Early Signs of Autism in Toddlers: What to Watch For

A warm, parent-friendly guide to the early signs of autism in toddlers, when to screen, and what to do next in Southern Utah.

Autism Signs & Diagnosis
Early Signs of Autism in Toddlers: What to Watch For

TL;DR: The early signs of autism in toddlers often show up in how a child communicates and connects, limited eye contact, little response to their name, few gestures like pointing or waving, delayed babbling or words, and sometimes a loss of skills they once had. Some of these signs can appear by 18 months or younger, and by age 2 a diagnosis from an experienced professional can be considered reliable (CDC). Noticing a sign is not the same as a diagnosis, it’s simply a reason to start a conversation. If you’re a parent in St. George or anywhere in Southern Utah and something feels off, you don’t have to wait to act.

If you’ve found your way to this page, you’re probably a parent paying close attention to your child, and that attention matters. This guide walks through the early signs of autism in toddlers using only information from trusted sources like the CDC and Autism Speaks. Our goal isn’t to alarm you. It’s to help you understand what’s typical, what’s worth watching, and the kind, practical next steps available to families here in Washington and Iron Counties.

Why noticing the early signs of autism in toddlers matters

Catching the early signs of autism in toddlers opens the door to support sooner. Autism is identified in about 1 in 31 children aged 8 years (CDC, MMWR 2022), so it is far more common than many families realize. Yet the median age of earliest known autism diagnosis is 47 months, just under 4 years old, even though autism can often be detected much earlier (CDC, MMWR 2022). In fact, only 50.3% of 8-year-olds with autism had received a developmental evaluation by 36 months (CDC, MMWR 2022).

What that tells us is simple: many children are identified later than they could be. That’s not a failure on any parent’s part, the signs can be subtle, especially in girls, who are identified less often than boys (a male-to-female ratio of 3.4:1) (CDC, MMWR 2022). Knowing what to look for helps close that gap.

Early signs of autism in toddlers, by age

The clearest early signs of autism in toddlers tend to involve social communication, how a child shares attention, sounds, and emotion with the people around them. Autism Speaks groups the red flags by age, which makes them easier to keep in mind (Autism Speaks):

  • By 6 months: “Few or no big smiles or other warm, joyful and engaging expressions,” and “Limited or no eye contact.”
  • By 9 months: “Little or no back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions.”
  • By 12 months: “Little or no babbling”; “Little or no back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving”; and “Little or no response to name.”
  • By 16 months: “Very few or no words.”
  • By 24 months: “Very few or no meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating).”

There’s also a pattern called regression worth knowing about. According to Autism Speaks, “some children with ASD gain new skills and meet developmental milestones until around 18 to 24 months of age, and then they stop gaining new skills or lose the skills they once had” (Autism Speaks). If your toddler used to wave or say a few words and has stopped, that’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician.

A note on tone: these are differences in how a child connects and communicates, not flaws. Many autistic toddlers are deeply curious, joyful, and engaged with the world, just in their own way.

What most toddlers are doing: milestones to compare against

It often helps to look at the early signs of autism in toddlers alongside what most children are doing, rather than focusing only on what’s missing. By 18 months, the CDC notes that most toddlers (CDC, Milestones by 18 Months):

  • “Points to show you something interesting”
  • “Moves away from you, but looks to make sure you are close by”
  • “Looks at a few pages in a book with you”
  • “Tries to say three or more words besides ‘mama’ or ‘dada’”
  • “Follows one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, ‘Give it to me.’”

Every child grows on their own timeline, and missing one milestone isn’t a diagnosis. But the CDC’s guidance is gentle and clear: “If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early” (CDC).

When can autism be diagnosed?

You may be able to act earlier than you think. The CDC explains that “ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable” (CDC). That’s part of why screening is built into well-child visits: the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends general developmental screening at 9, 18, and 30 months, plus autism-specific screening at 18 and 24 months, and any time a parent or provider has a concern, or for children with a higher likelihood, such as a younger sibling of an autistic child (CDC).

A screening tool you can use at home

If you’d like a starting point before your next pediatrician visit, there’s a free, parent-completed screen you can do at home. The M-CHAT-R/F (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised, with Follow-Up) is a 20-question yes/no checklist validated for children 16–30 months old. It’s a screen that flags possible risk, not a diagnosis, and it’s available free at mchatscreen.com and through Autism Speaks. Whatever your results, the screen is a conversation starter to bring to a professional, not a final answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the earliest signs of autism in toddlers? The earliest signs tend to involve social connection and communication: few warm or joyful expressions and limited eye contact by 6 months, little back-and-forth sharing of sounds and smiles by 9 months, and by 12 months little babbling, few gestures like pointing or waving, and little response to their name (Autism Speaks). It can also help to compare against what most toddlers do, for example, pointing to show you something interesting by 18 months (CDC).

At what age can autism be diagnosed? “ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable” (CDC). Even so, the median age of earliest known diagnosis is 47 months (CDC, MMWR 2022), which means many children are identified later than they could be. You don’t have to wait to raise a concern.

Is my child just a late talker, or could it be autism? A language delay on its own isn’t autism. Autism tends to involve a broader pattern of social-communication differences, limited response to their name, few gestures like pointing or showing, and little shared eye contact, not only fewer words (Autism Speaks). If you’re seeing several of these together, or your child has lost skills they once had, that’s a good reason to screen and talk with your pediatrician.

What should I do if I notice these signs, who do I call? Start with the free M-CHAT-R/F screen at home (mchatscreen.com), then share your observations with your pediatrician. In Utah, the Baby Watch Early Intervention Program serves infants and toddlers under age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities, and evaluations are free. As they put it, “Any parent/guardian or professional who is concerned about an infant or toddler’s development can make a referral to early intervention” (Utah Baby Watch).

Does early intervention actually help? Public-health resources like the CDC and Autism Speaks emphasize acting early because support during these formative years can help a child build skills, and the CDC encourages families to “act early” when milestones are missed (CDC). Outcomes vary from child to child, so we won’t promise a specific result, but starting sooner gives your child more time to grow with the right support.

You don’t have to wait, and in Southern Utah, you don’t have to wait for us

If you’ve recognized your toddler in any part of this guide, take a breath: noticing is the hard part, and you’ve already done it. The next steps are gentle ones, a free home screen, a conversation with your pediatrician, and, for children under 3, a free Baby Watch Early Intervention evaluation. Utah Medicaid also covers autism-related services, including ABA, for eligible members with an autism diagnosis (Utah Medicaid).

At Ryse ABA Therapy, we provide BCBA-led, in-home and community-based ABA for families across St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Santa Clara, Ivins, La Verkin, and Cedar City. Our care is family-first, play-based, and built around your child. And because we know waiting is the hardest part, we have no waitlist, once your child has an autism diagnosis and active insurance coverage, families can start right away. When we Ryse together, we achieve more. Call us at (385) 549-5656 to talk through your concerns and next steps with someone who’s here to help.

Sources

📞 Call Check My Insurance, Free