By Karolina Dombaxi, Staff Writer
April is National Autism Awareness Month, dedicated to increasing awareness about autism spectrum disorder.
According to Autism Speaks, in 2020 the CDC reported that one in 54 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism. Autism can be reliably diagnosed as early as the age of two, but most children are still being diagnosed after the age of four.
The core symptoms of autism are social communication challenges and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Many children with autism also have sensory issues and can be over sensitized by touch, taste, light, pain and other stimuli.
People with autism have social communication challenges such as difficulty communicating verbally, understanding tone of voice, eye contact and facial expressions. Some behaviors include repetitive body motions like rocking back and forth; however, it could also be ritualistic behaviors like repeatedly touching objects in a set order.
Autism has many subtypes and can be influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Early intervention for children with autism can improve learning, communication and social skills as well as brain development.
There are different types of autism on the spectrum.
Asperger’s Syndrome is seen on the mild side of the spectrum. People with Asperger’s are often also considered high functioning.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) falls in the middle of the spectrum. It is known as atypical autism. The end of the spectrum is the autistic disorder where a lot of support might be needed.
An iconic symbol that can be recognized with autism is the autism awareness ribbon.
This ribbon is a universal sign of autism awareness. It is trademarked by the Autism Society, an organization that helps improve the lives of families and individuals living with autism. The multi-colored, patterned ribbon is unique. The puzzle pieces stand for how complex the autism spectrum is because there is a wide range of the types and severities of symptoms that people can have. The different colors represent the diversity of the people and families. The brightness of the ribbon signals hope: a hope for increased awareness of autism, early intervention and access to appropriate services and supports.
When interacting with individuals that are autistic, it is important to note a few things: not everyone with autism is going to think, feel, speak and act the same way, it is rude to stare at behaviors that people might find “odd,” stereotyping an autistic person is not okay and trying to teach social skills can be seen as rude.
Teens and adults that have autism say their common challenges include bullying.
People with autism are often bullied from a young age because of their differences from other children. They deal with anxiety and depression as they grow-up. Everyday changes and new situations require a lot of preparation.
Organizations that help raise awareness and support for autism include the Autism Society, the Autism Research Institute and Autism Speaks.
dombaxk19@bonaventure.edu
