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Monday, April 2, 2012

Seattle Schools Community Forum: World Autism Awareness Day

Seattle Schools Community Forum: World Autism Awareness Day:


World Autism Awareness Day

Today is the fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day.  The theme this year, from Autism Speaks, is Light It Up Blue with landmarks like the Empire State Building going blue tonight.  This starts a month of awareness events to shine a light on the issues around autism.  World autism Awareness Day was started in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly.

It is estimated that 1 in every 88 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum.   That's about 1.5M Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is the most prevalent developmental disorder to date.  Studies suggest that boys are more likely to be born with it than girls but girls appear to develop the more severe types of autism.

From the Autism Speaks website:

Will my child be able to attend school?
Most likely yes. Much depends on where your child falls on the spectrum, but with your support, as well as that