About Autism

So on this page, I wanted to tell y'all some general facts about Autism for those of you who may not be familiar with the disorder, or if you're just starting to research Autism. This is just a very small amount of information. On another page (hopefully coming soon, *fingers crossed* LOL), I will give some links to webpages that were helpful to us in our journey with Autism. Keep in mind that there is A LOT of information out there about Autism, and A LOT of it is also controversial (ex: vaccines, recovery, diets, etc.). I am listing things that IN MY OPINION, were helpful to me and my family. I want to encourage everyone to do research for yourself and find your own voice for your child and figure out what makes sense for you and your family. Please don't be one of those people who just accept what someone tells you (even if its a doctor or a teacher doing the telling) as fact and not do any research for yourself. Trust me, everyone makes mistakes--yes, even the doctors--and not everyone, however educated they may be, will know what is best for your kid. You as a parent will know what is best for your child. Please, please do your own research and do not be afraid to question anyone. There is no room for fear when you have a child with Autism. You have to be your child's advocate. They can't advocate for themselves. Be strong!!

Autism is a developmental disorder that usually appears in the first 3 years of life and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Currently in the US, 1 in 88 children will be diagnosed with Autism by the age of eight years old, according to the latest numbers from the CDC.

Autism affects boys more often than girls. Family income, race, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.

Currently, the Autism Society estimates that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism ranges from $3.5 million to $5 million, and that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism (this figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, in addition to related therapeutic services and caregiver costs).

Some Early Warning Signs to Look for:

• Does not babble or coo by 12 months
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
• Does not say single words by 16 months
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age
• Repetitive use of language (echolalia) and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships 
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects (e.g., wheels on a toy car, the gears of clockwork, door hinges, etc.)
• Inappropriate use of toys (e.g., lining toys/book up in straight line instead of reading or playing with them, spinning wheels on cars instead of rolling them, etc.)
• Walking on tip-toes excessively