April is Autism Awareness month.  Autism is a brain development disorder that has varying symptoms that are characterized by difficulty with social interaction and speech or non-verbal communication, as well as restricted or repetitive patterns of thoughts and behaviors.  There are different autism spectrums that range from gifted to severely challenged and impacts the ability to learn, think, and problem solve.  According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 59 children are identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD.  ASD is reported to occur in all races, and socioeconomic groups and is more prevalent in males.  The signs of autism are: problems with social, emotional and communication skills, people might not want to change daily activities, developmental delays, having different ways of learning and paying attention, avoids eye contact and want to be alone, as well as has trouble understanding other people’s feelings or talking about their own feelings, prefers not to be held or cuddled, and repeats actions and words over and over again.  ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months or younger, but by age 2, a diagnosis can be considered to be most reliable.

 

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), people with Autism can have intervention strategies in place, so that they can still have an equal opportunity to learn.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list other types of treatments on their website linked here as well:  https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/treatment.html.

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To Donate, you can do so through the Autism Cares Foundation by clicking on this link:
https://www.paypal.me/autismcaresfdn

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By Dietra Myers

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