JEFFERSON CITY — The month of April is set aside to help bring understanding and awareness to the topic of autism. Educators in today’s world come across many different complications when it comes to their students. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, an estimated one in 54 boys and one in 252 girls are diagnosed with some form of autism. That is approximately one in 88 children, a 10-fold increase from 40 years ago.

In 2009, the Missouri Legislature passed Senate Bill 157 and House Bill 525, both of which created five separate regions governed by a regional parent advisory council that could better serve citizens, especially young people with autistic symptoms. A year later, the legislature broached the subject of healthcare, which saw the institution of health coverage for those diagnosed with ASD by means of House Bill 1311.

Generally, when autism is mentioned, we think of someone with severe disabilities, perhaps including problems with social interaction, and difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal communication. However, there is a broad range of symptoms. People working to raise awareness and advocating for autistic individuals have built a very useful website, www.autismspeaks.org, which provides information on various signs of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and what options families have if there is a positive diagnosis.

Autism is related to early brain development, with many cases emerging between 12 and 18 months of age. Some things that are considered possible indicators of ASD are a lack of happy facial expressions by six months of age, not participating in back-and-forth gestures like pointing or reaching by 12 months, or a loss of any type of speech or social skills at any point in time.

The increasing rates of autism diagnosis might not be the only indicator of a rapid rise of occurrence. Our children deserve the best we can provide for them, no matter their difficulties. Autism doesn’t have to remain the type of mental disorder that places a stigma on an individual throughout a lifetime.

I encourage you to take the opportunity this April, as Autism Awareness Month, to learn more about the diversity of ASD and how your family or friends might be affected by the many forms of this far-reaching mental disability.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or 573-751-2272, or by fax at 573-526-7381.