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Autism support group formed

April 10, 2007

Dear Editor,

April is national Autism Awareness Month. To many of you, that won't mean more then a new colorful ribbon that you might see people wearing or some information on the TV talk shows or news, but for many others this is an important time to raise awareness about our loved one's autism.

Autism is a lifelong neurological spectrum disorder that affects a person's social communication and behavior. There has been more information in the news recently about Autism Spectrum Disorder because of the data that the Centers for Disease Control released in February 2007. The CDC found that the prevalence of autism in the USA is now affecting one in every 150 children. That means that every day 50 new families face a diagnosis of autism, and one in every four American families have a loved one with autism. Alarming, yes! The diagnosis is growing at an incredible rate of 10 to 17 percent each year.

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There are many unanswered questions in the world of autism, such as what are the causes of autism, why the diagnosis is growing so rapidly, how our loved one's brains work, and many, many more. Therefore, our ribbon for awareness is one of brightly-colored puzzle pieces signifying the puzzling disorder of autism. In order to assist families who are affected by autism, there is a local support group that is meeting on the last Sunday evening of each month at the Wilderness Trace Child Development Center at 6 p.m. Our next meeting is scheduled for April 29 and we welcome anyone who has a loved one with autism to attend. You may contact me at 236-8812 or Julie DeCoteau at markdecoteau@bellsouth.net.

While autism has no cure, it is treatable, and with early diagnosis and intervention these individuals have tremendous potential and hope.

I have seen the potential in my own wonderful teenage son with autism and encourage you to contact our group if you would like more information on autism.

Melissa Montgomery Caudill

Boyle County Autism Support Group

Danville

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