April and Autism

Today I was working on a project at my office and needed to do a bit of research on the latest statistics on autism. I was shocked to learn that today new numbers for children impacted  by the disorder were released by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The numbers show that now 1 in every 68 children (it was 1 in 88 just a few years ago) are on the autism spectrum. And now, instead of 1 in 54 boys impacted, the number is 1 in 42.

While girls are impacted at a ratio of 1 in every 189, as anyone who has read my blog knows, my baby girl is one of those. What is shocking to me is that it's been less than 7 years since the last CDC study on the impact and in a very short amount of time the number of children impacted by this disorder has increased dramatically.

With numbers like that it's very certain that almost everyone of you reading this knows a child on the autism spectrum. At the very least, you know my daughter.
As March comes to a close and we begin to move into April, I urge all of you to learn more about this complex brain disorder. I know that since being blessed with a special needs child, I have learned a lot - like how important it is not to be so quick to judge when I see a parent struggling with a child in the store. You know we've all done it. The child is acting out (or cutting the fool as my daddy says) and you think to yourself  "if that was me, I would NOT tolerate that."  But you never know what is at the root of what is going on at that moment.

Or the next time you speak to a child or ask a question and they have difficulty answering you, it may not be because they are being disrespectful or lack "home training". It may be that they lack the ability to remember or execute social norms like speaking when someone says "hello" or making eye contact.

Autism is a very complex disorder. And while there are common symptoms to look for, because it is a spectrum disorder, one child's struggle with it may look very different from another's. And it is also typical that many children on the spectrum often struggle with other diagnoses like ADHD or Sensory Perception Disorder.

There are several organizations including Autism Speaks and USF's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities that can give you a load of information about it. And for any parent that suspects their child is on the spectrum, I encourage you to talk with a neurologist and your child's pediatrician regarding testing. Early intervention is key.

This journey has sometimes been tough and we have a long way to go. But it has taught me patience, compassion, understanding, and pure unconditional love. My child has autism, but I wouldn't change her for the world.