National Autism Awareness Month

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PUZZLED BY YOUR YOUNG CHILD’S BEHAVIOR? Know the signs of Autism. There is no kno wn single cause for autism, but increased a wareness and funding can help families. Autism is a de velopmental disorder that appears in the f irst three years of life, af fecting the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. People with autism usually ha ve significant language delays, social and communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests. It’s estimated that an average of 1 in 65 children in the U.S. today have an Autism Spectrum Disorder , and it is the fastest growing developmental disability. Today, scientists are w orking to disco ver the risk factors and raise awareness of the signs. Autism is not curable, b ut it is treatable. Studies sho w that early diagnosis and

intervention ha ve a dramatic impact on reducing the symptoms because the youngest brains are the most fle xible. Here are some signs that may indicate onset of autism in youngchildren: • Lack of or delay in spoken language • Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (ie: hand-flapping, twirling objects) • Little or no eye contact • Lack of interest in peer relationships • Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play • Persistent fixation on parts of objects If your child e xperiences these symptoms, please mak e an appointment with their pediatrician to discuss your concerns.

This message is brought to you by the following community sponsors:


PUZZLED BY YOUR YOUNG CHILD’S BEHAVIOR? Know the signs of Autism. There is no known single cause for autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families. Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life, af fecting the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. People with autism usually have significant language delays, social and communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests. It’s estimated that an average of 1 in 65 children in the U.S. today have an Autism Spectrum Disorder , and it is the fastest growing developmental disability . Today, scientists are working to discover the risk factors and raise awareness of the signs. Autism is not curable, but it is treatable. Studies show that early diagnosis and

intervention have a dramatic impact on reducing the symptoms because the youngest brains are the most flexible. Here are some signs that may indicate onset of autism in youngchildren: • Lack of or delay in spoken language • Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (ie: hand-flapping, twirling objects) • Little or no eye contact • Lack of interest in peer relationships • Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play • Persistent fixation on parts of objects If your child experiences these symptoms, please make an appointment with their pediatrician to discuss your concerns.

This message is brought to you by the following community sponsors:


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