1 Early clues to autism

It is generally considered that autism cannot be reliably diagnosed before the age of 2 years. However, for some children later diagnosed with autism, parents report subtle differences from typical developmental milestones during the first year of life, such as delays in sitting up or walking (Chawarska et.al., 2007), or say that their child did not enjoy cuddles, or was difficult to feed or to comfort (Young, Brewer and Pattison, 2003).