Understanding some of the Autism Symptoms for Children will help to find appropriate intervention as soon as possible.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that reportedly effects up to 1 in 150 toddlers. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized as a spectrum disorder because the degrees of the disorder can vary dramatically. ASD presents in the forms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Aspergers and severe Autism.

To date there is no known cure of Autism, with research continuing there are suggestions that genetic pre curses to the disorder may exist. Early diagnosis and intervention offers the best outcome for the child. Parents who are concerned that their child may have signs of the disorder should seek a diagnosis as early as possible.

It can be very difficult for parents of babies and toddlers to see the signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as they are still developing but there are some definite early warning signs that parents can look out for.

Autism symptoms for children are a little more obvious for parents to detect when the child is showing signs of ADD and ADHD . Children suffering from ADD and ADHD often have very short attention spans, are extremely over active the majority of the time and very difficult to feed. Their world just seems to have too much in it and not enough time to see and touch it all.

If you are recognizing these Autism symptoms for children or early warning signs of ADD or ADHD in your child one thing that may be considered is their diet. There is much research to suggest that children with ADD and ADHD can be affected greatly by the foods that they consume. Chemical additives in the food and drinks they consume can have a dramatic effect on their disposition. Not to be confused with a sugar high, some additives in foods can exacerbate their agitated and uncontrollable restlessness. Eliminating these chemicals from the diet and replacing them with fresh foods and natural alternatives will go a long way to helping toddlers control their behavior.

Within the spectrum is Autism itself, this condition has no known cure and can affect a child dramatically for the rest of their life. This severity of this condition varies from very mild to severe. Some of the obvious warning signs for Autism include; your child not responding to his or her name, your child not responding to a smile with a smile, and an inability to be comforted with physical affection.

Children with Autism often lack the ability to understand human emotions. They have difficulty interpreting facial expressions and body language of others. This can often lead to frustration for both parents and children. Other warning signs include the constant repetition of words and movements or obsessing over one particular toy or object. If your child is showing any one of these early signs of Autism you should consider seeking out the medical opinion of a pediatrician. Early diagnosis and intervention can greatly improve the outcome for the child as their brain is still developing.

Speech delay is another one of the common Autism symptoms for children. The devastating reality for parents with children with Autism is that most children with Autism begin life following a normal path of development. The gradual loss of their fine motor skills and speech can be unexpected and very confusing. Many parents describe this experience as ‘losing their child’ to the disorder. It is heartbreaking and devastating.

There are many ways that you can support your child if they are showing signs of any of the Autism symptoms for children. Introducing a gesture-based sign language early on can help to maintain their ability to communicate, especially if the condition deteriorates rapidly and their speech is lost. Sign language that has been developed for babies and toddlers can be useful to help them with their communication, as they may not have the dexterity or attention span for adult sign language as yet.

If your child has been learning baby sign language from an early age and can communicate through this means, it is a skill that will prove invaluable if you later discover that your child has a speech delay or worst cases is likely to lose their speech altogether. When a child has regressed in their speech development because of Autism, the skills they have developed with sign language will be retained, allowing the parent and child a means of communication. It is important to recognize the Autism symptoms for Children as early as possible so there is no delay in seeking help.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.

If you suspect that your child is showing signs of a speech delay it is worth further investigation so that appropriate intervention can be sought as early as possible.

Almost one in twenty adults suffers from some sort of speech or language disorder. If diagnosed and corrected before the child reaches school age, it will have less impact on their overall intellectual development.

Normal speech development begins with the newborn as they discover that they can use their mouths to produce an array of soft sounds. This later develops into babble and by the age of 12 months most babies will be able to say ‘ma’ and ‘da’ or even the occasional word. Each baby has their own unique developmental timeline and an individual’s schedule could be brought forward or delayed by weeks or even months for no apparent reason. As a parent you should always trust your instincts. If something with your baby’s development doesn’t seem quite right you should always seek medical advice.

Brain damage can be attributed as the main interfering condition associated with speech delay and it is usually associated with an intellectual disability or cerebral palsy. Hearing problems or cleft palate are physical disabilities that may hinder the ability to articulate. Speech delay is also an indication of undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder.

Early warning signs of speech delay include not responding to sounds by 2 months, lack of interest in toys or people by age of four months, lack of vocalization or babbling by the age of ten months and inability to speak any words by the age of twenty-one months. By the age of thirty months, the baby should be able to be understood by most members of the immediate family. If these milestones are missed it could be a sign of speech delay.

If you suspect your baby is showing signs of a speech delay you should firstly exclude the possibility of a hearing impairment by having a hearing test performed. Consult a pediatrician to check whether your baby’s developmental milestones are within the normal range. Discuss the potential for medical conditions that may cause speech delay such as cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder.

Many problems associated with speech development can be corrected with appropriate intervention. Some speech impediments can be corrected with speech therapy. Signs of speech delay could be an early indication that other intellectual or physical disabilities so you should consult your medical professional as soon as possible to rule this out.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.

Imagine a world without speech; where you knew exactly what you wanted but had no way of expressing these needs to the people around you. This is the reality for our babies and toddlers before they learn to talk. They suffer the limitations of a world without speech. By 6 months of age they know exactly what they want but have no means of communicating this to you. There is no wonder they become frustrated. Even when they do begin to talk, it is some time before they are able to get their little mouths around all the words that they will need to express themselves effectively. Baby Sign Language can help to ease this frustration by providing a means of communication to bridge the gap.

Baby Sign Language is based on ‘keyword signing’ and involves the use of simple gestures for words that are important to the baby. Each gesture is to be used with repetition of the associated spoken word making babies more interested in the meaning of keywords from an earlier age. It should never replace the need for the spoken word.

Baby Sign Language is becoming increasingly popular. Many people won’t realise that its use is supported by over 30 years of research. Some people who do not recognise the long term benefits of signing with their hearing babies may be excused for thinking that it is a fad or the latest passing trend in modern parenting. However the research is clear and the parents already using Baby Sign Language are united. It is a very simple solution to a very frustrating problem.

Infants already use an extensive range of facial expressions and body language to communicate with their parents and Baby Sign Language is a natural extension of this behaviour. They squirm when they are uncomfortable; put their arms up to be picked up when you walk by and later they learn to point at things.

Babies are fascinated with movement, especially when the movement is performed by a parent. In the beginning the baby will associate the movement with the word. In the case of ‘milk’, this association is made easily as they are rewarded with their favourite comfort and associate this with the gesture. This ties it all together; the use of the gesture and the spoken word followed through with the actual item.

The first step is having them understand what you are signing to them. It is suggested that you only use one sign such as the sign for ‘milk’ at this early stage so they don’t become confused. You can begin this as early as 3-4 months of age. With the sign for ‘milk’ it is easy to recognise that you have been understood when they go into flapping frenzy and get excited. By about 8-9 months of age they will be able to ask for ‘milk’ by replicating the sign. As a parent this is just as exciting as any other milestone they reach. Once they are able to sign back to you, slowly introduce another sign or two until you develop a vocabulary for all the important things you would like to communicate.

Growth and brain development during these early years, especially the first 2 years is more rapid than at any other stage of a child’s life. One of the most crucial milestones in a child’s development is the development of their social skills and the ability to interact appropriately with others. The basis for appropriate social interaction is effective communication. The benefits of Baby Sign Language also include earlier communication, reduced frustration, increased language comprehension and further opportunities for bonding between parent and baby.

Teaching Baby Sign Language also teaches your child that there is more to communication and social interaction than just words. Effective communication does involve hand gestures, body movements and facial expression. Being a visual language it is fascinating to children as it stimulates their curiosity and attentiveness towards further communication.

Some parents express concern that using Sign Language may inhibit the speech development of their child. There is no cause for concern however; because you are using ‘keyword signing’ you are enhancing the comprehension of the word not replacing the need for spoken language. It is very important that you continue to use the spoken word with the gestures to enhance the speech development. National Institute of Health funded research demonstrated that babies who were using Baby Sign Language were able to communicate with spoken language 3 months earlier than babies who were not. Even more astounding was the fact that these same children went on to develop language comprehension skills that were 12 months ahead of their peers by the time they reached school age.  The easiest way of teaching toddlers to talk is using Baby Sign Language from a very early age.

Toddler Interpreter teach Baby Signs and they offer the best Free Baby Sign Language Chart  available online and their Baby Sign Language Book is used by parents and childcare centres in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to Teach Baby Sign Language. Sign Language for Babies is easy using Toddler Interpreter’s comprehensive Baby Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language for Toddlers can help reduce frustration and Baby Sign Language has proved very beneficial for Premature Babies, children with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome and other babies at risk of developing a speech delay.