Autism 

What is Autism? 
It is a general term for a group of complex disorders of brain development.
How do you know when someone has Autism?
Some signs of Autism  are the lack of big smiles, and other joyful expressions by six months. If they have no sign of back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months. If they have little to no babbling by 12 months. No sign of back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months. No words by 16 months. No meaningful, two-word phrases by 24 months, and any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age.
How to care for patients with Autism.
Caring for a patient with Autism can be fairly easy if you know how to do it. Some ways to care for a patient is to take them to behavioral therapy. In behavioral therapy the patient is taught that they get a reward for completing a task. Motivating them to continue wanting to do all things asked. You could also take them to educational interventions, where they can get school-based help with academic subjects. You could help them with speech, occupational, and social skills therapy.
Can Autism be prevented ?
Autism can be reduced if you reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeine, and eliminate tobacco. Prior to conceiving, a woman should switch to green cleaning and personal care products. Begin or continue an exercise routine. Also in anticipation of conception, it makes sense to begin taking a good comprehensive multivitamin/mineral supplement. Adding a source of animal-based Omega-3s is essential. Krill oil is suggested by many, or a mercury-free source of high-quality fish oil. To build beneficial microflora, take high quality probiotics (in addition to improving levels of beneficial intestinal flora, these have been shown to decrease intestinal absorption of certain chemicals by facilitating their excretion), and consume more fermented foods.

Autism Awareness Month is April. The month is in honor of those who deal with the everyday challenges of Autism.


This year an event was held in honor of Autism awareness month.  The event was very popular, not only with those who knew Autism patients but even for those who didn't.
How to help a patient with Autism 
You can help an Autism patient by communicating with people with autism it really helps if they can actually see what you are talking about.  So showing an object, photo or a picture about what you are saying or writing things down can often make things easier for them. It also helps if you can break down what you want to say into chunks and give the person time to process and respond to each chunk of information before you give them the next bit.  You can also help by carefully explaining words and phrases where what you say is actually not what you mean. Give them the opportunity to let you know what they want by offering choices and try not to anticipate what they want to say.  If they are having difficulty explaining something, repeat back to them what you have understood so far and encourage them to continue.
Did You Know?
  • Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than girls (1 in 58 boys is diagnosed)
  • 67 children are diagnosed per day
  • A new case is diagnosed almost every 20 minutes
  • More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined
  • Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
  • Autism costs the U.S. over $90 billion per year, and this is expected to double in the next decade
  • There is no medical cure for autism
  • An accurate diagnosis can usually be made before age three
  • Approximately 20% of autistic children exhibit normal development, followed by regression
  • Approximately 5% of children with autistic siblings develop autistic disorders themselves
  • Autism rates have escalated 782% in the last 12 years; a rate faster than any other disability or disease, including cancer.
  • Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year.
  • The Autism Society of America (ASA) estimates the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Citations
"Autism Fact Sheet." : National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm>.

"Home | Autism Society." Autism Society Home Comments. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://www.autism-society.org>.

"National Autism Association | Help and Hope for Families Affected by Autism." National Autism Association RSS. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://nationalautismassociation.org/?gclid=CNW4htD9zcICFYhbfgodbyIA1w>. 

"What Is Autism?" Autism Speaks. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. <http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism>.

Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://www.washingtonautismadvocacy.org/updates/signs-of-autism/?gclid=CLDJ08j9zcICFQphfgodsKQASw>.