A group of disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction, imagination, verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Children diagnosed on the spectrum often appear to have a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive. A child with ASD may:

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

✔ Not respond to their name by 12 months of age
✔ Not point to an object to show
    interest by 14 months of age
✔ Not play pretend games by 18 months of age
✔ Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
✔ Have delayed receptive and
    expressive language development
✔ Repeat words and phrases over and over (echolalia)
✔ Give unrelated answers to questions
✔ Get upset by minor changes
✔ Have obsessive interests
✔ Flap their hands, rock their bodies, or spin in circles