Aware of Autism
April is Autism Awareness Month. Perhaps you already knew that, but if not, here's your chance to learn more about autism, because chances are very good that you know someone with autism--or maybe several someones. When I first became aware of autism, twenty-some years ago, statistics showed that approximately one in 300 children were diagnosed with autism. Since then, the incidence of autism has exploded. On March 27, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released statistics showing that one in 68 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder; that's one out of every 48 boys, and one in 189 girls. Over the past fifteen years or so, I've worked with several children with autism. Most have been boys, but I've taught a few girls, as well, who have been diagnosed, and a few more who should have been. When I think back to my early years of teaching, I can pinpoint some students who exhibited autistic tendencies before autism was a common diagnosis. And, ...