When did the red flags of Autism begin?

When did the red flags of Autism begin? Katie-Beth has been our little one who has "marched to the beat of her own drum."I noticed that something was different when I was pregnant with her and red flags have raised ever since then. Katie-Beth has always had a difficult time self soothing, as a baby she had a blank stare, has always had a difficult time playing with others, does not do well with loud noises, and large crowds. She also is an extremely picky eater (peanut butter, bread, and chicken are her primary diet), has a difficult time sleeping, and can not stand to be touched. For the first 34 months of her life we just passed it off as she was just an extremely stubborn child or a faze that she was going through and that she is going to be an amazing leader one day. (We still believe that she is going to an amazing leader one day.) As Katie-Beth has gotten older she was been exhibiting more concerning behavior and as a family we have become more and more exhausted and concerned.  Out of desperation and exhaustion I offhandedly mentioned to her new pediatrician our concerns, I honestly was expecting to be told that all these behaviors are just a faze and to just hang in there. When I finished relaying all of the information to the Dr. she had a look of concern on her face and said, "There are many red flags here." I said, "What do you mean red flags?" It was at that point, for the first time, have ever heard the word Autism in relation to my child. My heart dropped! This was the beginning of our journey, the journey of finally being our to relate to and help our wonderful little gift from God.

Living in His Grace,
Dawn