World Autism Awareness Day

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. As a parent of a child with Autism, I find a lot of people don't know much about the disease, so I copied an article from the Autism Speaks website that gives a general overview about the disorder. This disorder is something that affects not only the person who has it, but EVERYONE they come in contact with. For the families of people with Autism it can be extremely frustrating, and saddening, so if you know ANYONE (not just us) who is going through this, please be supportive and understanding. Educate yourself and know what you can do to help. ONE WAY you can help is by doing the Autism Walk with us in November, if you can't do the walk, you can still make a donation to Braden's team. I will be putting the link to our team site on the blog and you can go straight there to make any donations or join our team. All the funds will go to Autism Speaks, an organization that is helping to research the cause and try to find a cure. Thank you so much to all of you who have supported us and prayed for us. We really couldn't get through this without you!

http://www.walknowforautism.org/arizona/team/bradensband

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. Autism was first identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the same time, a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that is now known as Asperger Syndrome (read more). These two disorders are listed in the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as two of the five developmental disorders that fall under the autism spectrum disorders. The others are Rett Syndrome, PDD NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder), and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. All of these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social abilities, and also by repetitive behaviors. For more discussion on the range of diagnoses that comprise autism spectrum disorder, click here.Autism spectrum disorders can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 3, although new research is pushing back the age of diagnosis to as early as 6 months. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then lost skills. Pediatricians may initially dismiss signs of autism, thinking a child will “catch up,” and may advise parents to “wait and see.” New research shows that when parents suspect something is wrong with their child, they are usually correct. If you have concerns about your child's development, don't wait: speak to your pediatrician about getting your child screened for autism.