contribution to our field. p.s. You and Macy are precious!! God bless you both!"
"I am one of those therapists who you pointed out works on the wrong things. ARH!! What a slap in the face, but in a good way, because it was a much needed wake up call. I've hated my job lately and now I know why. Thank you for the clarity."
Susan, SLP
"Dear Ms. Laura and sweet Macy, I just purchased the new course and wanted to say THANK YOU! I would have definitely expected such cutting-edge information to come from you! I am part of several message boards for parents of autistic children, and we parents are just so tired of being told by professionals what our children can't or will never do. And really, what is the point of doing that? How does that help at all? Except to make the parent miserable and feel like there is no point in trying to help their child?...The tone of the course is great (such positivity), and Macy is such a delight! She is such a wonderful addition to Teach me to Talk."
Ann, SLP
“I loved the handouts to share with parents to help them understand how utilizing their child's strengths and interests is the best way to facilitate their child's communication abilities.”
Colleen, SLP
“The most beneficial part of the program is the strengths survey, as well as the treatment toys and activities that correspond to each strength. There was no part of the program that I did not feel was beneficial.”
Natalie, SLP
"I LOVED the energy of this course! I also appreciated the research facts I learned I can spit out to other professionals and parents. The best part was how characteristics of ASD were divided into strengths and therapy activities... so if I have a visually inspecting kid, I know I can go into my pdf and find out what activities I should target based on that characteristic... this really did improve how I think about therapy."
Kelsey, SLP
"I feel so much more at ease now having a huuuuuge packet of therapy ideas and a framework for organizing my therapy and having an actual PLAN instead of just "following the child's lead" while trying to figure out how to work in the goals. The way the content was explained was easy to follow and the handouts are excellent."
A, SLP
“I found identifying a child's strength helped me to consolidate my previous knowledge and experience. I feel I have a clear method to identify a child's strength and to build their strengths into sessions plans to help achieve their set goals.”
Christine, SLP
"Wow, this course was by far my favorite course I have taken in a long time! I have been lately feeling "stuck" with a few of my autistic toddler clients, and this course provided clear and helpful tools and strategies to best support our clients while also being affirming. I loved all of the ideas that were provided as well as the Strengths Survey – I can't wait to implement all of these wonderful things!"
Isabel, SLP
“The most beneficial part of the course was the handouts to share with parents and ALL the therapy ideas!! I've always felt that we focus on the 10% a kiddo can't do instead of the 90% Can Do. I have always tried to do this in my therapy sessions. Now I have evidenced material for support!!!!!”
Suzanne, SLP
“Liked systematic handouts to use to help with assessment and diagnostic therapy. Enjoyed hearing examples of each strength domain. Great review and great handouts to be able to share with families. The course was well organized and the content is much needed as an EI therapist.”
Terri, SLP
“This was a fresh new philosophy and a comprehensive approach with a new concept for successfully working with children with Autism. Before this ,the very structured, compliance teaching model which has been utilized by many therapists using comply-reward, noncompliance -punish or a with-hold philosophy. Children with Autism became prompt-.dependent with this method. These Children couldn't initiate language or make a plan to move on their own. They had to wait to be prompted to act or to respond and never spoke spontaneously on their own. I and many of my SLP colleagues have always believed in play therapy and giving the child choices to play works best. It is very important that Parents should hear about this strategy! Thank you Laura and Macy for doing the evidence-based research and putting this new concept into words!!”
Teresa, SLP
“This was a wonderful, easy to understand course with lots of great materials. Exactly what the fabulous Laura Mize is known for!”
F, SLP
"I am an autism mom, and I bought your books and listened to several podcast episodes over the last few years. I believe your teach me to talk and autism workbook were one of the number one tools in giving me to guidance to help my son. Thank you!"
Brittni
"I just want to thank you for the invaluable information you’ve given me in helping my grandson to talk (which I have passed on to his parents). We’ve ve learned patience, appropriate expectations, and fun and effective strategies that we had found no where else. He is exploding with conversation! Sometimes I struggle to interpret his articulation, but all I have to do is say, “Show me”, and he’s excited to do so. He and I both want so badly to communicate with each other, and your strategies have made it so much easier and non-threatening. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Stacey
"My little guy is taking off like a rocket!! We’ve been working through your Autism Workbook for a few months and he has had an explosion of skills develop. YOU are AMAZING! THANK YOU!" Laura Q, Mom
"Dear Laura Mize and Team,
Thank you so much for all your hard work and publishing books! Our 17-month-old toddler suddenly exploded into speaking and imitating everybody's gestures and sounds, just a week or two after we 'completed' all activities that are listed under 11 pre-linguistic skills! Your method really works!"
Grateful customer.
"Hi Laura!
I absolutely LOVE all of your workbooks, especially your Autism Workbook. Starting with Social Games has been a game changer for many of my littles with ASD and their families. It's been the best way for them to finally connect and sustain shared attention and engagement, leading to longer social interactions, through play!"
Jodie, Dev, Therapist
"Hi Ms. Laura,
Thank you so much for the videos you have posted on your youtube channel. They are so direct, informative, and helpful. Thank you for being a resource for me to become a better therapist."
Dianne
