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Not long ago, autism was assumed to be comparatively rare, affecting as few as 1 in 10,000 people. The latest studies show that as many as 1 in 150 kids age 10 and younger may be affected by autism or a related disorder - a total of nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. alone. If you include adults, according to the Autism Society of America, more than a million people in the U.S. suffer from autism (also known as pervasive developmental disorder or pdds). The problem is five times as common as Downs syndrome and three times as common as juvenile diabetes. * Our children and adults suffer from a global disability. It affects their ability to communicate, to relate to others, to learn, to meet their own needs. Its impact on the families doing battle with autism is immeasurable. The children and adults on the autistic spectrum "look normal" and yet they deal with a disability that inhibits them from engaging in learning, or relating to their surroundings, or their family. It makes communication extremely difficult. Some even have difficulty with non-verbal communication. Autism has an extremely wide spectrum (varied degrees of affliction). Very often, people with autism are high functioning and excel at visualization skills, math and reading. It is a puzzling disorder. Researchers do not know how it is caused. There is currently no known cure. We need your help and support.
*Paragraph quoted from The Secrets of Autism by Madeleine Nash |