Your child may have autism — and you may have no clue

Scientists have new hope for the 21.7 million people who have autism worldwide after a new study achieved a breakthrough by connecting a GABA neurotransmitter with autism symptoms, which could lead to new treatments. It could also lead to new ways to diagnose people, which would be huge considering that it’s tough to know for sure if your child has it early on.

The study is a tremendous breakthrough, as it will help us to learn much more about this neurodevelopmental disorder that stunts communication and social skills from an early age in children. But if you have a child less than 2 years of age, it may be tough for you to know whether or not your child has it. Fortunately, there are some early signs to watch out for.

According to the organism Autism Speaks, the telltale signs crop up as early as six months of age. If a child isn’t showing any big smiles or joyful expressions, that is a warning sign. Your child should also be sharing sounds or expression by nine months of age, babbling by their first birthday, and speaking actual words by the time he or she reaches 16 months old. Also, if your child is not speaking any meaningful phrases by his or her 2nd birthday, that is a warning sign, as it the loss of speech skills at any stage. If you suspect something may be wrong and your child could have autism, see a medical professional for an evaluation.

This recent study on GABA neurotransmitters is hopeful news for all those affected by autism.

“Individuals with autism are known to have detail-oriented visual perception–exhibiting remarkable attention to small details in the sensory environment and difficulty filtering out or suppressing irrelevant sensory information,” Caroline Robertson of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research said in a statement. “It’s long been thought this might have something to do with inhibition in the brain, and our findings lend support to this notion.”