Answer this question to the best of your ability:
How can these symptoms be distinguished from typical developmental stages in children?
While some of the symptoms mentioned can be observed in typically developing children to some extent, the key distinction lies in the persistence and intensity of these behaviors. For a child to be diagnosed with autism, these symptoms must be present before the age of three, and cause significant impairment in daily life. Additionally, professionals consider the overall developmental trajectory of the child – if the child is regressing or not making expected progress in other areas of development, this may indicate autism.