Just wondering if it is possible to notice symptoms of autism when your child is a few months old or when it can be diagnosed. what are the signs? I've seem a bit about it on the news recently and it has me interested. Thanks.

Yes some are diagnosed very young

Some are two our older
I know someone who was five, the parents did not know the sign, and the doctor miss it

If you are worry, take your child to a doctor that specialize in Autism

Jenny McCarthy recently published a book explaining her son's autism, she talks about how/when she noticed it. I had to read after seeing it all over the news lately as you have! She says she didn't notice the symptoms until he was about 2 and starting having seizures, but in retrospect she realized that he was displaying symptoms much earlier. I suggest you read it, you will probably end up crying but it's heartwarming as well.

My nephew is autistic. When he was in his first year, I think he suffered from sensory overload – he got very fussy in noisy/busy situations. He had a very high-pitched scream that wasn't quite typical for an infant/toddler. He also spent very long periods of time focusing intently on one task, like spinning a toy.

I don't know if these are official "signs" but this is what I remember from personal experience. around 3 yrs old his parents enrolled him in a therapeutic "school" program, and he is highly functional. He is a sweet little boy – still plenty of challenges daily for his parents, but he consistently makes incredible progress.

You can notice the signs at a very early age, but because autism is so poory understood, most professionals won't mke a diagnosis until around age 2.

It is much easier to tell after a child starts walking and talking,but they are finding out that there are signs earlier than originally thought.
Babies at a couple of months will look at you,react to your voice and facial expressions.many times a baby with signs of autism won't really look at you or respond.
If a baby seems to have an aversion to touch and being cuddled(almost like touch bothers him/her),that can be a warning sign.
The baby is just too happy and content by him/herself for much too long,with no interaction or stimulation.
Sometimes it's just a nagging feeling on the mother's part.
Those are the most common ones that come to mind,but please don't be frightened if any one of these things describe a baby that you know.every baby is different and they might have no signs whatsoever.if there is ANY question,I always say to contact an early intervention center in your area.
It may be absolutely normal,but if it is something,the earlier they get services the better they will be in the long run.

When the child is older,the same warning signs will apply.
Also,things like a severe reaction to noise or lights.
Repetitive motions i.e. hand flapping,banging heads against hard objects,spinning around excessively,o desire to be with anyone or to please parents-possibly not even noticing anyone is even in the room with them,limited or no speech at appropriate age level,not pointing or gesturing for a wanted item,echolalia(repeating tv,songs or someone's words without actually seeming like they understand them or are actually using them to communicate),repetitive play-stacking,lining up,spinning toys-especially if toy is not made for these purposes.the list goes on and on!
But please remember,don't go searching for these things unless you really have a feeling or someone else has noticed odd behaviors in the child.Kids are quirky little buggers,and many people worry themselves sick over one behavior that matches the "red flags" for autism,probably because there has been so much press about it lately.many kids go through stages where they may exhibit one or two of these behaviors and be completely fine.Whew,hope I didn't bore you with the long answer!

My daughter stared at objects and smiled at them for hours on end. She also never hugged. But she has the most severe autistic disorder, Rett Syndrome.