Autism study suggests parents should be on lookout for "red flags"
(CBS) Autism doesn't just strike randomly. New researchsays siblings of an autistic child are 20 percent more likely to get the disease - a much higher estimate than once thought.
Autism: 24 signs your child is at risk
How can parents tell if their child will have autism? It's not easy.
Some children show hints of future problems in the first few months of life, but other children might develop normally until 18 to 24 months, when they stop gaining new skills - or lose ones they already had. But experts believe the earlier a child is diagnosed and begins behavioral treatment, the better the child will turn out later.
What are some of the autism red flags parents should look for?
According to the CDC, autism may be more likely in a child who:
Doesn't respond to his/her name by 12 months
Doesn't point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over) by 14 months
Doesn't play "pretend" games (pretend to "feed" a doll) by 18 months
Avoids eye contact and want to be alone
Has trouble understanding other people's feelings or talking about their own feelings
Has delayed speech and language skills
Repeats words or phrases over and over
Gives unrelated answers to questions
Gets upset by minor changes
Has obsessive interests
Flaps their hands, rock their body, or spin in circles
Has unusual reactions to the way things sound, smell, taste, look, or feel
The CDC kicked off a "Learn the Signs. Act Early" campaign to inform parents what the standard developmental milestones a child should reach at 3 months, 7 months, and each year until they are 5 years old. The milestones range from the child's health, movement, hearing, and vision to signs of emotional and social growth. Not reaching these age-specific milestones may signal an autism spectrum disorder, or other health problem.
Click here to see the entire checklist.