Tuesday, April 2, 2013

It's a Puzzle



April is Autism Awareness Month
and several of my posts this month
will be about this puzzling disorder.
(Hence the puzzle logo)

This subject is near and dear
to my heart because so many
of "my kids" (aka: my students)
have to deal with this on a daily
basis as do their families.
When I started in the field of
Special Ed many years ago,
Autism was fairly unknown
today it is a very prevalent
disorder.

What  is Autism?

It is described as a complex
disorder of early brain
development.
The most obvious signs and
symptoms of Autism are seen
around the ages of two and
three with varying degrees of
the disorder.

Areas affected are:

Social Interaction
Verbal and nonverbal
communication
Repetitive Behaviors


According to statistics:

1 in 88 American children
are diagnosed with Autism.
This is a ten fold increase
in prevalance in 40 years.

Studies also show that boys
are 4 to 5 times more affected
than girls. An estimated 1 in
54 boys and 1 in 252 girls
are diagnosed with Autism.

The increase of those diagnosed
is due to improved treatment
and awareness.


My goal for these post is to give
you a peek into a window that you
may or may not have looked in.

~Keep on Dreaming~

13 comments:

  1. Autism certainly has spiked in the last few years and many of my students have been diagnosed with the disorder. Raising awareness is such an important step to ensure society knows that Autistic children and adults can be productive and are valued members of their community. Looking forward to reading your posts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, they can!
      As the article I read stated-
      the improved awareness and
      diagnosis has helped.

      M :)

      Delete
  2. One of my cousins has autism. Fortunately he responded very well to early intervention and was able to be mainstreamed for kindergarten. This condition is very near to my family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Early diagnosis does help.
      I'm glad for your cousin!

      M :)

      Delete
  3. One of my grandsons was diagnosed with Asperger's, although his mother (my daughter) has read everything about it and has been managing him beautifully. He's a wonderful, sweet boy, protective of his siblings, whip smart, but otherwise not very social. Being at school overwhelms him--not the academics at all, but the constant social interactions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that social thing is a tough
      hurdle to make! I wish good luck to
      him!

      M :)

      Delete
  4. Do they have any idea why it affects boys more than girls?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found some info that I will
      share in my next puzzle post.
      Thanks for asking!

      M :)

      Delete
  5. Oh how I delighted in my Autistic students! They have so many amazin' talents. My last Asperger Syndrome fella is in college pullin' a 3.7 GPA. I knew he had it in him.

    Did I say I'm always up for a good challenge???

    Keep up the good work sweetie, your students also have a very special teacher!

    Have a terrifically blessed day....(are ya countin' 'em down yet??)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These kids can be a challenge but they are fun too!
      Thanks for the nice complements, they are very much appreciated!

      Oh, you betcha I'm counting the days!!
      Seven weeks and one day.


      M :)

      Delete
  6. Did you see Build A Bear has an Autism Awareness bear? It's very cute and for a great cause. I worry about Lily my granddaughter because she does a lot of things or says a lot of things more than once.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I did see the Build a Bear. He is a cutie!

      Have you mentioned your worries to her parents?

      M :)

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete

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