As parents and carers, it can be difficult to observe our child’s development and know what this should look like for their age, and when we might want to seek more advice.
This resource covers:
- Early signs and characteristics of Autism (ASD)
- Early signs and characteristics of ADHD
- What to do once you’ve noticed these symptoms
Mind Movers Psychology specialise in helping parents, children and families reach their full potential by providing a safe space to learn the skills and mindset to feel empowered and connected in their lives.
Early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
It is important to know that Autism symptoms can change across a person’s lifetime and may be influenced by everyday stressors and environment. Autism can relate to different interpretations and responses to social interactions, experiences with sensory input, strong and restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours.
Some early signs to look for in young children include:
- Walking on their toes after the age of 2
- Rigid and literal thinking
- Poor eye contact
- Delayed speech and language development
- Sensitivity to sounds or textures
- Sensory interests such as staring at lights
- Repetitive behaviours such as flapping hands, twisting fingers or rocking their body
- Restricted interests that interfere with everyday activities
- Difficulty following instructions
- Difficulty with toilet training
- Emotional sensitivity to small changes in daily routines
- Not responding to their name
- Minimal interest in interacting with other children and a preference to play alone
- Minimal pretend play
- Minimal shared enjoyment and joint attention
- Playing with parts of toys rather than the whole toy, or not using toys as intended
- Not understanding emotions in themselves or others
- Limited facial expressions or facial expressions that seem unusual for the situation
- Echoing what you say to them
- Repeating the same phrases
Early signs of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD has 3 subtypes: hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive and combined. Symptoms can look different across the 3 types and may also look different between children.
Some main signs to look for include:
- Difficulty listening and paying attention across home and school
- Disruptive behaviour, struggling to wait their turn, and blurting out answers
- Issues with memory, such as forgetting, losing items and misplacing things
- Careless mistakes
- Difficulty sustaining attention during play or tasks they do not enjoy
- Struggling to follow through on instructions or complete homework and tasks
- Difficulty organising tasks, including sequencing, chunking and time management
- Avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort
- Fidgeting, squirming or constantly tapping their leg
- Restlessness, such as not being able to stay seated or climbing at inappropriate times
- Finding it hard to sit still
- Interrupting or intruding on other people’s space and conversations
What to do once you have noticed your child shows some of these symptoms
Why is an assessment needed?
The purpose of an assessment is to identify how your child’s brain is functioning. It can help identify and define cognitive strengths and weaknesses and give you, your child and their school more insight into their symptoms and why they are showing up.
An assessment can also help a clinician begin to develop a plan to support your child and reduce the barriers affecting their emotional and cognitive development.
Assessments are useful for understanding the reasons behind your child’s challenges and symptoms. They can also support a diagnosis, which may help with finding the right support services, treatment options, school adjustments and, where relevant, an NDIS application.
If you or a teacher have noticed your child shows some of these signs and you are unsure what to do next, a practical first step is to speak with your GP or paediatrician. A GP can provide a referral to explore a diagnosis, but they do not assess and diagnose these conditions. A paediatrician can complete a developmental assessment and help identify whether further testing is needed.
Who should I go to once I’ve noticed these symptoms?
A psychiatrist, psychologist or paediatrician can assess and diagnose both ADHD and ASD. A psychologist can also provide a detailed recommendation plan for support and next steps for home, school and other services that may help with intervention. They may also support a school to develop learning plans for the child after assessment.
