All About Autism

The Barber National Institute holds “Ready, Set, Ride!” each summer to help children with disabilities learn to ride a two-wheeler.

As I walk outside and see that sunshine, I realize that summer is right around the corner. I really encourage parents of children with special needs to begin planning early on to ensure that you find the appropriate program for your child. As this is something I have been doing for the past 15 years, I have a few suggestions you might want to consider:

• What do you want your child to accomplish this summer? What skills and lessons would you like to be reinforced?

• Are you interested in a continuation of his/her educational program? If you are responding yes to this question, you would want to first consider if your child is eligible for Extended School Year (ESY). Based upon your child’s IEP, he/she may be eligible for a part-time or full-time program throughout the summer. Continue reading →

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recently updated its estimate of autism prevalence in children in the United States to 1 in 88 (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls).  This is a 78% increase from 2002.  These estimates are based upon a review of evaluations of children 8 years of age from multiple sources in 14 states in 2008.

Why such a dramatic increase? We certainly have better diagnoses, and we are diagnosing at even a younger age every year. The American Academy of Pediatric recommends that all children be screened at their 18- and 24-month check up.

We now have a broader scale to use to diagnose autism.  Since autism is a spectrum disorder, we have children diagnosed with milder forms, such as Asperger syndrome. Continue reading →