Have you ever had a feeling that something was different?
After I turned one year old, my parents noticed I was not making regular developmental milestones compared to my older sister, Samantha. This was back when my family and I were living in Brooklyn, NY. The Child Mind Institute (n.d.), shares some developmental milestones infants are supposed to achieve by the age of one: · Gets up without assistance · Demonstrates emotions of fear towards strangers · Responds to simple requests, such as someone saying "hello" · Repeats sounds and noises to get attention · Tries to say words other people say · Copies gestures and imitates · Uses hand grasps, such as a pincer grasp · Follows simple directions Is an infant missing developmental milestones? How do we know if someone is Autistic? Here are some signs and symptoms of Autism to know and comprehend: 1. Delayed speech and language development 2. Repetitive behaviors (ex: hand flapping, rocking, spinning, head banging, creates same noises or sounds, etc.) 3. Fixation on special interests, objects, or activities 4. Does not like changes in routine 5. Poor eye contact 6. Demonstrates lack of social interaction (ex: playing, sharing, and talking to others) 7. High or low sensitivity to sounds, smells, tastes, texture, and/or colors 8. Avoids physical contact due to sensory sensitivity 9. Demonstrates attention to detail 10. Difficulty with social cues (ex: difficult to understand others are thinking and feeling) Please be aware that these are some of the many signs and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are many more signs and symptoms beyond this list. As for me, I demonstrated every single sign and symptom on this list here. I did not say my first word until I was six years, and I did not fully communicate in sentences until I was ten years old. I used to bang my head against the wall, rock back and forth, and spin in circles as my repetitive behaviors. I was sensitive by touch, which meant I did not like hugs nor people touching my skin; I did not feel comfortable people touching me as an infant. I used to not like changes in routine at all. These are some examples from my infant years. You can learn more about this in my blog story, "Early Years". Reference: Child Mind Institute. (n.d). Milestones at 1 Year. CMI. Retrieved on July 2nd, 2021. https://childmind.org/guide/developmental-milestones/milestones-at-1-year/
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