Autism Awareness

Facts about Autism:

Did you know that…

1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism

1 in 94 boys is on the autism spectrum

67 children are diagnosed per day
A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes

More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

Autism costs the nation over $90 billion per year, a figure expected to double in the next decade

Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases

Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism

There is no medical detection or cure for autism

This is an excerpt from the Autism Speaks website. I hope that during your free time, you will take time to visit their site.

Being a parent of a child with autism, my family has had to rely on published materials and professional help to get Julianna to where she is today. I remember reading a lot of books written by Temple Grandin. These books helped me understand what is going on in Julianna's mind. Actually, Temple Grandin's books were a breakthrough for autism research. Most individuals with autism are never good at expressing themselves. No one has ever documented how it was to have autism. Temple Grandin did. Based on personal experience, Grandin advocates early intervention to address autism and supportive teachers who can direct fixations of the autistic child in fruitful directions. She has described her hypersensitivity to noise and other sensory stimuli. She is a primarily visual thinker and has said that language is her second language. She brought autism awareness to a new level.

After reading her books, I knew in my heart that the only thing that could help Julianna was early intervention. Sure, I was grieving and I wanted to believe in my heart that nothing was wrong with my child. She was perfect. But deep inside, I wanted to help her. And the only way I could help her was to overcome my pride and ask for help. I allowed myself to grieve. But after grieving, I learned to accept. With acceptance came the strength to move on. Even if our pediatrician told me to wait and see, I called Diagnostic Centers around Nashville and asked for someone to evaluate my child. Julianna was diagnosed at 18 months. Because of this, she was able to receive therapy right away. By the time she was 3, the signs of autism were fading away. We had won this battle for her, but it is not over yet. With autism, every day is a constant struggle. If there are any parents out there, who are not sure what their children have but feel in their hearts that it might be autism, please push for a diagnosis. Early intervention helped Julianna, and I am sure it will help your children as well. Autism is not something we need to be ashamed of.

Thanks to people like Temple Grandin and the geniuses behind the Autism Speaks organization, individuals with autism and their parents have new hope. The search for the cure is at full tilt and hopefully soon, autism will be something that we only read about in history books.