I have covered some of the specialists who can help assess your child in Malaysia and Singapore and Australia in an earlier article here:
Always remember there is no one indicator. If a child has autism, he or she should display a range of indicators to suggest autism spectrum disorder.
There are many checklists. I have used the checklist from Autism Australia here:
Social interaction and communication
• looks away when you speak to him/her
• does not return your smile
• lack of interest in other children
• often seems to be in his/her own world
• lack of ability to imitate simple motor
movements eg. clapping hands
• prefers to play alone
• very limited social play (eg “Peek-a-Boo” )
• not responding to his/her name by 12 months
• not pointing or waving by 12 months
• loss of words previously used
• unusual language pattern (e.g. repetitive speech)
Behaviour
• has unusual interests or attachments
• has unusual motor movements such as hand
flapping, spinning or walking on tiptoes
• has difficulty coping with change
• unusual distress reaction to some everyday
sounds
• uses peripheral vision to look at objects
• preoccupation with certain textures or avoids
certain textures
• plays with objects in unusual ways such as
repetitive spinning or lining up
For more information, go to www.aspect.org.au
