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AutismSpeaks.com has done a great job of listing some of the signs and behaviors of autism. I have listed the signs taken from their site,                                       By 6 months                             Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions  Limited or no eye contact                                          By 9 months                             Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions            By 12 months                           Little or no babbling Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving Little or no response to name                                             By 16 months                              Very few or no words                    By 24 months                            Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)                At any age                                  Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills   Avoidance of eye contact Persistent preference for solitude Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings Delayed language development Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings Restricted interests Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

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AutismSpeaks.com has done a great job of listing some of the signs and behaviors of autism. I have listed the signs taken from their site,                                       By 6 months                             Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions  Limited or no eye contact                                          By 9 months                             Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions            By 12 months                           Little or no babbling Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving Little or no response to name                                             By 16 months                              Very few or no words                    By 24 months                            Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating)                At any age                                  Loss of previously acquired speech, babbling or social skills   Avoidance of eye contact Persistent preference for solitude Difficulty understanding other people’s feelings Delayed language development Persistent repetition of words or phrases (echolalia)Resistance to minor changes in routine or surroundings Restricted interests Repetitive behaviors (flapping, rocking, spinning, etc.)Unusual and intense reactions to sounds, smells, tastes, textures, lights and/or colors

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It is important to remember that just because your child does some of these things, it does not automatically mean they are autistic, nor does it mean they are not autistic if they don't exhibit all of these signs. It is important to have them evaluated to rule out or diagnose autism or any comorbid diagnosis.

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Aiden had no desire to play with is siblings or peers. He preferred not to interact with anyone socially. When he was around peers Aiden simply ignored all social cues, he just was completely unaware of how others were feeling

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Before enrolling Aiden into preschool, we knew we had to have a plan for him. We developed an individualized family plan with his team from the regional center and decided Aiden would have an aide in his classroom, he would receive his speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy in school to minimize the amount of time he was out of class. All of the research we read and the professionals helping him encouraged us to find an inclusive program so that Aiden could be around his peers. This helped his social skills tremendously and his team got to see him in action and exactly what skills he needed help in. It also helped him develop language. He started off echoing his peers, and using "scripts" given to him, and before we knew it he was engaging on his own organically. Aiden's school also had a sensory area for him, this helped when he became overstimulated or needed stimulation. We provided the teacher with some of his sensory toys and told her things he loved and things that should be avoided. For example he did not enjoy his hands being dirty, so he was allowed the adaption of using gloves during messy arts and crafts activities. He also has noise cancelling headphones for things like field trips where it gets noisy, or if the classroom just gets too loud. The regional center also prepared us for kindergarten, they set up a meeting with the school board, and just like with the regional center we set up an individual plan for Aiden's education, called an IEP. Aiden was doing well enough to where he no longer needed an aide in the class with him, however he still continued his therapies, except speech therapy, he had grown so well he no longer needed it as well. I could not believe my child who did not speak at all at one point had such a wide vocabulary. We took all of the same steps for kindergarten as we did in preschool and the school was very supportive of Aiden's needs. For example, he does not like to take his backpack off, it is a sort of security for him, so we have a type of weighted vest for him and routine for taking off the backpack and putting on the vest. It is done at the same time in the same way. We make sure Aiden's routine stays the same and he always knows what is going to happen next. This avoids meltdowns

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To find support for your child and family I would suggest; 1. http://www.autism-society.org  If you think your child may have some of the signs similar to Aiden or don't know what the signs are I highly suggest, 2. www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly It provides checklist and signs/symptoms of autism. It also explains the importance of early intervention. 3. Autismspeaks.com is also an excellent site full of resources. It provides a definition of what autism is, providers available to assist in evaluating your child, or support after a diagnosis.                        Last but not least, perhaps even most importantly, is the regional center website. if you are in Los Angeles here are a few in the area that provide assessments and support, with little to no cost to you. 4. South Los Angeles:  https://sclarc.org/ North Los Angeles: https://www.nlacrc.org  West Los Angeles: https://westsiderc.org/

There is also a site for the full directory of regional centers in California, 5. https://dds.ca.gov/rc/rclist.cfm The best part is the regional center is not autistic specific so they can help with any of your child's special needs. They treat the specific child, not a cookie cutter diagnosis. You should also reach out to your local school district, if you don't know where to start this is something the regional center can also help with.

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Until this day the regional center has been our greatest asset. After repeated mentions of our concerns, a family friend, who was a social worker, advised us to look into the regional center. A quick google search changed our lives. Everthing after that is a whirlwind. We filled out a packet online and emailed it in. You can also mail it in. We received a call and before we knew it we were signing papers and having specialist come to our home to assess and evaluate our son. We received support pretty quickly once his needs were assessed. Thanks to this support, Aiden is now five years old and thriving in class and in everyday life. That one day and packet at the regional center changed our lives. Aiden was diagnosed with autism by a psychologist, as well as sensory processing disorder.  A speech therapist diagnosed him with an expressive speech delay, and an occupational therapist even came in to evaluate him as well. In the end aide was given speech therapy, behavior therapy, and occupational therapy. They even reassured us that although Aiden's brain processed things different than ours, he did not have any cognitive delays. I never thought on the first day of kindergarten my child would run to me and say "I love you" and give me a hug. It has taken a lot of work and support but our family and aiden's team have helped him come a long way. There is no cure for autism, he will always have it, but there is definitely support to help make his everyday challenges less stressful.

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Until this day the regional center has been our greatest asset. After repeated mentions of our concerns, a family friend, who was a social worker, advised us to look into the regional center. A quick google search changed our lives. Everthing after that is a whirlwind. We filled out a packet online and emailed it in. You can also mail it in. We received a call and before we knew it we were signing papers and having specialist come to our home to assess and evaluate our son. We received support pretty quickly once his needs were assessed. Thanks to this support, Aiden is now five years old and thriving in class and in everyday life. That one day and packet at the regional center changed our lives. Aiden was diagnosed with autism by a psychologist, as well as sensory processing disorder.  A speech therapist diagnosed him with an expressive speech delay, and an occupational therapist even came in to evaluate him as well. In the end aide was given speech therapy, behavior therapy, and occupational therapy. They even reassured us that although Aiden's brain processed things different than ours, he did not have any cognitive delays. I never thought on the first day of kindergarten my child would run to me and say "I love you" and give me a hug. It has taken a lot of work and support but our family and aiden's team have helped him come a long way. There is no cure for autism, he will always have it, but there is definitely support to help make his everyday challenges less stressful.

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Aiden loved movies, reading, and music. He could memorize whole movies, songs, and stories. His pitch was perfect. He also tended to echo your questions back to you without answering them. One day his grandfather jokingly called him a parrot for his perfect imitation, he then spent the next day saying "Aiden is a parrot."

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Aiden loved lining up all his toys in a row, he always seemed so relaxed. It was not until we tried to break the arrangement that we would get upset. Like any other kid Aiden had his favorite toys, he was fixated with toy cars.

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Everything started to make sense, Aiden was not a child who did not love his mother, as ridiculous as this seems, I was starting to believe, he just didn't love me. He just had a different way of showing it. Not only did Aiden have autism, he had sensory processing disorder, and a speech delay. Sometimes added needed stimulation so he would clap or hum. Other times he was overstimulated by noise, lights, or sounds. I recognized this was what was causing his meltdowns at the store, so many different noises, people, and lights. It was all to much for him, so when he cried and covered his ears, or ran away, he was simply trying to find an escape. Life was tough with Aiden before support and answers. I believed I was not affectionate or responsive enough as a parent or that I had done something wrong. We were struggling mentally and financially because we had to constantly take time off from work to support our son but we didn't really know how. We dreaded trips to the market, missed out on family outings, and felt we were failing our son. Life has definitely done a 360. My son is thriving and happy. He can have playdates with friends, join his peers in the classroom, and even accompany me to the grocery store occasionally. Large gatherings, malls, or really bright and busy places are still a challenge, but I am so proud of who he has become.

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My son Aiden was born on July 5th, 2014. The day he waa born was the happiest day of my life, but I never imagined my child would be a child who cried when I tried to hold his hand or had melt downs when we went to the grocery store. When he would not look me in the eye or answer when I called his name, I thought maybe he was being defiant. When he was two years old and not speaking, I thought well, he may have trouble hearing. The moment I took him into the regional center and they asked me all these questions about his development and behavior, I immediately recognized my child in all the boxes checked off under autism. .

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My son Aiden was born on July 5th, 2014. The day he waa born was the happiest day of my life, but I never imagined my child would be a child who cried when I tried to hold his hand or had melt downs when we went to the grocery store. When he would not look me in the eye or answer when I called his name, I thought maybe he was being defiant. When he was two years old and not speaking, I thought well, he may have trouble hearing. The moment I took him into the regional center and they asked me all these questions about his development and behavior, I immediately recognized my child in all the boxes checked off under autism. .