World Autism Awareness Day

photo credit Terry O'Neill from The Autism File


Today is the second annual World Autism Awareness Day. It seems that the Autism rate continues to climb and as it does controversy continues to surround this disorder. Can you believe we still do not have an actual population report on how many children have been diagnosed with Autism to date? In 2007 the CDC released a study of prevalence based on children in 14 states. It was determined, in that study, that 1 in 150 children have ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) and that boys are affected 4 times as often as girls. Many claim that the 14 states studied do not portray an accurate window on the US as a whole. States with higher rates of ASD, such as California, were not included in the numbers reported. Even the CDC notes that "...the prevalence estimates should not be generalized to every community in the United States. Although accurate for the areas we studied, rates may be higher or lower in other areas."

It seems that we are beginning to unlock some of the mystery surrounding Autism with early intervention, and new styles of treatment are becoming recognized for their positive outcomes. Unfortunately, most children on the Autistic Spectrum do not have access to this care, and are less likely to receive treatment than other special needs children. A bill has been introduced to require insurance companies to cover treatment for children diagnosed with ASD. Check out Autism Votes for more information on the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 and how to contact your representatives. Children with ASD deserve treatment and care as much as those with any other childhood illness or disorder.

As a mama of a boy under the age of 2, the fear of this mysterious disorder is always in the back of my mind. I am always weighing what I think is best and worrying about the things I can not control like toxins, pollutants, and those IV antibiotics they made my son take when he was less than 24 hours old. My heart goes out to the amazing, strong mothers of the children diagnosed with ASD. They are the ones who will get this figured out. They are the ones who will fight for their babies until we can get some answers. We have them to thank for the bits and pieces of information that have so far come to light. I wish them all of the best in their fight.
Polly Tommey is one of these mothers. She founded the UK charity The Autism Trust and is editor-in-chief of The Autism File magazine. Today the trust lauched a campaign to coincide with World Autism Day and the Autism File magazine cover has started a global response from mothers of children with ASD.

For more information than could be given in this post, visit autismspeaks.org and generationrescue.org