April is National Autism wareness Month

I come across some amazing people at the gym and this week is no different.   One of the people helping me make a fitness video was proudly wearing an autism shirt.  Her son has autism and she such a great advocate for him. His name is Jack.

Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 88 American children as on the autism spectrum-a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years.  Careful research shows that this increase is only partly explained by improved diagnosis and awareness.  Studies also show that autism is four to five times more common among boys than girls.  An estimated 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States.

ASD affects over 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide.  Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years.  There is no established explanation for this continuing increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered.

Please go to the Autism Speaks website for more information.  http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism  Currently Washington allows every state to decide if they offer autism coverage.  Sadly Utah does not.  Thanks Deb for this information.  Your son is lucky to have such a great mom.