I have been doing a lot of reading on Autism, and I feel the true answers as to why the numbers of children diagnosed are still missing. But to start, I thought we should make parents aware of the early warning signs.

1. Do they respond to their name by 12 months of age?
If you call their name, children should respond the majority of the time, so responding no more than 20% of the time is unusual.

2. Did you suspect they might have a hearing problem?
Autistic children seem to have selective hearing. They might not respond to you calling out to them, but they will then respond to something else like a car honking their horn.

3. Do you think your child responds emotionally to others?
Do they respond to someone else's smiles, or when they play games with them? Do they show empathy towards others, especially other children who are hurt? Autistic children just don't seem to respond to other people.

4. Does your child imitate others?
Children are great mimics, and from as early as 9 months old they should be able to respond to your actions by imitating them. So if you clap, they will try to clap. If you make a sound, they often try to copy you. If you wave at them, they will learn to wave back. Autistic children don't tend to imitate anyone.

5. Do they engage in looking at things or sharing things with you?
It is normal for a child to develop the skills to share a conversation or moment with their parents. So they might look where you are pointing, or show you something. It doesn't have to contain words, but you know there is a process of communication happening. Autism tends to dull these responses.

6. How interested are they in play?
By a child's first birthday, you might find they are starting to play by pretending they are doing something. They might try to feed their favourite bear, or give you a pretend sip of a drink. As they approach their second birthday, this desire to role play is strengthened, and you will see the children pretending they are eating from a toy set, or they will role play as someone else like a parent, or superhero. Autistic children never seem to engage in pretend playing, and are often not even that interested in most toys.

It is often very difficult for a parent to admit to themselves that something is wrong, but the quicker a diagnosis is made, the sooner you can begin treatment. There are methods which are showing enormous promise, and autistic children are often going on to lead normal lives. If you have any concerns about your child, talk to your doctor immediately.