Every Tuesday, local experts field questions about your health, your kid's health and related issues. If you have a question, e-mail it to me.

This week,  Samuel L. Odom, director of the FPG Child Development Institute and an expert on autism, fields a question from a grandparent.

The question: What's the earliest age that autism can be detected? I worry about my year-old grandson. He's just not very social, doesn't respond to his name.

The response: Autism is sometimes, but not often, diagnosed in 12-month-old children.  Although the age for diagnosing autism is going down, screening tests only have been proven to be useful for children as young as 18 months. Screening is a process for identifying children who are showing enough symptoms of autism to prompt one to go to an autism clinic for a full diagnostic set of tests.

There are early warning signs.  Typically infants smile socially at their parents (and grandparents) and other adults between the ages of 3-6 months.  They become more and more interested in playing games and communicating with adults as they develop through that first year.  They will gaze at faces and take turns during games like Peek a Boo.  By the time they are a year old, they often start showing a common interest with an adult by looking at a toy or an activity and back at the adults as if to say, “Did you see that?”  Although they will not often be using words that early, they will use gestures to communicate, like hold up their arms to be picked up.  Many infants with autism will show little or no play, communication, or interest in others.

Parents, or grandparents, are often the first people to pick up on these early signs.  A good rule is that if you are worried, see your pediatrician.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has published guidelines for pediatricians about autism screening as well as resources for parents.  In North Carolina, we are fortunate to have autism diagnostic clinics throughout the state offered by the TEACCH Project.  Also, for children under the age of three,  North Carolina has regional Children’s Development Services Agencies (CDSA) that can provide developmental evaluations.

Not responding to his name does not mean that your grandson has autism.  But, it is a realistic concern and should be checked out by a pediatrician.  If your concerns linger after the pediatrician’s visit, contacting the TEACCH or the CDSA clinics is a reasonable next step.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!

WEEKEND: Relax!