From the case study, what are the common symptoms and manifestations that are red flags for ASD?

Chapter 21, Community Mental Health

Case Study # 1

The parents of a 2-year-old boy are meeting with the pediatrician today because the mother is concerned that in playgroup her son does not seem to be “acting like” the other children his age. When asked to describe her concerns, the mother states that he uses very few words, he likes to play alone with his trains, and he startles easily. Based on these concerns, the pediatrician refers the family for further testing, suspecting the child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (Learning Objectives: 4, 7)

1. The parents of the child say to the nurse, “We think he got autism from his immunizations.” How does the nurse respond?

Immunizations are made to help people to create antibodies to fight against infections. He might not even have autism. Also, refer the parent and boy to see the doctor.

1. What are the common symptoms and manifestations that are red flags for ASD?

1. Not respond to their name by 12 months of age
2. Not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
3. Not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll) by 18 months
4. Avoid eye contact and want to be alone
5. Have trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings
6. Have delayed speech and language skills
7. Repeat words or phrases over and over (echolalia)
8. Give unrelated answers to questions
9. Get upset by minor changes
10. Have obsessive interests
11. Flap their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
12. Have unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
13. Lives alone.