April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day and the month
of April is Autism Awareness Month. During this month we are
asking that everyone change their facebook or twitter profile picture to that of
a puzzle piece. The puzzle piece is a globally recognized symbol representing
the puzzling disorder known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is no one
cause, no one treatment, and every child is different. Some children may have
high verbal skills but zero social skills, so socializing with their peers is
very difficult. Another child may not speak or use the potty on their own at all
for most of their life. The spectrum of autism is rather broad, so behaviors and
skills are going to vary drastically from child to child.
Buildings around the world will light up blue on April
2ndin honor of Autism Awareness Day. One of the most beautiful sights
was the Empire State Building in New York City lit up blue on this day last
year.Palaces in the Middle East, airports around the world,
restaurants in every city are lighting up the outside of their buildings to
spread awareness. Why blue? The statistics of children diagnosed is 1 out of 88,
but boys are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed as girls. So the color blue was
chosen to represent little boys with ASD.
So how do you know if your child has Autism
Spectrum Disorder? Every child develops differently but it’s important to be
vigilant of their behavior, the earlier autism is diagnosed, the better the
outcome. Early intervention can improve social skills, learning, and
communication in children with ASD. Normally a professional will be able to
diagnose autism in a child as young as 8 to 10 months.
These are the early signs of ASD:
•No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
•No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
•No babbling by 12 months
•No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12
months
•No words by 16 months
•No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24
months
•Any
loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
If your child is showing several of these signs, it is very
important to take them to consult a specialist. An M-CHAT
(Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is available online, this will also
help you determine whether there is a need for you to seek the help of
professionals.
Being told by a specialist that your child has been
diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder can be daunting, but don’t despair.
There are plenty of ways to help treat the disorder, these treatments will not
cure ASD but will help make life more bearable for you and your child. Support
is also very important. Seek out other parents and caregivers of children with
special needs; they will be the best support you could ever find. And never give
up, always stay positive, your child is a blessing despite the disorder; in fact
he or she will be even more special to you.
of April is Autism Awareness Month. During this month we are
asking that everyone change their facebook or twitter profile picture to that of
a puzzle piece. The puzzle piece is a globally recognized symbol representing
the puzzling disorder known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is no one
cause, no one treatment, and every child is different. Some children may have
high verbal skills but zero social skills, so socializing with their peers is
very difficult. Another child may not speak or use the potty on their own at all
for most of their life. The spectrum of autism is rather broad, so behaviors and
skills are going to vary drastically from child to child.
Buildings around the world will light up blue on April
2ndin honor of Autism Awareness Day. One of the most beautiful sights
was the Empire State Building in New York City lit up blue on this day last
year.Palaces in the Middle East, airports around the world,
restaurants in every city are lighting up the outside of their buildings to
spread awareness. Why blue? The statistics of children diagnosed is 1 out of 88,
but boys are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed as girls. So the color blue was
chosen to represent little boys with ASD.
So how do you know if your child has Autism
Spectrum Disorder? Every child develops differently but it’s important to be
vigilant of their behavior, the earlier autism is diagnosed, the better the
outcome. Early intervention can improve social skills, learning, and
communication in children with ASD. Normally a professional will be able to
diagnose autism in a child as young as 8 to 10 months.
These are the early signs of ASD:
•No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
•No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
•No babbling by 12 months
•No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12
months
•No words by 16 months
•No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24
months
•Any
loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
If your child is showing several of these signs, it is very
important to take them to consult a specialist. An M-CHAT
(Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) is available online, this will also
help you determine whether there is a need for you to seek the help of
professionals.
Being told by a specialist that your child has been
diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder can be daunting, but don’t despair.
There are plenty of ways to help treat the disorder, these treatments will not
cure ASD but will help make life more bearable for you and your child. Support
is also very important. Seek out other parents and caregivers of children with
special needs; they will be the best support you could ever find. And never give
up, always stay positive, your child is a blessing despite the disorder; in fact
he or she will be even more special to you.