April Brings Attention to Autism
April is National Autism Awareness Month. Awareness months are helpful because they help bring public attention to issues facing many of our friends and families. Autism is no different. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the medical term for Autism is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is described as a group of developmental disabilities which can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.
The National Institute of Mental Health further characterizes ASD as:
• Ongoing social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with others
• Repetitive behaviors as well as limited interests or activities
• Symptoms that typically are recognized in the first two years of life
• Symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to function socially, at school or work, or other areas of life.
Further explanation of these characteristics can be found at National Institute of Mental Health.
It is important to note that individuals diagnosed with ASD differ greatly in their learning, thinking and problem-solving abilities. Those abilities can range from gifted to significantly disabling. There has been an increase the number of children diagnosed with ASD since 2004. It is unknown for certain whether this is due to an increased number of cases or to the increased awareness of ASD among the general public.
There are a variety of organizations that provide helpful resources and information regarding ASD. One such organization is the Autism Society which was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland, Ph. D, whose own son was diagnosed with ASD. Since its formation the Autism Society has grown from a handful of parents to having local and state affiliate offices in nearly all 50 states. These offices are connected through a network that enables the Autism Society to share resources like referral services and education/awareness programs.
The Autism Society is dedicated to its role of increasing public awareness about ASD, which includes the day to day challenges faced by individuals, families and professionals affected by ASD. If you would like to learn more about the Autism Society you can go to Autism Society. Another organization that serves as a resource for ASD is Autism Now. Other additional resources include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Being able to recognize the symptoms of autism in its early stages enables the affected individual to be referred to appropriate resources. Living with autism is challenging, but not impossible. Nonmedical intervention programs are commonly used to treat autistic individuals. Upon a thorough screening evaluation, the individuals and their families have several diverse programs to utilize. Some of these programs include art and music therapy, speech therapy, or animal therapy. The Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism Training created the Texas Autism Resource Guide for Effective Teaching (TARGET). TARGET is a website which enables caretakers to identify a wide range of specific needs that need to be addressed and directs the user to the proper resources. A nationwide resource, similar to TARGET, is the Autism Source.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672
