Hello. Allow me to introduce myself to you. My name is Autism. Perhaps you know me or know of me. I am a condition, a "disorder" that affects many people.
 I strike at will, when and where I want. Many people may not even know that I am there. They blame the child for what I cause him or her to do.

I am Autism and I do as I please.

I am Autism. I strike rich and poor alike. The rich combat me with education and therapy. The poor shut their children away and cannot afford to fight me.
 I am able to win in the lives of poor children more than I am of the wealthy, but I will try to take root anywhere.

I am Autism and I am strong and getting stronger every year, every month, every day, every minute, and every second. I am concerned that money might
 be alloted to combat me and my takeover of children, but so far I have little to fear. Some countries, like Kuwait, are spending quite a bit of money to assist
 those who I have targeted and some, like the United States, would rather spend money on such ludicrous things as discovering the number of American Indians
who practice voodoo, as opposed to combating me. In an atmosphere as that, I can flourish and wreck havoc at will.

I am Autism. When I come, I come to stay. I take the dreams and hopes of every parent and trample them with glee. I see the fear and confusion in the
eyes of my victims and I see the formation of wrinkles, worries and ulcers and the pain on the face of their parents.I see tears and the parents cry and feel the tears of their child.

I am Autism. I leave sorrow in my wake.

I am Autism. I taketh and give nothing but bewilderment and loathing in return. I take speech and learning, I take socialization and understanding. I take
 away "common sense" and if I am allowed to flourish, I take away all but their physical life. What I leave behind, is almost worse than death.

I am Autism. I fear nothing except courage, which I thankfully see little of. I fear those who take a stand against me and attempt to fight me and bring others into
the fight as well. I fear those who try to make it safe and easier for my victims in the community, and their families. I fear those who push ahead, despite the fact that
 I am in tow. I fear the day that I will be eradicated from the planet. Yet, I do not fear too much right now. There is no need.

I am Autism and I bet you know me or know of me. If you don't, you probably will soon. I am growing faster than I ever have before. I am looking for new children all
the time. I dread the day I will be looked on with pity, or worse yet, understanding, for that day, is the day I will begin to die. But, I don't think that will happen for a
 long long time though, do you? In the meantime, I prowl onward, looking to cause pain and suffering wherever I go.

 I have so much work to do and thankfully, no one is stopping me.

Back in 2001, the Centers for Disease Control funded a study to determine the prevalence of autism in the United States. The study examined only a handful of counties in only 12 states (Minnesota wasn't one of them). The statistic that investigators came up with—one child in every 150 births will be diagnosed with autism—still remains the most commonly cited number for autism prevalence.
Minnesota has the highest rate of autism in the United States. Twice the national average.
1 in 81 children in Minnesota will be autistic.
One of them is Mine.