We often pay attention to children's behavior in their daily life so that at one point, we will realize some of the habits and behavior of our children. Some of them may look cute so as not to cause concern. If a child has habits or behaviors that are considered unusual for children of his age, this must make us as parents worry.
Paying attention to children's behavior from infancy really needs to be done seriously and thoroughly so that we are not negligent in assessing and taking action. A child's behavior can also be a sign of his brain's health and development, known as autism. Autism is a complex developmental disorder that affects the function of the child's brain and nerves. As a result, children experience problems in interacting, socializing, communicating, and expressing themselves properly. This developmental disorder is often known when children are over 1-3 years old. So, what are the child's behaviors that can be the characteristics of autism?
The characteristics of autism are related to communication and social interaction.
1. Does not respond when his name is called
At 7 months, children can generally recognize and respond or react to the voices of their parents and those closest to them (brothers, sisters, or family that they often see and meet). At this age, the child can also move his head to look, especially if he is called or his attention is diverted. However, some children may not react or respond when their name is called. This needs to be watched out for by parents because it could be that children experience symptoms and early characteristics of autism. But keep in mind that not all babies develop at the same age. It could be faster or slower than most children.
2. Has difficulty making eye contact
Around the age of 4 months, the child has begun to be able to see objects more clearly and have a wider view. They have also started to be able to focus their eyes so that they can follow a moving object. Be wary if, over this age, the child's eye contact response cannot respond when following the movements in front of him. The characteristics you can see are that the empty child's gaze tends to be out of focus, like daydreaming. Other signs can be seen if the child has difficulty never even looking into the eyes of the people he interacts with.
3. Poor coordination between eye and body movements
Another body ability that babies master is coordination between the eyes and limbs (hands and feet). This ability allows babies to respond to hugs, helping hands, or touching objects. So if the baby is less responsive to objects that he can see, this must be watched out for.
4. No babbling
When entering the age of 2 months, babies are starting to be able to babble and make sounds that have meaning or not (usually to get the attention of people around them). They can make this sound due to a reflex of the muscles around the baby's mouth. Well, children who have autism most likely don't babble like children at their age.
Apart from the behavior above, there are also typical behavior patterns that are usually shown by children with autism, including:
- Getting angry, crying, or laughing for no apparent reason
- Too picky about food
- Repeat certain movements
- Only respond to certain objects and topics, usually those they like
- Unknowingly engaging in self-harm activities, such as banging his head against a wall or pulling his hair
Symptoms of autism are not always bad. In fact, many of them also have special talents in specific areas such as painting, mastering tunes and songs well, memorizing, and learning in detail. In addition, autism can also resemble anxiety disorders. So, if the baby has different behavior from children their age, parents can immediately consult a doctor as early as possible and carry out a series of tests so that we can provide the right parenting and treatment for them.