April Celebrates Autism Awareness Month

In the United States, approximately 1 in 68 people are born with autism, making it the fastest growing developmental disability, April is Autism Awareness Month. More than 3.5 million Americans live with a form of Autism.

Autism is described as a condition resulting neurological disorders that have an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the individual’s communication and social interaction skills. Autism is a wide spectrum disorder, meaning that no two people will have the same symptoms, and some cases will be more severe than others in different areas.

A person diagnosed with Autism may seem a bit socially clumsy and sometimes offensive. Sometimes, an autistic individual, if severe enough, may even come off as not interested in other people at all. People with autism suffer from not having many typical talking and playing skills.

A child with autism does not like surprises, such as smells, loud noises and physical contact. If the autistic child tries to tickle another child, he or she may laugh and get super excited, but if that child tickles the autistic child or touches them surprising the child, then he or she may act a totally different way. If the person with autism knows what is about to happen, he or she will cope with the situation much better, helping them understand what’s going on.

It’s important to remember that a child with autism develops differently. His or her cognitive skills may develop at a relatively harmonious rate, while their social and language skills lag behind. They may not be able to throw the dodgeball quite as far as other children, but they could have a much bigger vocabulary. This doesn’t mean he or she is any different other than the fact that it takes a little longer to develop all skills. Their learning process can be unpredictable; they may learn the harder way first and then the easy way.

Just like all humans, individuals with autism feel happy, sad, mad, frustrated and all other typical emotions. Remember, autistic people may not express their feelings the way others do, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have or understand feelings.

Help us educate others by sharing this post and commenting on things we may not have picked up on. Check out Autism Society’s website and the National Autism Association for more information or to help.

Brittany Bugg is a HottyToddy.com staff writer and can be reached at brittany.bugg@hottytoddy.com.