The Early Autism Awareness Questionnaire for Parents of Infants and Toddlers

About this episode

In this episode, I'm putting a powerful tool directly into your hands: the Early Autism Awareness Questionnaire for Parents of Infants and Toddlers. This is something I created, and I believe it has the potential to truly change a child's life.

I walk you through all 25 questions, section by section, and explain the science behind each one in plain language. We cover family and genetic background, pregnancy and birth history, early health and medical history, developmental milestones, and caregiver concerns, because all of these pieces together can paint an important picture of a child's likelihood of autism.

This questionnaire is not a diagnostic test, and no single answer points to a diagnosis. But here's what the research makes clear: we are still not identifying autism early enough, even though we can detect meaningful signs as early as 12 to 15 months. Those early years matter more than almost anything else, because the brain is changing and growing at a rate that will never happen again.

This episode is for you if you have a gut feeling something is different about your child's development, you want a structured way to think through early risk factors before your next pediatrician visit, someone in your family has autism or other neurodevelopmental differences, or you simply want to move from worry and uncertainty to clarity and informed action.

Early autism awareness is not about fear or worst-case scenarios. Awareness is what replaces fear with clarity, and clarity is what leads to action, and action is what changes outcomes. Trust your instincts, get informed, and remember: the earlier the support, the greater the difference it can make.

Transcript

Click a time to play the video from that point. This transcript comes from the episode’s captions and may contain small errors.

Welcome to Magnificent Minds, where we explore the science of child development with both heart and reason, bringing clarity, compassion and scientific evidence to questions that matter deeply to families. Today, I'm doing something a little different. I'm introducing a tool directly to you, one that I created and one that has the power to truly change a child's life. It is called the Early Autism Awareness Questionnaire for Parents of Infants and Toddlers. This is not a diagnostic test. There are no right or wrong answers. And one response on this questionnaire of 25 questions is in no way a definitive diagnosis.

But this is a structured way based on the best autism research there is today, to help parents think through early biological and developmental risk factors. This is a tool for early autism awareness, not fear, not panic, not worst case scenarios, but awareness. Because here's what we now know and the science is very clear. We are still not identifying autism early enough, even though the research shows we can detect meaningful early signs by 12 to 15 months.

Many children are not diagnosed until age 3 or 4, or even later. And those early years, they matter tremendously. The brain in the first two years of life is forming connections at a rate that will never happen again. It is extraordinarily plastic, meaning it is capable of change, capable of growth, capable of redirection. So today I want to talk about how we move from fear to empowerment, from waiting to noticing, from uncertainty to being informed and taking action.

And I want to put a powerful tool directly into your hands. The early Autism Awareness Questionnaire takes about five minutes to complete. It has five sections and 25 total questions. Section A is about family and genetic background. Section B is about pregnancy and birth history. Section C is about a child's early health and medical history. Section D is about a child's development. And section E is about parent and caregiver concerns. So today I'm going to walk you through it section by section.

Question by question, and briefly explain the science behind each question in plain language. Because awareness replaces fear with clarity. This is not a diagnostic test. It is not a label, but it is a structured way of thinking through early autism factors and early developmental signs based on the best available science. And right now, you're hearing about it first. This questionnaire is one you will only find here. It will soon be available on the Cortica website.

But this community gets early access. You won't find this exact synthesis anywhere else. It's a tool I created based on my decades of autism research and my deep understanding of biological, developmental, behavioral, and epidemiological research in autism. Before we start, it's important you understand that one single response on this questionnaire does not predict autism in any way. But all together, the responses to these 25 questions can show a pattern of biological and developmental factors that can support early awareness and understanding of the likelihood a child may have autism, and how important it is to seek a then diagnostic evaluation with professionals.

So let's walk through each section and each question one step at a time. Section A is about family and genetic background and has five questions. Why is this section important? Well, autism has one of the strongest genetic contributions of any neurodevelopmental condition. That means if other family members have an autism diagnosis, or even if they don't have a diagnosis, but they have autistic characteristics, that can be an important clue. So question one is does your child have a biological sibling diagnosed with autism?

Large studies following hundreds of younger siblings, including the baby siblings research Consortium, show that when one child has autism, the likelihood for a younger sibling rises from about 3%, which is the low rate in the general population to roughly 20%. So that's quite an increase in likelihood. Now, that doesn't mean a child will have autism, but it means closer monitoring and seeking out developmental evaluations earlier is a good idea.

Question two is does your child have a biological parent diagnosed with autism? Autism characteristics can run across generations, and research studies published in some of the highest quality journals, like the Journal of the American Medical Association and the publication Nature Genetics, show that autistic traits often cluster in families, sometimes with family members having milder features. Now question three is are there other close biological relatives with autism or autistic traits?

Studies looking at extended family members show autism likelihood increases when autism features are present within the broader family, not just siblings or parents. Question four is are there relatives with ADHD, learning disabilities, speech, language disorders or intellectual disability? Well, genetic research studies show these different conditions share overlapping biological pathways with autism. So these diagnoses in relatives. Well that's also an important piece of information to have.

Question five is do you yourself as the biological parent, identify as neurodivergent or feel you have autistic traits? So many adults recognize traits in themselves only after learning more about their child. Research on what's called the broader autism phenotype shows that traits can appear in subtle forms across generations. Okay, that's it for section A, let's move now to section B pregnancy and birth history. And this section also has five questions.

This section looks at prenatal and birth related factors that research shows are associated with increased likelihood of autism. Question one is, was your child born prematurely before 37 weeks of pregnancy? Research studies have found that children born before 37 weeks of pregnancy have higher rates of autism compared to full term peers. Again, this does not mean a child will have autism. Not even close. But it is one piece of information that, along with a lot of other information, can be helpful.

Question two is was your child born with a low birth weight less than five and a half pounds, which is equal to 2500g? Now this is helpful information because research studies have found that low birth weight is associated with increased neurodevelopmental diagnoses, including autism. Question three is did the child's biological mother experience any significant medical complications during pregnancy, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, serious infection, autoimmune thyroid disease, or other autoimmune conditions?

Research studies have found that maternal medical conditions like these during pregnancy are associated with higher autism likelihood. Question four is did your child require intensive medical care at birth, such as neonatal ICU admission, breathing support, or treatment for birth complications? Neonatal stress or experiences like this can correlate with later developmental differences. And many NICU babies do develop, typically, but it's helpful to consider this information when we're looking at a child's whole health picture.

Question five is where there known prenatal exposures to substances or medications that are known to be associated with neurodevelopmental effects. Some examples might be heavy alcohol exposure or seizure medications taken during pregnancy, like the medication valproate. Next we'll talk about section C, which has questions about early health and medical history. This section reflects what we now understand, and that is that autism is often accompanied by medical and neurological differences.

So let's look at what some of those are. Question one has your child ever had seizures, unusual staring spells or episodes when they seem not present and you can't get their attention? Epilepsy and autism frequently co-occur, and seizures often reflect underlying brain differences that matter. When we're also thinking about autism. Question two is has your child had persistent feeding challenges lasting more than 1 to 2 months? For example, very limited number of foods they'll eat, strong texture aversions, gagging, or difficulty transitioning to solid foods.

All of these are more common in autistic children. Feeding differences can reflect differences in how sensory and motor networks in the brain are developing. Question three is has your child had significant early motor delays or low muscle tone? For example, was your child late in being able to sit, crawl, or walk? Well, research increasingly shows that early motor differences, including low muscle tone, can be part of an early autism related developmental profile. Now, motor delays alone do not mean autism, but they can add meaningful context when deciding how closely to monitor a child's development.

Question four is has your child been diagnosed with or tested positive for a genetic condition or, chromosomal type of difference? So studies show that identifiable genetic differences are present in many autistic children. Question five is during pregnancy and or your child's first year of life. Did your family live very close to a major freeway or in an area with persistently heavy traffic related air pollution? Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and early infancy has been associated in research studies with a higher likelihood of autism.

It's important to remember that this is not something families cause or can even control, but it's one more piece of information that we can use to understand your child better and offer them the right support. Okay, we're past the midway point. We have two more sections left to go. This next section is about your child's development. And these questions apply depending on a child's age. So the first question applies to children aged nine months and older. Does your child usually look toward you or respond when you call their name without needing to touch them or raise your voice?

If a child does not do this, it can be an early sign of autism. Question two is does your child make eye contact with you to share enjoyment, interest, or attention? Not just briefly or to get something. Again, a child who does not use eye contact in this way. Well, that could also be an early sign of autism. The next question is does your child use gestures such as pointing, showing objects, waving, or reaching to communicate with you? Gestures are foundational communication skills.

And studies show that reduced gestures can be an early sign of autism. Now, the next two questions. Questions four and five in this section apply to children ages 12 months or older. When you point to something across the room, does your child usually look where you are pointing and then look back at you? This skill called Joint Attention, supports shared learning and social connection, and differences in joint attention are among the most consistently early developmental findings in autism research. Question five is has your child lost skills?

They previously had, such as words, gestures, social interest, or play skills? Some children with autism experience a period of developmental regression where previously acquired skills decreased or disappear. It's really important to tell your doctor if this happens. Question six applies to children 18 months and older. Does your child use words, signs, or sounds mainly to communicate needs, interest, or experiences with other people, not just to label or repeat?

How children use communication socially with other people. Is often more important than how many words they know. Some children with autism may have words, but use them less often for social connection. Question seven also applies to children 18 months and older. Does your child enjoy back and forth interactions, such as taking turns with sounds, actions, or simple games? For example, rolling a ball or copying actions back and forth? Interaction reflects what we call early social reciprocity.

Reduced enjoyment or participation in these interactions can be an early sign of autism. The last question in this section applies to children 24 months and older. Does your child engage in simple pretend play, such as feeding a doll, pretending to talk on a phone, or making toys? Act out scenes? Pretend play reflects imagination and social understanding, and differences or reduction in spontaneous pretend play is commonly seen in young children with early autism. So now we're at the final two questions.

And these are pretty simple and straightforward, but also very informative. These questions relate to concerns you and others may have. So the first question is how concerned are you overall? And the second question is has anyone else expressed concern like a family member, a teacher, a therapist, or a doctor? Parents and other caregivers often noticed developmental differences before they show up clearly on formal screening. Diagnostic tools. Research consistently shows that caregiver concern, especially moderate or high concern, is a strong predictor of later autism diagnosis and helps guide decisions about timely evaluation and support.

So trust your instincts. When both parents and professionals have concerns, the likelihood of autism increases. Okay, now let's review how your responses to these questions should guide your next steps. First, this questionnaire does not diagnose autism, but what it does is it helps identify whether further screening or evaluation would be wise. These questions bring together a set of information that we can get very, very early in a child's life. This means the possibility of getting earlier support and early support changes a child's developmental trajectory.

It can put them on an entirely different path. So here are a few final thoughts. If you complete this questionnaire and find yourself thinking there are several answers here that could mean my child has a higher likelihood of having autism. Well, remember, the answers to these questions are not a diagnosis. Instead, I encourage you to treat this information as useful. So information that can guide you. Information can and should lead to action. Action leads to support and support changes outcomes, especially at a very early age.

You can speak with your pediatrician. Contact your state's early intervention program or give our team a call if you're interested in a more thorough evaluation or have any questions about what to do next. Early autism awareness is not about panic. It's about clarity. And clarity is powerful. Thank you for being here. Thank you for caring deeply about your child's development. And thank you for choosing awareness over fear. Until next time, keep noticing. Keep asking questions and keep believing in what's possible.