Submitted by Mary Phillips, Central Square April is Autism Awareness Month. On April 27th a flag will be flown over our State's Capital in Albany in honor of New York State Autism Day. Throughout this month, parents, professionals, lawmakers and others will work to bring awareness to this disorder.
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects one in every five hundred births.
The Center for Disease Control stated last last year that this number is becoming even more frequent and that as many as one in every two hundred-fifty births are now affected by this disorder. More commonly, this disorder impairs a person's ability to communicate and interact with others, which affects a wide variety of issues. It is referred to as a spectrum disorder, meaning the symptoms can occur in any combination and with varying degrees of severity. There is so much more that needs to be understood and discovered about this disorder and the children and adults affected by it. Please keep Autism in mind for the month of April.