As I promote my platform V.I.P.
C.H.I.C. ( Very Influential People Creating Hope for the Intellectually
Challenged) throughout my year of reign,
I will be advocating for individuals and
their families who are differently-abled. Since April was National Autism Awareness
month, I can’t think of a better topic to cover in my first official blog than
Autism.
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex
developmental brain disorders. Autism spectrum disorders are caused by
combination of genes and environmental influences. Did you know that 1 in 88 children (1out of
every 54 boys) will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? That’s
one child every 11 minutes. In the last 6 years the prevalence of autism has
increased by 78 percent. This diagnosis is largely due to the increased
awareness of the disorder and early testing.
Children one year old or younger can show signs of autism. Research
shows that the early diagnosis and intervention, yields the greatest hope for
treatment. The single most important thing you can do as a parent or caregiver
is to learn the signs of autism as well as understand the typical developmental
milestones your child should be reaching at different ages. Signs and symptoms to look for are:
·
No big smiles or other warm, joyful expression
by 6 months, or thereafter
·
No back and forth sharing of sounds, smiles or
other facial expressions by 9 months, or thereafter.
·
No babbling by 12 months
·
No back and forth gestures, such as pointing,
reaching or waving by 12 months
·
No words by 16 months
·
No two word phrases (without imitating or
repeating) by 24 months
·
Any loss of speech, babbling, or social skills
at any age.
If you have any concerns, speak to your doctor about
screening your child for autism. You can also find more information regarding
autism at www.AutismSpeaks.org. Autism Speaks is dedicated to funding
research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. So, now you know some of the signs of Autism,
I bet you would be surprised and encouraged to know that Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, Hans Christian Anderson, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Jefferson, Albert
Einstein and Bill Gates are all alleged autistic!
