I'm going to take a quick sewing time-out and talk about something that's important to me. April is Autism Awareness month. Autism that is something that is close to my heart and close to my family. I have two sons with Autism (4 and 6 yrs old). Last week the CDC released the new Autism prevalence statistics and they are staggering.
- 1 in 88 American children have an Autism spectrum disorder.
- 1 in 54 boys in the United States have autism.
- That's a 78% increase compared to a decade ago.
- Those statistics are already 4 years old!
- Someone doesn’t have to have every indicator to be Autistic.
- Many states don’t require insurance companies to cover treatment.
- Children with Autism need advocates.
- Children and families with Autism need support and understanding.
Please take some time out to learn more about Autism and it's signs. Early intervention is extremely important, and it's imperative we know what to look for. Here are some links where you can find more information:
- Learn the FACTS, Signs and Symptoms
- Learn how to support a family with Autism: Family Support Tool Kits
- Check out Autism Votes to find out how you can support legislative reform to cover Autism.
If you suspect your child has Autism, I encourage you to contact your Doctor. Do your own research and be your child's advocate. Sadly, many in the medical field aren't sufficiently knowledgeable about Autism.
I want to use April to make people more aware so I created the image below. If you'd like to spread awareness, feel free to save it and use it for your facebook timeline cover. I hope you'll join me.
A song that has been especially meaningful to me as I take the journey with my two boys:
My son is now 30 yrs old and was not diagnosed until he was 18. I struggled for years trying to figure out why he was so different from other boys his age. He is High Functioning and so he talks and interacts with people. This is the reason it was so hard to diagnosis. I understand your desire to get information out to the public. I too wish that he had been diagnosed earlier and then maybe he could have gotten treatment earlier.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Bethany for your Autism Awareness Banner. I going to post it now!!!
DeleteHere's an updated cover for this year. http://www.findingpinsandneedles.com/2013/04/autism-awareness.html
DeleteThanks for sharing this. Stumbled across this when looking for ideas for teacher gifts...sometimes its like God guides my "clicks" and helps me find the info I need to know.
ReplyDeleteBlessings as you care for your two boys. Leanne (ps love the song)