Although most children are diagnosed with autism between ages 1 and 3, the truth is that most of them have had atypical development before that. There is no question that early intervention increases the chances of maximizing your child’s functioning,  but when to have your child evaluated?

If there is any question, what we tell parents is that you will not be sorry you sought an evaluation, but you may be sorry you did not. There can be worrisome signs as early as 6 months. Here are some things to watch for mainly involving speech and social development, which are the main issues of autism. An infant who has always been an “easy baby” who is not demanding and makes no fuss may not be developing normally socially. Realize that not doing these things does not necessarily mean your child is autistic and doing them may not mean there are no problems. Trust your instincts if you think things are not going well.

These are guidelines for early evaluation but not a complete list:

By 3 months: Develops a smile in response to other people, imitates movements and facial expressions; grasps and shakes hand toys; smiles at the sound of your voice; follows moving objects with the eyes; babbles and imitates sounds; pays attention to new faces.

By 6 months: Is fascinated with mirrors; responds to other people’s emotions and is often laughing (I think they tell themselves secret jokes because you often cannot figure out what they are laughing at); responds to her own name and begins to respond to “no”; can sit with help; enjoys peek a boo by 8 months.

By 1 year: Anxious with strangers and cries when mom or dad leaves; checks parent’s response to some actions or behaviors; points and repeats sounds or gestures for attention; babbles with inflection; says some simple things like “uh-oh” or a sibling’s name and shakes head “no”.

Older children: Not saying single words by 16 months; not showing interest in other people or playing with other children; intense and limited interests; withdrawal or clumsiness in social situations; trouble with changes in routine; limited understanding of others’ feelings; trouble with physical boundaries such as standing close to others or touching them when not appropriate.

These are not all the signs. If you have concerns about your child’s development or behavior, share them with your pediatrician and ask for a referral.

For further and more detailed information go to www.CDC.gov and go to Act Early or Autism Society of America, www.autism-society.org.