It shows up before the first word, lasts a lifetime, and scientists are still rethinking what it means.
Doctors watching for early signs of autism pay close attention to how a baby plays which classic hide-your-face game?
Peek-a-boo Trouble with back-and-forth games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake, along with little babbling, is one of the most common early signs of autism.
Many autistic people avoid eye contact, even when someone calls their name. It's not rudeness or shyness, so what reason do many give?
It feels invasive Some autistic people say holding someone's gaze is uncomfortable, distracting, or even causes sensory overload.
Some autistic kids start talking late or not at all. Yet which school skill might they surprisingly master before kindergarten?
Reading This early reading ability is called hyperlexia, and it shows how uneven, or "spiky," autistic skills can be.
Hand a young autistic child a pile of toy cars. Instead of racing them, what might they do?
Line them up Arranging toys in a row is a classic repetitive behavior, alongside rocking and hand flapping, which many now see as ways to stay calm and regulated.
For decades, social mix-ups were blamed on autistic people lacking empathy. A newer theory says the misunderstanding actually goes which way?
Both ways The double empathy problem theory says autistic and non-autistic people misread each other equally, and studies find autistic people often form satisfying friendships with each other.
