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2.8 No 'Babbling'
'Babbling' or baby talk is the language or language that infants use when they reach the age of 12
months. Normal children will communicate with their surroundings in baby language but autism
children tend not to talk baby.

2.9 Lack of Eye Contact
Lack of eye contact is one of the early features of autism. Parents can identify this sign by trying to
smile and look into the child's eyes while feeding. If your baby does not respond then your baby may
have autism.

2.10 Never Smile
Usually your baby will start smiling at 6 months old and above but if your baby does not want to
smile or this smile rarely shows he has the potential to develop autism.

3.0 Factors That Affects Autism

3.1 Genetic
There is strong evidence that changes in genes contribute to autism. According to the National
Institute of Health, families who have one child with autism have a 1-20 times greater chance of giving
birth to children who are also autism. Research on twins found, if one child is autistic, his twin is most
likely to have the same disorder. In general, experts identified 20 genes that cause autism spectrum
disorders. These genes play an important role in brain development, brain growth, and the way brain
cells communicate.

3.2 Drugs
Infants who are exposed to certain drugs when in the womb have a greater risk of experiencing
autism. These drugs include valproic and thalidomide. Thalidomide is an old-generation drug used to
treat symptoms of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, anxiety and insomnia. Thalidomide drug
itself in the United States has been banned because of the many reports of babies born with defects.
However, this drug is now prescribed to treat skin disorders and cancer therapy. Meanwhile, valproic
acid is a drug used for people with mood disorders and bipolar disorder.

3.3 Parental age
The older the parents are when they have children, the higher the risk of the child suffering from
autism. The study, published in 2010 found, women aged 40 years have a 50 percent risk of having
children with autism compared with women aged 20-29 years. Alycia Halladay, Research Director for
Autism Speaks Environmental Studies (2015),"It's not yet known with certainty the relationship
between parental age and autism. However, this is thought to be due to the occurrence of gene
mutation factors.

3.4 Brain development
Certain areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex and cerebellum which are responsible for
concentration, movement and mood regulation, are associated with autism. An imbalance of
neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, in the brain is also associated with autism.

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