April is Autism awareness month in the U.S. and autism awareness is very
important to me for a special reason.

Most of you here don't know that I have a 6 year old son with Autism.
Thankfully his case is not as severe and he has the ability to speak and communicate.
Never the less it’s still very trying at times.




Autism is a complex developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, although it is sometimes diagnosed much later. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
Common features of autism include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior.
The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe. Two related, milder conditions are Asperger syndrome and "pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified" (PDD-NOS).

Symptoms

Autism Symptoms vary widely in severity; include impairment in social interaction, fixation on inanimate objects, inability to communicate normally, and resistance to changes in daily routine. Characteristic traits include lack of eye contact, repetition of words or phrases, unmotivated tantrums, inability to express needs verbally, and insensitivity to pain.

The list goes on and on.


Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development.”

The five disorders under PDD are:

Autistic Disorder
Asperger's Disorder
Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
Rett's Disorder
PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria which been outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).


Prevalence of Autism

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism.
GIRLS VS. BOYS: Autism often strikes boys more often than girls – roughly four times more common in boys. With statistics being 1 in every 150 children that makes it 1 in every 94 males. Autism knows no racial, ethnic, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect any family, and any child.
Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade. Autism is more prevalent them many other well known childhood diseases like
Juvenile Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Leukemia.
I am not placing an importance on one disease over another, this is strictly for awareness.

U.S. FACTS:

A new case of autism is diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes
There are 24,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. per year
The economic impact of autism is more than $90 billion and expected to more than double in the next decade.
Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases.
There is no medical detection treatment, or cure for autism.
AUTISM COMPARED TO OTHER DISABILITIES: Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S. today.



Some links to Autism resources and information:

Autism Society of America [link]

TACA [link]

Talk Autism [link]

Autism Help [link]

Autism Research Institute [link]

Autism Resources by State [link]

Homeschooling the Child with Asperger Syndrome: Real Help for Parents anywhere and on any budget by: Lise Pyles [link]


Autism Graphics [link]

Stephen Wiltshire [link]
A truly gifted artist with Autism