Expert: Jene Aviram - 8/20/2009

Question
Hello,
I have a 6 month old son.I am concerned about early red flags for autism. Is it true if a baby has limited eye contact when being fed a bottle or being held that there is a concern? Otherwise eye contact is good if he is on the floor or changing table. Also, he never has imitated facial expressions. Any advise or insight is appreciated. Thanks, Sarah

Answer
Hi Sarah,

It's so hard not to worry when we have a baby.  Especially with the increase in autism.  However, try not to be too concerned with this.  For every parent that says their child with autism did not make eye contact when being fed, I can find you another parent who says they did.  And vice versa.  And I can find you many parents who's babies did not particularly imitate facial expressions and their kids are just fine.

The thing about babies is that they're still developing.  And they all have quirks! Some shake their heads, some stare at their fingers a lot, some scrunch up their eyes, cover their ears, cry at loud noises.  The list goes on and on.  Parents fear autism and they worry their child will be affected.  Generally, 6 to 10 months later, they can't believe they were ever concerned about that.  And now they're worrying about the next step.  It's called being a loving parent!

The thing about autism is that you really can't distinguish it until much later.  And one of the reasons for this is that all babies exhibit the same type of behavior.  Autism is really hallmarked by a social disorder and these skills only start developing more rapidly as babies mature.  The signs are just too subtle when they're younger because they're shared by so many typically developing peers.

You can always keep an eye out to make sure milestones are on track.  As your son grows, he should start referencing you, watching your expressions, wanting to interact, waving, clapping etc.  My guess is that your baby is just fine. As tough as it is, try and put autism out of your mind and enjoy your baby as he grows.  The time goes by so fast!

I hope this has been of some help.

Jene Aviram
http://www.nlconcepts.com