National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month and chances are, you know of someonediagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Did you knowASD is the fastest growing development disability, rising 10-17% every year? About every 1 in 68 children are on the autismspectrum (about 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls).

Unfortunately, there is no single medical test to detect autism since symptomsare vastly different between individuals. There are, however, characteristicsthat are particularly common, including sensory processing challenges,speech/language delays and impairments, weak social cognition, and self-esteem issues.

Since 2007 a simple questionnaire that asks parents about their children’smotor skills, playtime behavior, and responses to social cues, calledthe Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), has been used toscreen children for autism between 18 and 24 months of age. Accordingto researchers, the mostpromising tools that are being explored for diagnosing autism in the future include eye tracking, blood tests, brain imaging, and online tests.

Since autism is so complex and differs between every child,there are certain things that every parent should know about the disability:

• Autism is a genetic disorder, not the result of improper parenting.
• For a child with autism, behavior is a form of communication and occursfor a reason.
• Communication comes in many forms, so be alert for body language, withdrawal,agitation, or other signs that tell you something is wrong.
• Social interactions may be difficult for the child.
• Sensory overload is real. An ordinary environment to you may be overwhelmingfor someone with ASD.

To get a deeper understanding of real-life struggles of those with autism,as well as the challenges their loved ones face,check out this list of journalism pieces. Articles include the story of a father who discovered a surprising wayto connect with his autistic son, the story of the first person diagnosedwith autism, a look at dating and autism, and the riveting story of amassive state-wide search for a nonverbal eight-year-old autistic boylost in an 80-acre state park.

The best thing you can do to help individuals or families impacted by ASDis to become educated, and Autism Awareness month offers many opportunitiesto learn more about ASD. And for help in improving the learning, reading,memory and attention skills of someone you love with autism, follow thelink to find aLearningRx Center near you.