Between 12 and 18 months of age

He does not say simple words.

It does not respond to its name.

Has limited or diminished use of eye contact.

Absence of social / communicative babbling as if conversing with the adult.

Absence of spontaneous imitation.

He does not point to ask for something.

He does not look where others are pointing.

Does not show or show objects.

May manifest unusual response to auditory stimuli.

Lack of interest in simple interactive games.

By 24 months of age

He does not say phrases of two or more words, which are spontaneous and not just repetitions of what
he has heard from others.

Has difficulty maintaining eye contact when spoken to, and does not follow objects with his eyes.

He is not involved in shared games and does not seem to enjoy the shared relationship with other
people.
Autism Spain experts emphasize that all of the above is merely indicative and that any of these signs,
considered in isolation, has no diagnostic value. "A comprehensive developmental assessment would
also be recommended if, at any age, the child appears to be losing skills that they had already gained,
such as babbling or first words," they add.

Child watching a television only while holding a stuffed animal.

Treatments

There is no cure for ASD; accompanies the individual throughout his life . Behavioral therapies and
interventions are designed to minimize specific symptoms and can provide a substantial improvement in
quality of life. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific
needs of individual children. The most effective type of intervention is psychoeducational , provided by
psychiatrists, psychologists, pedagogues, speech therapists ...

Early treatment significantly improves symptoms in many cases and is essential for children to develop
social skills and adapt their behavior. In fact, a late diagnosis is related to the appearance of associated
problems such as eating disorders, anxiety or depression .

Medicines

In the treatment of ASD, drugs are not used except in very rare cases and only to control possible
complications. José Ángel Alda, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Sant Joan de Deu Hospital in
Barcelona, gives as an example the antipsychotic risperidone "in children with behavioral problems plus
autism".

In any case, there are no drugs that specifically treat ASDs.

Other data

Parents' attitude is key to the well-being of people with ASD. In the opinion of Noemí Velamazán, "the
most important thing is that parents (as with any child) accept and love their children as they are,
without trying to change them and without forcing them to do things they do not want to do, such as
attending a school. Birthday Party".
He also advises "anticipating the things that are going to happen throughout the day, and knowing that
if something unforeseen happens, your child will be affected, so it is important to know strategies that
help him feel better."

Investigation

Psychiatrist José Ángel Alda is confident that the many research projects on autism that are currently
underway will bear fruit soon. One of the greatest achievements may be the obtaining of biological
markers that allow the objective diagnosis of ASD, in order to establish an effective treatment even
before the first symptoms appear.