Light It Up Blue For National Autism Awareness Day
A day dedicated to the awareness of one of the most mysterious disorders to affect our country.
In our country 1 in 88 children will be diagnosed with Autism. As if that number isn't devastating enough, 1 in 49 children in my home state of New Jersey will be diagnosed. As an undergraduate I spent a lot of time volunteering at a school for children diagnosed somewhere on the Autism spectrum and since then spreading awareness and knowledge became one of the most important life goals I had.
Autism has become a household name, one that you hear on a weekly to daily basis because it is so prevalent but the causes, effects and best possible treatments for Autism are still unknown. Here are some facts about Autism that may help you understand the disorder better:
1. Autism affects about 1 in 88 children, of that 1 in 54 boys. Autism is not a sex-linked disorder but holds a ration of about 5:1 for boys and girls.
2. Autism is the fasting growing developmental disability in the United States.
3.There is NO medical cure for Autism or any disorder found on the spectrum, only preventative measures (such as Applied Behavioral Analysis).
4. Roughly 70% of children with Autism also have a form of mental retardation.
5. The disorder is a complex range of underdevelopment in the brain. The effects of this can range from difficulty communication (fully verbal to not able to speak at all), stereotyped patterns of behavior (head banging, feet tapping, repeating words - also known as echolalia).
6. Other disorders on the spectrum are Aspergers Syndrome (which is similar to Autism in which the child has much difficulty associating with others) and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
7.Autism knows no boundaries - socioeconomic level, age, race, gender and ethnicity do not make a difference.
The hardest part of trying to educate people about a disorder that is so broad is trying to help them understand that these children are not emotionless. Although most children with Autism cannot read social cues like you and I, there is no lack of emotion. The students I worked with were the most loving, emotional and heartwarming children I have ever worked with.
The most important thing anyone can do is spread awareness about this disorder that affects so many children (and adults) and will continue to affect them until we can find a way to prevent it. Currently, Autism only receives about 5% of research funding. If you would like to donate please visit http://www.autismspeaks.org/ to help the cause or to learn more about Autism.
And remember, April is Autism Awareness Month so Light It Up Blue!
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