Have you seen the movie Rainman or a television show and
think you know all there is to know about autism? Think again.
People who have the disorder called autism may be “very autistic” or
“not very autistic.” They may be smart,
verbal and have autism or mentally retarded, speak only a bit or not at all and
have autism. Because the range of
symptoms is so broad, autism is considered a spectrum disorder. The most noteworthy symptom that all people
who have this disorder share is a difficulty with social communication (i.e.
conversation, eye contact, empathy, etc.).
World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) will be celebrated on
April 2nd as it has been every year since it was adopted by the
United Nations in 2007. Its
purpose: to shine a light on autism as a
growing global health crisis. According
to the Autism Society, here’s how “growing” a health crisis it is:
·
1 percent of the population of children in the U.S. ages 3-17 have an
autism spectrum disorder.
·
Its prevalence is estimated at 1 in 88 births.
·
1 to 1.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder.
·
It is the fastest-growing developmental disability with a 10 – 17 %
annual growth.
·
It has a $60 billion annual cost.
·
60% of costs are in adult services.
·
The cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and
intervention.
·
In 10 years, the annual cost will be $200-400 billion.
Indeed, the Autism Society estimates that “the lifetime cost
of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and
that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for
autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered
expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing,
transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and
caregiver costs).”
World Autism Day activities will be celebrated throughout
the month of April as it remembers the unique talents and skills of individuals
who have autism. So how can you help a
person with autism? According to the folks
at Autism Initiatives (www.autisminitiatives.org):
·
When talking with them, use visual cues. For example, when visiting my nephew who just
happens to have autism, I show him pictures on my phone to help him process
what I’m talking about.
·
Break down what you’re saying into chunks,
examine what you’re saying (speak literally, not figuratively), and give them
time to process the information.
·
Give them choices and let them communicate what
they want. Repeat the choices if
necessary.
·
Establish and follow their routines.
Most of all, try to understand the individuals behind the
autism and don’t be blinded by the disorder itself. They may think differently, but they do
think.
For more information about Autism Awareness Day, visit http://liub.autismspeaks.org/welcome.
Sources
for the information in this article include:
http://www.autism-society.org/about-autism/facts-and-statistics
Please note that this article originally appeared on the website The Geek Parent (www.thegeekparent.com).
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