Generally, children begin to babble or use signs to communicate with others by 12 months, according to the German Association for Paediatric Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy.

If, by 18 months of age, a child has not spoken, or at 30 months, the child has not constructed two-word sentences, parents should have their child checked for autism.

A check-up is also advisable when a child begins losing verbal skills. There is currently no cure for autism, but when detected early, individual therapy can help many children make good progress, the association said. – dpa