By preschool age, around 3 to 5 years, autism may become more noticeable, especially when a child is around other children their age. Group settings, playdates, and nursery can make certain differences easier to notice.
❝ Many children receive their first autism diagnosis during the preschool years, and that's okay. It's never too late to start support.
What Autism Can Look Like at This Age
• Difficulty with imaginative play, such as preferring to line up or organise toys instead of using them for role-play
• Talking a lot about one topic but finding it difficult to have a back-and-forth conversation
• Takes language very literally, such as getting confused by jokes, idioms, or sarcasm
• Having strong rules about how things "should" be done
• Sensory sensitivities, such as becoming very distressed by loud noises, certain food textures, or clothing tags
• Difficulty reading facial expressions or understanding other people's feelings
Strengths Too
Preschoolers with autism can have incredible memory, deep interests, and unique ways of thinking. These strengths are important too and deserve to be recognised.
❝ A preschool teacher saying "your child seems different from the other kids" is not something to dismiss. It's a prompt to explore further.
Ask your GP for an autism assessment referral. The process can take time, so start as early as you can.