Autism is a lifelong neurological disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Although there are no two kids who share a similar spectrum of symptoms, children diagnosed with Autism generally have the following difficulties:
speaking in an abnormal tone of voice, or with an odd rhythm or pitch
repeating words or phrases over and over without communicative intent
clumsiness, abnormal posture, or unusual ways of moving
delay in speech or complete lack of thereof
inability to focus
abnormal sensitivity or tolerance to noise or pain
limited symbolic or abstract thinking
repetitive body movements
hard transitioning from one task to another
poor or lack of understanding of social cues
The rate with which Autism has been affecting children and young adults is staggering.
According to Statista, over 760,000 young adults and children in the U.S. live with the disorder. Autism is primarily diagnosed in the adolescent population, specifically Non-Hispanic white male children.
Autism is not a learning disability, but it creates one and co-exists with multiple other conditions that affect a child's comprehension, focus and attention, coordination, speech, speed of reaction, and many more functionalities that normally developing children possess naturally.
If Autism may not look too bad in babies and toddlers, it becomes less adorable when they become physically stronger and even bigger than the parent. Severely affected children may require prescription drugs to keep their behavior under control. Autism is the second in the prevalence of chronic absenteeism in school-aged students and depression/anxiety counseling in college students.
Based on the charts below, the economic burden posed by Autism Spectrum Disorder will almost double by 2025. The therapeutics market created to help/assist individuals with Autism is steadily growing and is forecasted to bypass mark of 4.6 billion dollars in services and products worldwide by 2026. Autism generates a new job market with applied behavior analysis agencies popping up left and right.
One conclusion that I take away from all these charts is that Autism is here to stay for a long time. The question is, "Should we seek a cure, or should we accept the neurodiversity?" As a mother of an autistic child, I seek assistance and acceptance of my child, who will eventually turn into an adult seeking employment and a spot in today's society. He will be "different" for sure, and it is our responsibility to accept the difference and make him and many other individuals alike feel at home.
Thank you for reading.
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