Raising awareness about the puzzling disorder of autism

To the editor: Parents Run AMOC (Autism Move-a-thon of Orange County) would like to thank the following schools/agencies for participating in a Autism Awareness Project to highlight April as Autism Awareness Month. The schools/agencies that participated were Dynamic Therapy and Learning, Valley Central Middle School, Golden Hill Elementary School and Seward High School in Florida, NY, Kids Club House and Good Shepard Preschool. Autism is a complex developmental disability the normally appears during the first three years of life. It impacts the normal development of the brain, especially in the areas of social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and play/leisure skills. Currently, the Center for Disease Control places the autism rate at 1 in every 150 children. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year then AIDS, cancer and diabetes combined. The goal of our project was to raise awareness and understanding about autism spectrum disorders. It is our hope that by teaching the children in our community about autism spectrum disorders, their increased awareness and understanding will lead to acceptance and tolerance of individuals living with this disability. Students in each school were asked to take home a template of a puzzle piece to signify that autism is a puzzling disorder with no known cause or cure. At home, the students decorated the puzzle piece and wrote one fact about autism on the puzzle piece. If the students brought the puzzle piece back to the school, they were allowed to participate in a variety of fun activities. Parents Run AMOC decorated a bulletin board in each school and the puzzle pieces were placed around the board and throughout the school. It is greatly appreciated that these schools and agencies participated in raising awareness and understanding about this puzzling disorder. The children educated today will become compassionate, understanding adults and leaders in the future who will advocate and assist individuals living with autism spectrum disorders in becoming accepted in our community. Pat Meeney Director of Marketing and Staff Development Dynamic Therapy & Learning, Florida