April is Autism Awareness Month - Let's Light it Up Blue!

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April is Autism Awareness Month so let’s take a moment to Light it Up Blue…

More on Autism Awareness Month
Don’t miss these free apps for Autism Awareness Month (limited time only)
Splash Math is going blue for Autism Month – each time you make a purchase on www.splashmath.com during 2-9 April 2014, they will donate 50% of that to Autism Speaks, the world’s leading organization for autism science and advocacy.

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder effecting normal brain function. It affects the development of the individual’s communication and social interaction skills. It presents in the first three years of life and has a genetic link.

What Causes Autism?

What the research indicates:

there is no one cause of autism – it is usually a combination of gene mutations (which increase the risk of developing autism) and environmental factors
when autism risk genes are present, the following environmental factors further increase the risk of developing autism:
- older parents, especially older fathers
- when Mum is sick during the pregnancy
- difficulties during birth (particularly those that involve oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain)
- air traffic pollution during pregnancy
family history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia
it is very unlikely to be linked to vaccinations

Just as there are factors that increase the risk of developing autism, there is research to suggest that autism risk can be reduced by prenatal vitamins containing folic acid taken in the months before and after conception. (JAMA – February 2013)

Further information:

Grant Research Studies on the Causes of Autism

Signs of Autism

A definitive diagnosis of autism is usually only made around 18 to 24 months, but you can observe signs in a child as early as 8 to 12 months old. What to look for:

No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age

You can also take the M-Chat to help you decide if you need to see a specialist about your child. Ideally, the earlier your child is diagnosed, the better your chances are for improving your child’s outcomes.

Debunking the Myths About Autism

It is a fallacy that autistic individuals have no feelings – THIS IS NOT TRUE! Autistic individuals feel emotion like any other person – they just do not express them in the same way that most people do.

Although a number of children with autism do not like being hugged or touched like most children generally do, not all are like that. They can hug relatives and derive great enjoyment from the contact. The important thing is to make sure the child is prepared for contact.

Not all individuals with autism are savants who have an incredible talent for numbers, art or music, but a sizeable proportion do have high IQs and a unique talent for computer science.