You hopefully already know that April is Autism Awareness Month. While increased publicity has made great strides toward achieving the goal of educating people about autism, too many people still do not understand the disorder. As a spectrum disorder, ASD covers a wide range of symptoms and characteristics. Adding to the confusion is the fact that ASD manifests differently in every person who has the disorder.
New numbers released at the end of March by the CDC show that 1 in 68 children in the US now have autism. As researchers are not sure what causes autism, even though there are numerous theories, continuing to increase awareness and educating people is critical. While great progress has been made in increasing awareness, we must continue to help others understand this disorder so that they, too, can appreciate and value people with ASD.
If you are concerned about your own child’s behavioral development, consider these red flags from Autism Speaks:
- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
- No babbling by 12 months
- No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
- No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age.
Children on the spectrum can have rich, fulfilling lives. Key in their development is early intervention—along with the love and support of family and friends.