What are the signs of Autism?
In this blog post I will take a deep dive, into the early signs of Autism that I spotted in my son, when I began his Autism diagnosis process at 2 years old.
Four Years Ago, I Knew Nothing About Autism
If you’d asked me back then, “What is autism?” my answer would have been completely different from what I know now and I had absolutely no idea about the signs of Autism to look out for in my children.
I’ll be honest—I had very little understanding. Most of what I thought I knew came from The Undateables on Channel 4, a reality show about dating in the neurodiverse community. Looking back, it felt more like entertainment at their expense than true representation. I didn’t know anyone autistic, and with no family history, autism wasn’t even on my radar.
When my son was born, everything felt familiar. He hit milestones just like his big sister—big smiles, belly giggles, and an obsession with his Toy Story, Woody doll. Parenting him felt predictable… until it didn’t.
Seemingly overnight, little things started to change—subtle shifts that set off my parenting alarm bells. Here are 10 signs that eventually led to his diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
A Quick Heads-Up
I’m not a medical professional—just a mum navigating the neurodiverse life. Everything I share comes from lived experience, but if you have concerns, always check in with a professional.
10 Early Signs of Autism in Children
1. Loss of Waving & Clapping (Regression)
One of the biggest signs that caught my attention was when my son, who used to happily wave and clap, suddenly stopped. It was like those little milestones had quietly slipped away.
I later learned this is called regression, and for some children, it can be an early sign of autism.
Signs I Noticed:
- A child who used to wave, clap, or point but suddenly stops.
- Words they once said disappearing from their vocabulary.
- Less engagement with gestures like high-fives or blowing kisses.
Not every child will experience this, but if you notice changes like these, it’s always worth speaking to a professional.
When I spotted these traits, we were at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and therefore a lot of these traits were passed off by professionals as being a result of social isolation during the lockdown period in the UK.
2. Unresponsive to Their Name
No matter how many times we called his name, my son wouldn’t turn to look. At first, I wondered—was he ignoring me? Had he grown tired of my voice? Was he just being stubborn? Or was there something more?
I considered that it might be a hearing issue, but after persistent pushing for tests, his hearing results came back fine. This turned out to be a key indicator for his autism diagnosis.
Signs of Autism to Look Out For:
- Lack of response when their name is called.
- More focused on objects than people.
- Frequently ‘zoning out.’
3. Lack of Pointing or Gesturing
By 12 months, most children begin pointing at objects to show interest. Our son never really did this, meaning he wasn’t naturally directing our attention to things he wanted or found interesting.
As an experienced parent, I intuitively met his needs. Over time, I learned his cues and brought him food and drink before he had to ask. However, professionals later advised that this may have been counterproductive, preventing him from developing the motivation to point or gesture. I still stand by my parenting approach, but it was an interesting perspective.
Possible signs of Autism:
- Not pointing by 12-15 months.
- Not using gestures like waving or nodding.
- Lack of shared attention (not looking at you, then the object, and back to you).
4. Avoiding Eye Contact
Eye contact varies widely among autistic children. Our son actively avoided it as a young child—he focused more on objects than people and seemed more engaged with toys than with us. If we held him, he would turn his head away to avoid eye contact completely.
At the time, this was heart breaking. But I want to share a message of hope—things can change.
Today, at five years old, my son is fantastic at engaging with us. In fact, he now gently turns my head to make sure I’m looking into his eyes and loves eye contact.
If you’re navigating this stage, know that phases can pass, progress will happens, and growth is possible. Keep believing in your child.
Signs to Look Out For:
- Avoiding direct eye contact.
- Looking through people rather than at them.
- Watching things from the corner of their eyes (a form of stimming).
5. Repetitive Movements (Stimming)
One of the most visible early signs of autism in our son was his repetitive movements—especially hand flapping when excited and rocking back and forth. And when it came to spinning, he didn’t just love it—he lived for it! The sheer joy he got from that sensation was off the charts.
These types of movements are known as stimming and are common in autistic children as a form of self-regulating.
Self regulation: to manage emotions, behaviours, and sensory responses to stay calm and focused
Stimming can take many forms, including physical movements (like spinning and flapping), visual stimming (watching from the corner of the eyes), or verbal stimming (repeating phrases, also known as echolalia). Everyone on the spectrum is unique, so will also likely have a unique way of stimming/self regulating so the type of stims that present in my son won’t necessarily apply to all Autistic individuals.
At this stage, my son was completely non-verbal, so verbal stimming wasn’t part of his behaviour—though it definitely is now! (I’ll dive deeper into echolalia in a future blog.)
One form of stimming that I found particularly alarming was head banging as a toddler. He would hit his head with his fist or bang it against the cot, the door, the floor—anything nearby.
Recently, I read an article by an autistic individual who explained that he used to head-bang to calm his mind, redirecting his thoughts to the physical sensation of pain. That was a lightbulb moment for me—because my son isn’t yet able to express why he did it. Thankfully, he hasn’t resorted to head banging in a while, but with autism, phases can come and go.
If you’re navigating similar behaviours, know that you’re not alone. Understanding the why behind stimming can make it easier to support our children through these moments.
I would advise not to stop your child from stimming (unless they are causing harm to themselves or others) and simply facilitate a space for them to safe continue stimming. Rememeber this is their bodies way of self-regulating, they are needing to stim.
Signs of Autism That I Saw:
- Hand-flapping, rocking, jumping or spinning.
- Repeating the same sounds or phrases (echolalia).
- Watching the same few seconds of a video clip repeatedly.
6. Speech Delays or Unusual Speech Patterns
By age two, most children start forming short sentences. Our son, however, wasn’t saying any words at all. He was completely non-verbal.
The term non-verbal refers to individuals who do not use spoken language to communicate. In autism, this can mean a child does not speak at all or has very limited verbal communication. However, being non-verbal doesn’t mean they don’t understand language or have nothing to say. Many non-verbal autistic individuals communicate in other ways, such as using gestures, sign language, pictures (PECS), assistive technology, or even written words.
It’s also important to note that some autistic children may be minimally verbal (using a few words or short phrases) or non-speaking (able to understand but choosing not to speak in certain situations). Communication in autism is unique to each child, and support strategies can help them express themselves in ways that feel natural to them.
Traits I Spotted:
- Few or no words by 18 months.
- Speaking in a robotic, sing-song, or repetitive way.
- Repeating phrases from TV instead of answering questions.
7. Difficulty with Social Interaction
Unlike his peers, our son didn’t naturally engage in back-and-forth interactions. He struggled with understanding social cues and showed little interest in other children, most heartbreakingly this included his older sister.
Role-playing with toys was completely off his radar—his play style was unique and vastly different from his peers.
One of his biggest joys? Lining up toys. Our house was filled with rows and rows of carefully arranged Thomas the Tank Engine trains, figures, and objects—all placed in a precise order. If one was moved, it caused immense distress. And it wasn’t just toys—anything and everything could be lined up. Even now, four years later, he still finds satisfaction in this structured form of play.
But here’s the part that fills my heart with joy—he’s now slowly venturing into role play, including his sister. Watching him engage in imaginative play, something I once thought impossible, is nothing short of incredible. Never say never—as my blog name reminds me!
His journey with social interaction took a positive turn when he attended an incredible childminder. The mix of limited children and varying ages worked in his favour. He formed a beautiful bond with a little girl his age, slowly bringing her into his world—on his terms.
Once you’re in his inner trust circle, you’re in for life. But until that moment? The invitation to play remains closed.
This journey has taught me that social connections may look different, but they are just as meaningful.
What to Watch For:
- Preferring to play alone rather than with others.
- Not engaging in pretend play.
- Difficulty understanding facial expressions or emotions.
8. Sensory Sensitivities
Certain fabrics and clothing items can be overwhelming for autistic children, and sensory sensitivities often manifest in unique ways.
In our household, both of our children experience this—though in different ways. My daughter’s clothing sensitivities became more pronounced as she got older, while my son’s struggles were evident from an early age.
Now that they are both of school age, I purchase easy on, sensory friendly school uniform from M&S or ASDA George.
One of his biggest challenges? Wearing shoes. As a toddler, he absolutely refused to tolerate them, which became a real concern when he started school. Even now, he much prefers clogs over trainers.
His sensitivities extend beyond footwear—he often rolls up his t-shirt sleeves or tugs at his collar. Yet, if he’s wearing a jumper and someone rolls up his sleeves (for example, to wash his hands), it’s an absolute no-go. His comfort with clothing is on his terms, and any changes can feel overwhelming.
Sensory overwhelm was also evident in play for my son. Whilst most pres–schoolers love nothing more than getting out the Playdoh, it took a long time for my son to be comfortable with touching the dough. At best he would poke it with plastic object. Completely dispelling the myth that all people on the spectrum love playdoh and sensory play.
He still doesn’t enjoy the sensation of messy hands and can often be heard shouting ‘towel’ or ‘dry your hands’ when he has anything on his hands that need wiping, particularly if it is a wet food texture.
Sensory sensitivities in autism are deeply personal and can vary greatly from child to child. Finding clothing that feels comfortable and respecting their preferences can make a huge difference in their daily happiness.
Noticeable Traits:
- Fussing with clothing labels or having an aversion to shoes.
- Refusing certain food textures.
- Seeking or avoiding touch excessively.
9. Eating Habits: Overstuffing Until Choking
At this point, we were becoming more aware of my son’s unique habits and traits, trying to piece together what they meant.
One of the biggest challenges? Eating. In many ways, weaning had been a success—he was an adventurous eater, happily trying different foods. But baby-led weaning introduced an unexpected behaviour.
He took great joy in dropping food from his high chair, over and over again. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat—he had a healthy appetite (then). But watching the food fall seemed to bring him a sense of satisfaction, almost like a cause-and-effect experiment playing out in real-time.
Then there was the stuffing. He had an overwhelming urge to fill his mouth with food, cramming in bite after bite until there was no more room. Mealtimes became a constant choking hazard, requiring my full attention at all times.
I’d often have to fish food out of his mouth to prevent him from choking, a terrifying routine that made me anxious about his transition to nursery at that time. Whilst I trusted the nursery setting, my brain was spinning out in overdrive.
How would they watch him as closely as I could at home? The thought of him choking when I wasn’t there was unbearable.
To this day, this trait has never fully gone away. He eats incredibly fast, and there’s a definite sensory element to his love of a full mouth—it’s just part of how he experiences the world.
Since then his diet has become incredibly restrictive as he relationship with food has evolved over time.
Signs of Autism with Eating:
- Not chewing food
- Stuffing food excessively into mouth
- Sudden change in diet and willingness to eat food
10. Hyperfocus on Certain Interests
Many autistic children develop deep, intense interests.
For our son, it has almost always been sealife —he could name every variation of fish, whales and sharks and love love loves Disney Finding Nemo.
We are very much a Disney family and our happy place where both my children feel safe and truly themselves is Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line.
This is fast becoming a new hyperfocus for my son as he grows older, he loves to watch Disney rides, point of view videos. I will be creating a travelling to Disney with Autism series very soon so stay tuned if you are thinking of booking a Disney trip with your child with Autism.
Hyperfocus Signs of Autism to Watch For:
- Obsession with a specific topic or object.
- Preferring to talk about their interests over other subjects.
- Becoming upset if their interest is interrupted.
Trust Your Instincts
These are just a few of the early signs we noticed, there were many more along the way and these continue to change and evolve regularly. Each child’s journey is unique. If you recognise any of these signs in your child, trust your instincts and seek advice from a healthcare professional early.
I’ll be sharing more about our journey, strategies that have helped us, and how we continue to support both my children as they grow.
My daughter experienced very different traits to these listed above and I plan to touch on how Autism presents differently in females in the future.
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share your experiences in the comments or connect with me on social media.
Until next time, keep believing in your little ones—they are capable of incredible things.