Expert: James Michael Roan - 3/27/2009

Question
My almost 4 month old eye contact seems poor. She will look at me for a few seconds when I first approach her, but it usually takes me singing or talking to her to keep her attention on my face. She smiles often, laughs and babbles, but almost never initiates the smile with me. This is quite different than her siblings, who were always seeking interaction from people. She tracks me pretty frequently when I walk by. She turns toward us when we call her name, but usually looks away quickly. Her fine motor skills are good. She is a VERY content baby. I guess I feel like she prefers to look around the room than engage with people and will routinely smile at lights or her play gym. It seems to me her social skills are about a month behind. I called the doctor and he thought it was a bit early to be concerned, but to make note on whether the eye contact was improving. It appears to be improving. Your thoughts?

Answer
Hi Denise;

It's really too early to tell at 4 months. I have included some red flags for autism beginning at 6 months:

6-12 Month Markers:

•   Passivity and decreased activity
•   Extreme distress reactions
•   Fixation on objects

By 12 Months:

•   Decreased positive affect and social smiling
•   Delayed gesture and language
•   Poor or no eye contact
•   Poor disengagement of attention
•   Inability to shift attention back and forth between different stimuli
•   Failure to orient to name
•   Poor imitation
•   No babbling by 12 months
•   No gesturing by 12 months

By 16 Months:

•   No single words by 16 months
•   No pointing to objects or interesting events in an attempt to share them with another

By 24 Months:

•   No spontaneous two-word phrases
•   Loss of any language or social skills at any age

Kind regards,
James



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Bio

James Roan is a certified school psychologist who has been consulting in the areas of autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and learning difficulties in the United States and in Ireland for over ten years (http://www.jamesroan.com). James earned his M.Ed. in School Psychology and M. Ed. in Adult Education and receives ongoing post graduate training in autism at the University of Washington’s Autism Center. James Roan has traveled to Galway, Limerick, Mayo, Clare, Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and other cities and counties across Ireland assessing children and adults, and consulting with solicitors (lawyers) in defense of children with disabilities. James Roan was the consulting psychologist responsible for many of the autism and AD/HD screening tools and other content for Access Special Needs.Com. James Roan consulted with the graduate department of the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford Ireland in the development of their graduate program for the certification of private autism tutors. James has conducted formal assessments of students in the Autism Unit in the Claddagh National School in County Galway Ireland.