World's Autism Awareness Day

(https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/waad/about-world-autism-awareness-day)

Hey guys,

Today is a day that focuses around something that I think should have more attention towards, and that is World's Autism Awareness Day.  I have friends who have children who have Autism.  Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. Autism is  caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences.The most-obvious signs tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age.It can be diagnosed as early as 18 months in some cases (What Is Autism? , 2012).


Some statistics about Autism (What Is Autism? , 2012) :

• Around one third of people with autism remain nonverbal.
• Around one third of people with autism have an intellectual disability.

Some facts about Autism (What Is Autism? , 2012) :

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates autism’s prevalence as 1 in 68 children in the United States. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.
• An estimated 50,000 teens with autism become adults – and lose school-based autism services – each year.
• Certain medical and mental health issues frequently accompany autism. They include gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and phobias.

If you think your child might have Autism,see if they have any of the signs. You can find the link here. But please keep in mind that every child is different and one child might have one sign while another child might have a different sign. Children are like snowflakes because there are no children that are exactly the same.

References:

What Is Autism? (2012). Retrieved April 01, 2017, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism


<3 Amanda