Supporters can participate in World Autism Month by:

• Learning the history of Autism.
• Support Autism-Friendly Businesses and Employers.
• Spread Awareness in your community.
• Read, Watch or Listen to something created by a person with Autism.

Did you know…Greta Thurnberg-teenage environmental activist, Satoshi Tajiri-creator of Pokemon, Daryl Hannah-Actress, Alexis Wieman-Miss Montana, and Dan Aykroyd-Actor all have Autism?

Autism is a complex mental condition and developmental disability characterized by difficulties in how a person communicates and interacts with other people. Autism can be present from birth or form during early childhood (typically within the first three years). Autism is a lifelong developmental disability with no single known cause.

People with Autism are classed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the terms autism and ASD are often used interchangeably. A broad-spectrum disorder, people will autism have a set of symptoms unique to themselves; no two people are the same.

Autism is a complex disability. Levels of autism vary from person to person, but some of the characteristics of autistic patients include:

Social Skills: people with Autism often find it hard to interact with others. At the same time, some autistic children do not have adequate playing and talking skills. Mild symptoms on one end of the spectrum may be displayed through clumsy behavior, being out of sync with those around them, and making inappropriate or offensive comments. At the other end of the spectrum, an autistic person may not be interested in others.

Empathy: Empathy is recognizing and understanding another person’s feelings. Some with autism find it harder to show empathy to others, although they can be taught to acknowledge others’ feelings.

Physical Contact: in some cases, physical contact such as hugs, tickling, or physical play with others is not liked.

Sudden Changes to their Environment: sudden changes in the surrounding environment may affect a person with autism. This could be a loud noise, a change in lighting intensity, or even a change in smell.

Sources: The Autism Community in Action (TACA) and Autism Society.

The newly released report by the CDC estimates that 1 in 44 children has Autism in the United States. This is a 241% increase since 2000, when Autism prevalence was 1 in 150.

Key points from the report on 2018 data released in 2021 CDC’s report show that:

There is a 22.7% increase since the last report on 2016 data released in March 2020. California has the highest prevalence in the 11 surveyed sites, surpassing the previous leading state, New Jersey. California’s Autism prevalence of 1 in 26 for 8-year-olds.

Overall prevalence rates are similar across race and ethnicity, with the following exceptions: American Indian/Alaska Native children have a higher ASD prevalence than White Children. Hispanic children had lower ASD prevalence rates at multiple survey sites than White or Black children.

The following links to the CDC Prevalence and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years – Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network.

Resource: The Autism Community in Action (TACA)

• 40% of children with Autism are non-speaking.
• 95% of children with Autism have co-occurring conditions on average, each as 4.9.
• Children with Autism are 4 times more likely to suffer from gastrointestinal issues and face higher odds of unmet healthcare needs.
• 40% have anxiety.
• 38% have seizures.
• 53% have sleep issues.
• 14% of adults with autism have paid jobs in community-based settings.
• Average life expectancy for those without autism is 72 for those with Autism, it is 32.

Resource: The Autism Community in Action (TACA)

The Autism Community in Action (TACA) 
TACA provides education, support, and hope to families living with autism. Since 2000 TACA has provided services and programs at little to no cost to families. We are Families with Autism Helping Families with Autism. The autism journey is not an easy one. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so take each minute, hour, or day, one at a time. It will be difficult, but it will also be incredibly rewarding because it will change your life, your family’s life, and most importantly, the lives of your children with autism to all enjoy a brighter future.

Call (855)726-7810
Link to TACA: Who We Are – The Autism Community in Action (TACA) (tacanow.org)

Autism Society
For 57 years, the Autism Society has connected people to the resources they need through education, advocacy, support, information and referral, and community programming.

Call (800) 328-8476
Link to resources & information: Autism Society