By André Faust (April 7, 2017)
9 years ago the United Nations has sanction April as autism awareness month. Autism Speaks developed the campaign Light it Up Blue which coincides with April 2. According to the Autism Speaks' website during this month's thousands of "Iconic Buildings and landmarks will join the thousand of homes worldwide "lighting up in blue so show support to support individuals on the autistic spectrum and their families.
What do we know about autism? We know it's a neurological disorder that is caused by many factors. We also know from data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that 1 out of 68 children have been diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum. Keep in mind that the spectrum covers a range from extremely mild to extremely severe. As a result of this range, it is possible to interact with people on the spectrum without ever knowing that the person is autistic because they do not fit the stereotype as depicted through the eyes of Hollywood and the Media.
Those individuals who are on the mild end of the spectrum may experience difficulties in their early years of social development because they appear normal yet they may exhibit some behavioural characteristics that do not fit the abstract concept of what is normal which in high school they may be the victims of bullying or social exclusion. On the employment market, they may also be passed over for employment because the employer may perceive them as "not fitting in" even though the may be highly qualified for the job and more qualified then the applicant they choose to hire.
As we move on the spectrum from mild to severe each point on the spectrum possess unique challenges for the individual, for the parents and or for the caretakers to meet those specials needs so that these individuals who have this neurological disorder can have the best quality of life relative to their position on the spectrum.
Currently, New Brunswick's mental health care system provides very little in terms of expertise and resources to help parents and families to optimise the quality of life for those inflicted with this disorder. While there are private practices available to help those who need the expertise, these specialist tend to be the very expense which even for those families with a modest income can be placed at a financial disadvantage in trying to give their autistic child the best of care.
On the positive side, there are organisations in the community to provide services for those in need but are restricted to what they can do because of shoestring budgets.
Public education about this neurological disorder and knowing where the resources are is important. With the probability of 1 out 68 people being diagnosed to lay somewheres on the spectrum is significant because it means that 1 out of 68 newborns will be diagnosed as autistic.
As of today, our science has not been able to specifically isolate the base pairs of the DNA that are responsible for the disorder, as a result, we cannot predict with any accuracy to who will pass the genetic trait. (assuming that it's a disorder is genetically transmitted, it may very well not be). What we do know is that there is no one race that has a greater incident than any another. The likelihood of 1 to 68 chance of having an autistic offspring on the spectrum is not determined by either race or culture.
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