(BPT) - Does your child avoid eye contact, have little or no
interest in making new friends or prefer solitary activities to
social games? These may be signs that your child has an autism
spectrum disorder. Symptoms of autism spectrum disorders can
present in many different ways, and can be confusing for
parents, particularly if they aren't sure of what to look for.
It is human nature for parents to overlook the early signs,
saying that their child is 'just going through a phase' or
'having an off day.' Lana Cramer, mom to a 14-year-old on the
spectrum, says, 'At first I did not understand why my son, Evan,
hesitated to interact with others, and often seemed uninterested
in what was going on around him. I figured that he would just
grow out of it, but he didn't. When our psychiatrist diagnosed
Evan with autism, the pieces started to fit together." While
there are certain similarities among children with autism, it is
a spectrum disorder, meaning that there can be great variation
in the way it affects people.