Autistic Baby Eyes: One Of the Early Signs Of ASD

A baby’s developmental milestones are something that excites all parents. However, it is also necessary to keep an eye on their development. You must keep a check on their behavior, the new skills they are developing, and their abilities.

However, autism is something that you might be able to figure out from their behavior and eye movements, whether your baby is autistic or not. About 1 in 88 babies gets autism.

Autistic baby eyes and their lack of social interaction are some of the major signs of autism in infants. ASD or autism spectrum disorder affects how a baby communicates, behaves, and interacts.

Autism in Infants: What is It?

Autism is a developmental condition that affects how a baby behaves. It has different characteristics and causes different kinds of behaviors.

Moreover, it is not an illness. It is considered a developmental disorder because it develops before a child turns 2.

There is no specific way of treatment for autism. You have to understand all about it and support your baby in managing the symptoms and characteristics better with therapies or support.

Like, if your baby avoids eye contact, it is one of the symptoms. Identify those. When you take them to therapy from an early age, you can improve their interactive skills, development, and language.

Early Signs of Autism in Babies

Babies mostly start showing ASD signs between 12 to 24 months. However, you can notice some signs from as early as 2 months.

However, diagnosing can be a challenging task, since the characteristics are different for different babies. Development milestone also varies for different babies, even if they are not affected by any condition. Some of the early signs of autism in babies are mentioned below.

Declining Eye Contact

Babies start making eye contact from a very young age. They can locate people and make eye contact from they are 2 months old. This is a way of building relationships and getting information about the environment around us.

Research says that babies who have autism make very little eye contact if they develop ASD. So, if your newborn avoids eye contact, it is one of the first indicators that your child might have autism.

Gesturing or Pointing

Babies communicate through gestures. Before they learn to talk this is the way they communicate. However, autistic babies gesture much less than those who are developing adequately.

When a baby is not pointing at stuff, or not communicating with the people they see regularly, it could be a sign of language delay as well.

Another thing you will notice is that they do not look at the thing you are pointing at. Their gaze doesn’t follow. This is known as “joint attention.” This is reduced in autistic children.

Very Less to No Response to Their Name

By the time baby is 6 months old, they start reacting to their names, especially when they are communicating with their mothers.

Developmental milestones are different for autistic babies. Babies who develop ASD do not react to their names even when they are 9 months old. You will notice a pattern of nonresponse.

Reduced Facial Expressions

Facial expressions and gestures are a way of non-verbal communication. Even though there is very little research about emotional expression in autistic babies, studies show that school-going children show very little emotion through their expression.

Well, that does not mean that they are not feeling anything, or any less emotion than any nonautistic baby. Their face just dosen’t show it when they are feeling emotional.

Delayed Speech

Different babies start talking at different stages. According to research, autistic babies understand fewer words than non-autistic babies. If your child is not speaking by the time they are 16 months of age, then you should take the matter to a pediatrician.

Regression

If you notice your child losing the abilities and skills they developed, that is an indicator of autism as well. It is a difficult time for parents to cope with this.

Also, there is not much research about why regression happens. There is no evidences that connect it to any medication, experience or disease.

One-third of autistic children start losing before they go to playschool. Around 94% of the time, it is their language skill that is compromised.

So, the moment you notice your baby not making eye contact, or starting to babble which they developed before contact a pediatrician.

Autistic Baby Eyes: What Is Research Saying?

Autistic baby eyes are one of the early signs that parents notice. It can be diagnosed properly when a child is at least 2 years old, but the decline in making eye contact can be noticed since they are 2 months old.

This is one of the earliest symptoms that you will notice, but you should take the matter to a doctor to figure out if it is needed because of autism and not any other issue.

If it is diagnosed faster, and treatment is started, it will help the baby more with their development.

Doctors at Emory University School of Medicine conducted research with 110 babies. They were divided into two groups. The high-risk group had older siblings with autism and the low-risk group did not.

Scientists have been in search of ways that will help them identify the condition at a more early stage. When the condition is identified faster, it helps the baby deal with their condition better.

When Should You Contact a Doctor?

It is better if you contact a doctor the moment you find out any signs and symptoms of autism. If you take them to a doctor as early as possible and start with the treatment or therapy it will be beneficial for them.

It will help the baby develop their social skills. A doctor will observe their behavior and evaluate it. A formal diagnosis is done when the baby turns two, but if they suspect it, you can start with the therapy.

Supporting Babies With Early Signs of Autism

There is no cure for these neurological differences, and most autism communities believe that it does not need to be cured. They are just different and their way of communicating with the world is also different.

Research has shown that if parents take the matter into hands early, it can help with health outcomes. If you take them to therapies since early childhood, it can help them deal with their growing nervous system and growing brain.

Frequently Asked Questions

When discussing autistic baby eyes, there are some other questions that people ask often. Here are those common questions mentioned.

Conclusion

If you start to notice the developmental differences in them, it is beneficial to contact their pediatrician immediately. Autistic baby eyes are one of the early symptoms and they require attention.

If the matter is diagnosed early and intervened properly, they will have better health outcomes.

Even though there is no cure, research has proved that therapy can help them. Proper therapies can reduce their anxiety, improve their skills, and get your child a healthy life. Make sure, you take care of yourself while taking care of your child. It is not often easy for a parent to deal with this easily.