by Katharine Elsbree M.S., CCC/SLP

Autism.  It’s in the news.  I would venture to say most people outside of the “therapy world” have heard news stories, read headlines, or personally know of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  A wealth of information on funding, fundraising, research, diagnosis and treatment litters the web.  The most amazing part of this is the publicity that this disorder has received in the last ten years alone.  This is the people’s response to the disorder’s prevalence reaching 1 in 88 children (1 in 54 boys) and growing still.

We are here to help.  Children with a diagnosis of ASD often receive speech-language, occupational, and/or physical therapies as part of an intensive and comprehensive treatment plan involving the child, his or her parents and many professionals.  In fact, it is recommended that children receive 25 hours of structured intervention per week during the preschool period.  Once a child reaches school-age, his needs are addressed through an IEP (individualized Education Plan) as well as outside therapies as needed.  Speech-language pathologists work to address social skills, language and communication, imitation, and play skills.  As April comes to a close, please think about learning more about Autism, lending support to a family with an Autistic child, or joining in the fight for a cure.  For more information, please visit www.AutismSpeaks.org