10 Subtle Early Signs of Autism in Toddlers: A Speech Pathologist’s Perspective

Learn about 10 early communication and social interaction signs that may be worth noticing in toddlers, including eye contact, pretend play, imitation, gestures, and back-and-forth interaction.

Have you noticed that your toddler focuses on toys but rarely looks back at you to share the moment? Or perhaps they don't pretend to cook, feed a teddy, or play with toys in different ways?

These can be subtle differences in early communication and social interaction. On their own, these behaviours do not mean a child has autism, but noticing patterns in how your child communicates can help you understand whether they may benefit from further support.

Early communication develops through many skills, including sharing attention, copying others, using gestures, understanding language, and taking turns with people.

What research tells us?

Autism can affect children differently, and early signs can involve communication, social interaction, play, and repetitive behaviours. Some children may have words but find it difficult to use them to connect socially, while others may communicate mostly through gestures, sounds, or actions.

Early social communication skills include things like responding to a name, showing objects to share interest, imitating actions, using gestures, and participating in simple back-and-forth interactions.

It is important to remember that one behaviour on its own does not indicate autism. If you notice several differences or have concerns about your child's development, speaking with a GP, paediatrician, speech pathologist, or other qualified professional can help you understand what support may be appropriate.

What activities can you do?

You can gently observe and encourage social communication through everyday play.

Try simple back-and-forth games such as rolling a ball, playing peekaboo, or taking turns making silly sounds. Pause and give your child time to respond, then follow their lead.

Encourage pretend play by feeding a teddy, putting a doll to bed, or pretending to cook together. Copy your child's actions and invite them to copy yours through clapping, waving, or making sounds.

You can also notice how your child uses gestures and shares experiences with you. Give them opportunities to point, reach, show you interesting objects, and communicate what they want or notice.

Watch the video

In this video, we explore 10 subtle early communication and social interaction signs of autism from a speech pathologist's perspective. We look at behaviours such as eye contact to communicate, pretend play, imitation, understanding instructions, responding to their name, gestures, repetitive movements, and back-and-forth interaction.

We also explain why noticing one or more of these signs does not automatically mean a child has autism, and when it may be helpful to seek professional advice. If you'd like to learn more about supporting your child's communication, you can also download the free 10 Steps to Speaking guide.