Child autism or autistic spectrum disorder is a syndrome that results from the combination of certain traits in a child. There are a lot of ways that you can spot this disorder:

1) Social impairment. This is a childs inability to interact normally with other individuals. We all know how man is naturally a social person. An impairment of the social abilities of a child can hamper a lot of his abilities. This sign of child autism or autistic spectrum disorder can be observed through the following symptoms:

a) No desire to make friends. Children are naturally very friendly individuals. When a child shows no inclination for friendship, it could very well point to child autism or autistic spectrum disorder. However, you should not be alarmed if your child does not want to be friends with someone. After all, children have moods too.

b) Lack of eye contact. Eye contact is an important part of social interaction. A child who does not make any eye contact during conversations may be showing signs of the disorder.

c) Gullibility. Many people would realize that gullibility is a natural trait found in children. However, when coupled with other symptoms, this may point out to child autism or autistic spectrum disorder.

2) Language impairment. We communicate through a variety of ways. However, all methods of communication can be referred to as a language. A childs inability to grasp the different idiosyncrasies of language can be a symptom of the disorder.

a) Monotonous speech. We use intonations and volume to convey our meaning together with words. A child suffering from child autism or autistic spectrum disorder often speaks in a monotonous manner.

b) Overly formal speech. As humans, we are entitled to make small mistakes on grammar. The term slang was invented for a reason. We often improvise words and change terminologies all the time. Someone with the disorder, however, will follow the proper form of language rigidly, not understanding the concept of colloquialism.

c) Taking phrases literally. Those who suffer from child autism or autistic spectrum disorder will not be able to grasp metaphors and take words at face value. Be careful with what you say around them as they will take things literally.

d) Delayed response to questions. When being questioned, someone suffering from this problem will take a long time to respond.

Now before we go any further let me jump in here and say that I really do hope you are finding this informative. At the end of this article I will be giving you some ideas on where you can gather more information on this subject, but for now, lets continue.

3) Impairment of imagination. Imagination is a part of a humans everyday activities. In cases of those with child autism or autistic spectrum disorder, the imagination is impaired and this means they are unable to take things beyond a literal level. It also limits their ability to improvise.

a) Poor understanding of symbolism. Symbolic languages are integrated into our everyday lives. We may not be able to imagine just how it would be like to say things outright. A child with this disorder may interpret things differently. For example, when he or she is asked what the color white means in the story moby dick, he or she may associate it with vanilla ice cream instead of an emotion or mood of death.

b) Preference for routine. A child with this disorder has limited improvisational skills. This means that they would rather stick to a good, solid, routine. They will be confused when presented with an option to do something new.

Let me finish by saying that there is a lot more information out there on this subject just waiting for you to unearth, in your local bookstore, library and the internet.