We have heard it a number of times for a number of conditions - early diagnosis is key.  This is also true for autism where early intervention with treatments and therapies can have promising and long lasting results. But do you know the signs that babies 6-12 months old exhibit that can be red flags for autism?

 Dr. Rebecca Lanza of the Kennedy Krieger Institute has compiled a list to empower parents to identify the warning signs of autism and other communication delays.  She recommends looking for these signs as you are playing with your child and mentioning any that are out of the norm to your pediatrician.  They are:

1. Rarely smiles when approached by caregivers

2. Rarely tries to imitate sounds and movements others make, such as smiling and laughing, during simple social exchanges

3. Delayed or infrequent babbling

4. Does not respond to his or her name with increasing consistency from 6 -- 12 months

5. Does not gesture to communicate by 10 months

6. Poor eye contact

7. Seeks your attention infrequently

8. Repeatedly stiffens arms, hands, legs or displays unusual body movements such as rotating the hands on the wrists, uncommon postures or other repetitive behaviors 9. Does not reach up toward you when you reach to pick him or her up

10. Delays in motor development, including delayed rolling over, pushing up and crawling