The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if four million children are born in the U.S. each year, about 36,500 will eventually be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASDs. At this rate, it can be assumed than in the last 20 years, about 730,000 individuals aged 0 to 21 have ASD. But the figures do not stop there.
The estimated lifetime cost to care for individuals with ASD at $3.2 million, or an average yearly medical expenditures that exceeds those who don’t have ASD from $4,110 to $6,200 a year.
What is ASD?
ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There are three types of ASDs:
Autistic Disorder — also called classic autism. Those who fall under this category usually have language delays, challenges in communication challenges, unusual behaviors and interests, and intellectual disability.
Asperger Syndrome — people under this type have some milder symptoms and typically have no problems with language or intellectual disability.
Pervasive Developmental Disorder — people with this type of ASDs usually have fewer and milder symptoms than those with autistic disorder. The symptoms could only be on social and communication challenges.
Red flags
(or early warning signs)
Symptoms of autism can be detected in children as early as one year old. If you see any concern in your child’s developments, don’t wait but make a trip to the doctor for an autism screening for your child for early intervention.
Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
• None or lack of eye contact and wants to be alone
• No joyful expressions or smiles at six months and after
• No enjoyment, sharing of sounds, interest, and other facial expressions by nine months
• Lack of response to name by 12 months
• No babbling by 12 months
• None or lack of coordination of non-verbal communication
• No back-and-forth gestures such as showing, pointing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• Delayed language skills and speech
• No two-word meaningful phrases by 24 months
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
• Give unrelated answers to questions
• Show unusual reactions to the way things sound, taste, feel, smell or look.
• Have trouble understanding their own feelings or the feelings of other people.
ASDs cannot be treated but a child’s development can greatly improve through early intervention. This is why it’s important to get a screening for your child if you see one or two of the early warning signs.
In the CNMI, less than a hundred families have reported having members with autism and ASDs, according to the Autism Society of the CNMI.
ASCNMI secretary Larrisa Larson said there are more families whose lives are touched by autism and related disorders but didn’t come out.
Larson said the local organization is going all out in its campaign to provide support and information to parents and families of children with autism. ASCNMI continues to conduct various fundraising events such as garage sales, car washes and more to raise funds for the different projects of the organization.
Last Friday, the organization hosted a successful fundraising event, Quiz Night, which brought together over a hundred supporters from the community.
Larson said ASCNMI is “a group that is open to all people whose lives have been touched by autism and its related spectrum disorders and provides support and information about autism, as well as promotes, protects, and advocates for the rights of all individuals with autism or its related spectrum disorders living in the CNMI.”
Anybody is free to join ASCNMI, Larson said.
She said that they have members who don’t have family or relatives with autism but they are just interested to learn about ASDs and help in offering support and assistance to friends and families of children with autism in the CNMI.
You can also join the ASCNMI group on Facebook to keep abreast with the latest events and upcoming activities of the group. Currently, the organization has 441 members on Facebook.
For more information about the ASCNMI, call 322-3761 or email as_cnmi@yahoo.com.
