April is National Autism Awareness Month

I have been blessed with three healthy children so far (knocking on wood). But as the mother of infant twins, I am always on the look out to make sure they are meeting their developmental milestones. Should something seem off, I will immediately seek early interventions.

April is National Autism Awareness Month and if you are like me, you probably know very little about the disorder unless it directly impacts you or someone you know. According to the Autism Speaks website, here are some early signs of a possible autism spectrum disorder:

The following "red flags" may indicate your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. If your child exhibits any of the following, please don’t delay in asking your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age

Early intervention is important but what if your child is diagnosed with some form of autism? What then?

There are many people who are there to support you and your family. One of those groups of people happens to work for United Methodist Family Services. At UMFS, we have a school called Charterhouse School that has middle and high school classrooms for children with higher functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Not stopping there, we partnered with Commonwealth Autism Service to create a college program for these kids called Courage to Succeed, which helps these kids achieve in a higher education environment.

Even more exciting news is that Charterhouse School is going to be opening a new school in Shenandoah County this fall. The school, called Charterhouse School-Edinburg, will have classrooms for middle and high school students with high functioning autism. The kids get extra support, therapy and learn valuable social skills to help them be successful.

If you are a mom or dad of a young child, be sure to keep track of those developmental milestones and get help early. If you are a mom or dad of a child who has been diagnosed with autism, know that you are never alone and that help is just a phone call away. If you are don't fall into either of these categories, be supportive when you see a child behaving "oddly" or having a tantrum in public. It may not be as simple as you think.