Happy World Autism Awareness Day

Happy World Autism Awareness Day!

As many of you know - I have a nephew with autism so I hold this close to my heart.

Here is some interesting information I found online:
-Approximately 67 million people worldwide are affected by Autism
-Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
-More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer and AIDS combined
-Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism (1 in 94 boys; 1 in 150 children overall)
-There is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes

The following "red flags" may indicate that a child is at risk and should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path:

-No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
-No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
-No babbling by 12 months
-No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reachin, or waving by 12 months
-No words by 16 months
-No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
-No response when the child's name is called by 10 months
-Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age