Autism is a lived experience that is complicated by external and internal factors. Societal expectations and pressure can cause an autistic child to develop conditions like anxiety or depression. Others learn to camouflage or “mask”, which many consider to be an exhausting experience that heightens issues like anxiety.
These additional conditions mean that autism may present differently, particularly as a child ages into adolescence. Understanding how autism characteristics develop can help you identify signs of autism, and provide a higher level of care and guidance for the children in your charge.
Early Childhood
There are several signs a child is autistic, starting as early as 9 months. Children typically display behaviors like:
- Avoiding eye contact
- Stimming
- Sensory stimulation
- Social avoidance or disinterest
- Lack of imaginative play
- Echolalia, or the repetitive use of words or phrases
- Need for order and routine
- Does not respond to name
It is important to note that developmental milestones progress in autism varies depending on several conditions, including whether the child has a co-occurring disorder or a certain NDD-associated genetic variant (Kuo et al., 2022).
Childhood
As a child gets older, they will have achieved many of their early childhood developmental stages. Challenges instead will focus on social interactions, as this is the stage during critical socialization. Autistic children may:
- Find it difficult to make friends, understand them, or interpret social cues
- Be more literal in what they talk about, and find it figurative language difficult
- Be easily overstimulated
Autistic children during this stage are more likely to develop anxiety. In a meta-analysis, the prevalence of at least one anxiety disorder among autistic children was 39.6% (Vasa & Mazurek, 2015).
Adolescence
Adolescence, particularly puberty, may add additional conditions, symptoms, and signs to watch out for, including:
- A higher likelihood of developing depression or exhibiting depressive symptoms
- An increase in risky behavior, from violence to self-injury
- A greater likelihood of experiencing gender dysphoria, being gender diverse, or transgender (Cooper et al., 2022)
How to Successfully Identify Autism Through Developmental Stages
Autism traits and characteristics can and do change throughout developmental stages. Young, non-verbal children are unable to conceptualize their condition; therefore, outside observation is more critical.
Autism in adults is more diverse, with adults requiring a variety of support needs; however as an adult they are more likely to be able to advocate for themselves and control their environment. Adults are also more likely to learn how to suppress repetitive behaviors or “mask” successfully, though this can lead to anxiety and exhaustion.
Being familiar with how autism can present through developmental stages and the challenges those with autism experience can not only help counselors diagnose more successfully, but also devise a more effective education strategy.
Learn to Identify Autism Earlier with WPS
Early diagnosis is crucial. WPS offers tools and training to accurately diagnose children with ASD. Learn about essential diagnostics tools like the ADOS®-2 or the ABAS®-3, update your knowledge, or add to your testing kit.
