I wouldn't normally put two posts in a row on here about Autism, but hey, today is World Autism Awareness Day, so how can I not?
The news has told me this week that recent research shows that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. have some form of Autism. In Utah its one in 44. Forty four!
Have you ever looked at a child, yours or another's, and wondered- Could this child possibly be Autistic? Here are some of the warning signs that a child may have a form of Autism or PDD (Pervasive Developmental Delays) :
- Does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
- Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp, etc.) by 12 months of age
- Does not say single words by 16 months of age
- Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone says to him or her) by 24 months of age
- Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.
- The child cannot explain what he/she wants.
- The child has poor eye contact.
- The child gets "stuck" on things over and over and can't move on to other things.
- The child seems to prefer to play alone.
- There are other warning signs, too. You can read more about them here.
The good thing is, there is hope, and there is help, and there is support if your child is diagnosed with Autism. It may take you on a bit of a Trip to Antarctica , but it isn't the end.
And to celebrate, here is the video my older son made of my autistic son at the end of last year. Some of you have seen it before, but that is okay. It makes me happy. Especially with the music. So Lucas. Just click on the link under the picture. Watch it. He's one amazing kid (and so is my older son, for making this).
