Every April is World Autism month where we and other organizations involved with this developmental disorder share information and stories about individuals and families dealing with this challenge. Our goal is to use this opportunity to increase understanding, awareness, and overall acceptance of individuals with autism. Given that autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States, I see a greater level of support and acceptance in today’s world.
It was not this way years ago, as many of us knew little about what Autism was and its impact on those dealing with its challenges. Today, 1 in 54 children are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, totaling over 5MM adults and children today on the spectrum, and countless thousands of families affected as well.
While the month is about creating awareness about Autism, it also provides an opportunity to speak to up about the importance of early screening and evaluation if children are showing signs of autism based upon their behaviors and communication skills. While no parent wants to hear that their child is showing tendencies that could be considered autistic, getting an evaluation quickly, especially when the child is young, can have a huge impact on the child’s future development.
One of the biggest problems the autism world faces is a lack of available resources to perform diagnostic evaluations when a child needs to be tested. Wait times in certain areas of the country are known to be in excess of a year from the time a recommendation is made by a pediatrician to when a child participates in a formal test/evaluation.
From my perspective looking at this as a parent trying to get this evaluation scheduled, wait times like this are completely unacceptable. We do not live in a society when waiting a long time for anything is tolerable. And waiting to get a test done for your child is not something any parent wants to do.
While my wish is that no family will need us, at the same time please know that Little Friends has made a commitment to have resources in place should the need exist. As of early March, we now have two Psychologists on staff at our Center for Autism capable of performing Diagnostic Evaluations. While our lead times have never been a year, I think 45 days is a long time to wait when a parent needs help for their child. Please know we have made a commitment to the community to help with resources backing our word.
For those who learn a little bit more about Autism this month, thank you. For those who continue to support us and others dealing with this disorder, thank you for your help and support!
Editor’s Note / On April 1, 2021, Little Friends announced the launch of its its Building Futures capital campaign. To learn more about this exciting endeavor, visit www.littlefriendsinc.
