Children's lack of response to their name is often used as an early indicator of autism spectrum disorder, but it may also be an indicator of attention disorders such as ADHD.
The researchers concluded that if a child who is 12 months old is not responding to their name, it could be a sign that they have a developmental delay or condition—including autism.
It's no surprise that identifying ADHD in babies and toddlers is extremely difficult. Many of the signs of ADHD — short attention span, impulsivity, tantrums, and high levels of activity — are also behaviors associated with the “terrible twos.”
The babies who may be at risk for ADHD are the ones who cry constantly and have trouble self-soothing; who are angry, fussy, and difficult to control; who have problems feeding and falling and/or staying asleep; or who are intolerant of frustration.
Due to their focus on watching or investigating other stimuli in their environment, your baby may ignore you when you call their name. It's like when they're playing with something and you call them out – they might just notice or recognize you the first time.
Not responding to name being called is also an early sign of autism. If you notice your child is not responding to their name (or very rarely) by their first birthday, it's extremely important that you bring this up to your child's pediatrician and call your local early intervention program.
The milestone of responding to one's own name usually occurs between 4 and 9 months, according to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Not all babies reach this milestone at the same time, of course, but most should be appearing to recognize their name with consistency between the ages of 7 and 9 months.
The Social Immaturity factor was composed of items that are not what one might typically expect to be prototypical of the ADHD child: clingy, preferring younger children, clumsy, and acting young, which may overlap with the social deficits of PDD.
A delay in speech or language is one of the earliest signs we have for kids that do go on to get a diagnosis of ADHD later in childhood. In this 2012 study, researchers found that two-thirds of the elementary-aged kids with ADHD had a speech or language delay at 18 months.
Children with ADHD can experience difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep and getting up the next morning. The quality of their sleep can also be poor; their sleep is often described as restless with an inability to 'shut off'.
If your baby cries without provocation and cannot be consoled, ADHD may be a factor to consider. If a baby has colic and an extremely irregular sleep pattern, he may go on to be diagnosed with ADHD in early childhood. Kids are notorious for short attention spans, especially infants and toddlers.
ADHD in Toddlers
Short sleep and hyperactivity spiral together. Children with ADHD tend to get especially defiant, moody and wild when they're tired. Unfortunately, that usually results in less sleep and kids who act even more wired the next day…and so the cycle continues.
There are several possible reasons why a baby may not respond to their name. One possibility is that they're too distracted by other stimuli and do not hear you calling them. They may also be too young to recognize the sound of their own name, especially if it is a less common one.
Early signs of autism can be detected in babies by playing peek-a-boo, research has shown. If their brains respond less than they should to the stimulating game they are more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as toddlers.
While children respond differently at different stages of growth and development, hearing problems may be suspected in children who are not responding to sounds or who are not developing their language skills appropriately.
Babies can start to self-regulate by looking away from things that upset them to self-soothe. Babies with ADHD cannot respond to stress very well and will cry constantly until someone holds them because they cannot self-soothe. They tend to be fussier and harder to control than others.
Children with ADHD often exhibit such behaviors as blurting out answers, interrupting, and speaking too loudly or excessively. All of these break the norms of social interaction and conversation and can result in problems interacting with and relating to their peers as well as the adults in their life.
People with ADHD tend to have average or above average intelligence. They are often very creative and usually have a high energy level. These individuals also are frequently very sensitive and highly affectionate.
Most babies understand and respond to their own names by about 5 to 6 months of age, and most do by 9 months.
By 9 to 12 months, most babies are able to clap, wave and point — though if your munchkin hasn't mastered these skills yet, that's not necessarily a cause for concern. Your pediatrician will likely ask about your baby's nonverbal communication skills by the 1-year well visit.
Technically, a baby can say “mama” because this is the age when they will likely start babbling. “Ma” is one of the easiest syllables to make in the mouth and a young baby may say it often. However, a baby won't say “Mama” and mean “Mama” until 10 months old at the earliest.