Bringing Awareness to Autism

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1 in 68 children have some form of autism. Autism is more common in boys than girls. It has been estimated that 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism and 1 in 42 boys are diagnosed. Over 2 million individuals in the U.S. have autism and tens of millions worldwide. The diagnosis of the disorder has increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years and although there is no solid explanation for this most think the increase of the diagnosis is due to improved ability to diagnose the disorder and environmental influences.

Those who have autism struggle with social challenges, communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors, sensory processing problems, and some medical conditions (seizure disorders/sleep dysfunction).

Although more people are becoming aware of the disorder there are still many people who are quick to assume that someone with autism just behaves poorly because they were not raised properly. Yes, it may be difficult to determine whether or not somebody has autism by just looking at them but it is not okay to judge people for the way they conduct themselves socially. It is better to just accept that others are different and move on.

Different does not necessarily mean bad. Those with autism may have difficulty with certain aspects of their life but many of them are joyful people that can see things that "normal" people can't. The smallest things that most of us take for granted is something that can easily put a smile on their face.

My brother, Christian, has autism and when my family first found out it seemed like the end of the world. Now we have come to realize that it was a blessing in disguise. Sure we have are struggles but Christian reminds us that we are all capable of achieving our goals. No matter how many times we have the school district tell us that Christian is incapable of expanding his knowledge he always finds a way to prove them wrong. Sometimes I will walk in on my brother trying to understand math and reading a book/captions off of the television. He knows that his brain works at a slower pace and is determined to learn as much as he can.

Tomorrow I will be attending the Autism Walk at the Rose Bowl. I will not only be walking for my brother, but all those who have autism. I will walk for all the families that have done all they can for their autistic family member even if it meant making some huge sacrifices. I will walk for all the educators that truly invest their time in assuring that they help students learn and never give up on them and claim they have capped out. I will walk to raise awareness with hopes that one day everyone will not judge an autistic person having behaviors.