Health tip: recognize early signs of autism

Symptoms of autism can be difficult to recognize in very young children, especially in mild cases or in instances when a child has other mental or physical conditions.

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke mentions these possible early symptoms of autism:

No pointing or babbling by age 1, or the absence of saying single words by age 16 months.

No response to calling the child's name.

Lack of early social or language skills.

No eye contact with others.

Obsessive organizing or lining up of objects.

Not smiling.