Autistic Kids Need More Than Awareness, But That’s A Good Start

It’s hard for me to gauge who has heard, and who still has no idea. In the circles I run it; no one is surprised to hear that the Center For Disease Control released the ‘new data’ {using data from a handful of states that is four years old} about Autism: it affects 1 in 88 kids.

How is this not a health crisis?!

What does the number need to be? Regardless of claims that the numbers are increasing so quickly because of better screening, AUTISM AFFECTS 1 IN 88 KIDS!

The activist in me has to focus my energies on advocating for my own child and my heart is broken about not being able to jump into this movement with all I have right now.

But I do have two blogs (Big Binder and The UnProcessed Kitchen), and this will most likely be the only time I post exactly the same content on both.

Today, for Autism Awareness Day, I looked for research to share with you, but the scientific studies are not there. The research is not there. The funding is not there. Disagreements about what the causes, effects, or even definition of Autism are OK with me. What is not OK with me is that every time these statistics are released, there is a huge call for research, and then nothing happens, and then a few years later the numbers go even higher, there is a call for research; and nothing.

I will say this as my contribution to Autism awareness:

• I have one of those kids
• I believe that Autism is not a mental disorder, it is a physical disease
• I believe that Autism is, to some extent, treatable
• I believe that, in some cases, Autism is preventable
• I believe that children cannot learn not to be Autistic and that schools need to provide services to them rather than punishment.

All I can do is start a conversation, so let’s hear it. What is your experience with Autism? What are your thoughts on its causes, effects, and our national response to this?