Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex psychiatric and
neurodevelopmental issue related to delays in the acquisition of behavioral and social
skills. The main symptoms of ASD are impairments in communication, limited interest
and skills in social interactions, and repetitive behavior. In the present chapter about
ASD during infancy, we reviewed the behavioral indicators of ASD, different ways of
diagnosis, and the significance of an early and correct diagnosis. While children with
ASD are usually diagnosed between ages 2-4, many pediatricians and psychiatrists are
interested in understanding the developmental course of ASD in early infancy and
infancy. Such an understanding would help both infants with ASD and their family
members to identify useful interventions to cope more favorably with difficulties
related to the infants’ symptoms of ASD. We highlighted that ASD traits unfavorably
impact a child’s and their family’s social, behavioral, and the family’s economic status
and conditions. Given this, an early diagnosis and timely and appropriate interventions
should mitigate ASD-related issues in everyday life. To this end, assessing a child’s
behavior is the gold standard for ASD diagnosis. Most of the symptoms appear in the
second year of life; often language acquisition is impaired. Considering the signs of
ASD in infancy, promising perspectives on ASD diagnosis will be introduced in the
future.
Keywords: ASD, Autism spectrum disorder, Behavioral skills, Brain development, Childhood, Children, Clinical approach, Communicational skill, Diagnosis, DSM-5, Early diagnosis, Early intervention, ICD-11, Infancy, Infant, Intervention, Neurodevelopmental disorder, Quality of life, Signs, Symptoms, Treatment.
