IS YOUR CHILD AT RISK FOR AUTISM?

Does your 18 month old child's language development seem slow?

Has he lost words that he had once mastered?

Is he unable to follow simple commands such as "Bring me your shoes?"

When you speak to him, does he look away rather than meet your gaze?

Does he answer to his name?

Do you or others suspect hearing loss?

Does he have an unusually long attention span?

Does he often seem to be in his own world?

AT 18 MONTHS OLD, A CHILD WILL TYPICALLY DO THE FOLLOWING:

* Point to objects

* Interact with siblings

* Bring you items to look at

* Look directly at you when you speak to him

* Follow your gaze to locate an object when you point across the room

* Engage in "pretend play" such as feeding a doll or making a toy dog bark

Autism is a developmental disability that impairs social and language development. It occurs in families from every class, culture and ethnic background. It is not a mental illness and it is not caused by trauma - it is neurobiological and its symptoms can be greatly reduced by early diagnosis and treatment.

If you are concerned about your answers to some of the above questions, speak to your pediatrician about an autism screening.

AN EARLY DIAGNOSIS PROVIDES THE BEST CHANCE FOR SUCCESS

(CHAT - the CHild Autism Test by Karyn Seroussi from her book "Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD", provided by the Tomi Center, http://www.tomi.org/)