According to Mayo Clinic, it states that autism is a "serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact." (Mayo Clinic, 2019). On April 2nd, it was World Autism Awareness Day and April is Autism Awareness Month. Here are 10 facts about autism that you may or may not know.
1. Autism is found in boys more than girls, almost four times as much
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The stereotype that it is only found in white men is wrong. Autism can happen to anyone no matter what race or gender you are. In 2018, it was found that 1 in 37 boys and 1 in 151 girls will have autism. (Autism Speaks, 2019).
2. There is no cure for autism yet
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But the symptoms related to autism can be improved. Autism is treatable.
3. Autism affects 1 in 59 children
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In the past 20 years, the rate of autism has grown.
4. Autism varies and it depends on the person
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Autism has a wide range of symptoms. Each person has different symptoms, and no one is the same.
5. Autism is underfunded
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Despite autism being the fastest growing developmental disorder currently.
6. No one is sure on what causes autism
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Scientists don't know if there are any environmental factors that trigger autism.
7. Vaccines do not cause autism
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There have been various studies that have been done and none have proved that vaccines cause autism.
8. Early interventions is important
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It is found that it can improve communication but also social skills and learning. Scientists state that all children that have autism can benefit from early intervention.
9. In most cases, medical expenses are more for children and adolescents with ASD than those without
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It's 4.1 to 6.2 times greater.
10. There is a 2% to 18% chance that if parents have a child with ASD will have a second child that is also affected.
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We see that there is a lot more to autism. We see that there are a lot of people affected by autism, and not everyone is the same. Everyone that has autism is different. They haven't found out what causes autism, but they do know that vaccines do not cause autism. That is a myth. So, you don't have to worry about if your child is going to get autism or not due to vaccines because they won't. Educate yourself about autism. I did, and I'm glad that I did because I learned a lot.
