April Is Autism Awareness Month!! Are You Aware? (re-post)

[neonds13]

April Is Autism Awareness Month!!    Are You Aware?

I am writing this because April is Autism Awareness month and there are several people that are not aware and some that don't even know what exactly Autism is. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. Autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees. Every person with autism is an individual, and like all individuals, has a unique personality and combination of characteristics. Some individuals mildly affected may exhibit only slight delays in language and greater challenges with social interactions. They may have difficulty initiating and/or maintaining a conversation. Their communication is often described as talking at others instead of to them. (For example, a monologue on a favorite subject that continues despite attempts by others to interject comments).
Autism is a neurological disease that currently affects 1 out of every 150 children. Autism is more common in boys than girls and affects 1 out of every 94 boys. Every 20 minutes in the U.S. a child is diagnosed with some form of Autism. As of current research, there is no exact cause or reason for Autism and the way it has skyrocketed over the last 10-15 years to become one of the most common childhood diseases. There is no cure for Autism, but there is treatment and therapy that has been found to be very effective in many cases.
There is a lot of speculation on a vaccine-Autism link. This is due to several things. The number of vaccines our children receive today has more than tripled, in the past 10-20 years. In 1983 the number of recommended vaccines was 10, today the number of recommended vaccines is 36. Along with the rising number of vaccines, another reason for concern is all the chemical and toxic ingredients that vaccines contain. There are still vaccines in current use that contain mercury or Thimerasol (mercury preservative). Vaccines contain a long list of chemicals and toxins along with mercury, that alone are very harmful and/or deadly. I strongly recommend that parents research all information on vaccines including the ingredients. If you were to look up the symptoms of mercury poisoning and the symptoms of Autism and compare them, you would find that the symptoms to be nearly identical. There are many reasons to look at vaccines as a link to Autism and it's continuing growth.
There is also the genetic Autism link. It is known for sure that Autism runs in families. Siblings of Autistic people are more likely to be Autistic, and twins are extremely likely to share Autistic traits. This means there is almost certainly a genetic component to Autism. But that doesn't necessarily mean that a single gene is responsible, or that genetics is the only risk factor for Autism. In fact, most researchers believe that a combination of several genetic differences, PLUS some form of environmental "insult," may lead to Autism.
Though I am not the parent of an Autistic child, Autism touched my life and opened my eyes to this growing epidemic a little over a year ago when my best friend's daughter was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum disorder). Asperger's Syndrome is a disorder that is considered "high-functioning Autism". Children with Asperger's look like all other children, have an average/above average IQ, have exceptional memory skills, want to have friends, find social situations awkward & difficult, can display unusual responses to surroundings and certain situations, and these children can successfully attend mainstream schools and classes. For instance, if you were to encounter my best friend's daughter, she would appear to be like every other little girl her age. She can talk, do things for herself, goes to school and loves arts and crafts. However, if you spent some time with her and got to know her and understood the Autism Spectrum, you would start to notice little things and that she's not exactly like every other girl her age. She is a vibrant, smart and very funny little girl that is a joy to be around. Although her case isn't as severe as others or as it could be, it breaks my heart to know that as a result of some unknown reason she will have to deal with syndrome for the rest of her life. Her parents are doing the best they can to get her the best help and therapy she needs dealing with school, social situations and overall. Over the passed year since her diagnosis, I have seen her Mom become very distraught with dealing with this and being the parent of an Autistic child. A lot of it being that there are so many people that are not aware and that don't understand. With Autism on the rise all the time and more and more children being diagnosed, we ALL need to become aware of this growing epidemic. We need to research it, look it up and learn about it. Perhaps then, we can get on the other side of this, find the causes, find the cures and hopefully someday we all can make Autism a thing of the past. I know that my best friend is proud to say she's the parent of an Autistic child and I am proud to say that I love someone with Autism.

Sooner Or Later Autism Touches All of Us.

Autism Is Not The Tragedy...... Ignorance Is The Tragedy.

Tags: autism, autism awareness, awareness, cause, april, month, asd, spectrum, autism spectrum, vaccine, genetic, educate, advocate, support, understand, care, love, child, kids, children, mom, dad, parent, family, epidemic, hope, cure, aware

Add A Comment

[neonds13]

Apr. 1, 2009 at 10:59 PM

PLEASE VOTE POPULAR & BUMP!!!!

(Original Poster)

[penny201]

Apr. 2, 2009 at 8:53 AM

voting popular