April is not only the month to celebrate Easter, but also to focus on Autism Awareness.  According to Med TV.com, 1 in 500 to 1 in 166 children are diagnosed with Autism.  Autism is a disorder of the brain that can affect a child's interactions with others (i.e. social skills), communicate with others, and thinking.  It seems that more children are being diagnosed with Autism and many have different theories why there is such an influx of children being diagnosed with this disability.  If you are a parent and/or know of a loved one that has been diagnosed with Autism, you may be looking for more information.

Autism Support Groups

If you are a parent of a child with Autism you may be feeling like you are the only one in this situation.  That is definitely not the case.  You may feel overwhelmed about how to go about finding services for your child, how to advocate for your child's needs, how to understand this thing called an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), etc.  Many parents find support and answers to their questions by becoming a member of support group of parents with children diagnosed with Autism.  Many support groups may already be established in your community.  Contact your child's school district, city hall, or church, to see if there is one.  If not, you can always look on the Internet to find that extra support.

Support groups for parents with children with Autism:

Books About Autism

If you want more information about Autism or would rather read about it, listed below are some books about Autism that may help:

  • The Autistic Spectrum Parents' Daily Helper: A Workbook for You and Your Child
  • Guns A' Blazing: How Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum and Schools Can Work Together Without a Shot Being Fired
  • The Official Autism 101 Manual
  • Does My Child Have Autism: A Parents Guide to Early Detection and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Could It Be Autism?: A Parent's Guide to the First Signs and Next Step
  • Engaging Autism
  • Dr. Thompson's Straight Talk on Autism
  • A Parent's Guide to Autism

The support groups and books listed above are listed above to provide additional insight and information to you.  Once you have the information you need to provide the services and support that your child needs, you have become empowered to advocate for your child as well. It is important to note that Autism is a label.  Do not use this label with the cookie cutter approach in which a label means that all children diagnosed with it will behave the same way or need the same services.  This is not the case by any means.  Just as we do with all children, we look at their uniqueness and abilities to find ways to identify the appropriate services and approaches for them.  No two children are alike and this includes children that have been diagnosed with Autism.

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