Ileana is the Senior Editor of Branded Content at Wild Sky Media. She grew up in upstate New York and Oregon and now lives in Queens, NY. Ileana graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in sociology. After graduating, she attended the Columbia Publishing Course in New York City, then worked as in marketing at Oxford University Press. Since transitioning to editorial, she has written for BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Woman's World. She has also worked for local newspapers and magazines in upstate New York. In her free time, you can find Ileana watching Law & Order: SVU, eating ice cream, and spending time with her dog.

Every parent wants their child to have an easy life.

Perhaps that’s why new parents watch breathlessly for traditional milestones.


But today, we’re coming to understand that some children might approach those milestones differently, and that’s OK.

As a society, we have a growing awareness of autism, a neurological difference where people process the world differently, sometimes having difficulty with socializing and communication.

According to the CDC, 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum — that’s 1 in 42 boys, and 1 in 189 girls. Numbers have risen in recent years, largely due to better understanding of how autism works.


Now, autism is becoming part of a widespread cultural conversation; the classic television show Sesame Street even introduced a character with autism to help kids understand.

People with autism often lead very fulfilling and productive lives, but it’s often easier for them if parents notice the signs and intervene early on.

Early therapeutic training can help kids on the autism spectrum learn strategies to cope with social situations, stress, and overstimulation.

Scroll through to learn what behaviors in babies and toddlers might be early signs of autism.

Thumbnail Photo: Wikimedia / Andwhatsnext