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Autism
Understanding the Disorder By Lisamarie Sanders
Warning Signs
According to the Autism Society of America (ASA), "Evidence shows that early intervention results in dramatically positive outcomes for young children with autism." Therefore, it is important to be watchful for warning signs of the disorder. Language Delay
Dr. Frank Aiello III, a developmental pediatrician at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Va., says one of the early signs of autism is delayed language development. For example, a 12-month-old baby who is not using "mama" and "dada" specifically for his mom and dad or who does not point for the things he needs may have a developmental delay. Additionally, an 18-month-old who doesn't have a vocabulary of at least 10 words and who doesn't point to pictures in books should be evaluated. 
However, a language delay does not automatically mean your child is autistic. "Lots of children, with a whole host of different kinds of problems, can have language delay," explains Dr. Aiello. "But almost all children with autism do have language delay."
Abnormal Social Relatedness
Children with autism also have an impaired ability to relate to others. "Parents don't necessarily know how to articulate it," Dr. Aiello says, but most know something just isn't right. Poor eye contact, lack of affection and little interest in interacting with others are common examples of this impairment. Evidence of these social problems is often recognizable by 6 months of age. Perseveration
Another behavioral sign of autism is perseveration, or doing something over and over and over again. Unlike a normally-developing child who likes to hear the same story or watch the same movie again and again, autistic children take it to an extreme. They may spend hours stacking things or lining them up. Or they may flap their arms over and over and over again.