World Autism Awareness Day - April 2
World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) aims to put a spotlight on the hurdles that people with autism and others living with autism face every day. As a growing global health issue owing to its increasing exposure in the press and common knowledge, autism is an issue that is only gaining more understanding, and WAAD activities are planned every year to further increase and develop world knowledge of children and adults who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
What’s more, World Autism Awareness Day goes one step further to celebrate the unique talents of those with autism, while putting a huge focus on the warm embrace and welcome that these skills deserve through community events around the globe.
History of World Autism Awareness Day
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder characterized by behavioral and communicational affections that impact a person’s ability to navigate social interactions and also cause repetitive and restricted behavior.
The first historical appearance of the word “Autism” was made in 1911 by the psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used the term to describe a specific cluster of symptoms that were considered simple symptoms of schizophrenia as an extreme social withdrawal.
In that order, it was in 1943, when pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Leo Kanner characterized Autism as a social and emotional disorder in his article “Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact”, and in 1944 Hans Asperger published his “Autism Psychopathology Article” where he described autism as a disorder of normal intelligence children who have difficulties with social and communication skills. These articles were an important contribution to the studies that helped to classify Autism as a disorder separate from schizophrenia in 1980.
With the continuous investigation and research on autism, World Autism Awareness Day was set to April 2 of each year by the “United Nations General Assembly” on “Resolution 62/139” and adopted on December 18 of 2007, to encourage member states to take action in raising awareness about people with autism spectrum disorder and support the research finding new ways to improve wellness and inclusion.
Finally, the notion of autism as a spectrum was developed in 2013 by the “American Psychiatric Association” in the fifth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” by combining all subcategories of autism and related conditions into one unified category, including varied characteristics, severity, and presentation of the symptoms.
Quick Facts
What causes Autism?
Scientists found recently that many genetic mutations can be associated with autism, the results show that there are more than 100 autism risk genes. But also most of the cases have a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors.
How can I know if my child has autism?
Autism is not diagnosed until the age of 2 years and only a specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist) can diagnose it, but there are some things to look for, like lack of sharing sound, smiles, and facial expressions by 9 months or forming words by 16 months.
What to do after a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disease?
It can be a struggle in the first months to accept the condition but the best way to deal with this diagnosis is to educate yourself and search for the help of a specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist) cause there are a lot of resources and treatments that can help you.
Autism: By the Numbers
- 1 in 59 – the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in 2018.
- 1 in 34 – the number of boys diagnosed with ASD in 2016 according to data collected by the CDC.
- 1 in 145 – the number of girls diagnosed with ASD in 2016 according to data collected by the CDC.
- 4 – the age after which most children are diagnosed with ASD.
- 31% – the percentage of children with an intellectual disability due to ASD.
- 2-18% – the percentage of chances of parents having a second child with ASD after the first one.
- 36-95% – the percentage of chances that if one child has autism in a pair of twins, the other will be affected as well.
- ½ – of the total number of children with autism typically wander or ‘bolt’ from a safe setting if something catches their interest.
- 28% – the percentage of children with ASD who have self-harm behavior.
- ⅔ – of the total number of children with autism face severe bullying.
World Autism Awareness Day 2022
Over the past decade, major progress has been made towards increasing access to education generally, as well as for persons with autism specifically. However, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, a majority of countries announced the temporary closure of schools, impacting more than 90 percent of students worldwide. The disruption in learning caused by the pandemic has reversed years of progress and has exacerbated inequalities in education.
Many students with autism have been especially hard hit and studies show that they have been disproportionately affected by disruptions to routines, as well as services and supports that they rely on.
The White House had also reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the more than 5 million Americans who live with autism are able to make the most of their talents and participate fully in our society, celebrating the contributions autistic Americans have made to our families, our communities, our Nation, and the world.
The United Nations, on this year’s World Autism Awareness Day, is echoing the need to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as the foundation for improving people’s lives and reducing inequalities. This is stipulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Through the UN, this year‘s observance will address inclusive education in the context of SDG 4 - the promise and reality - through a virtual event that will include a moderated panel discussion, along with brief presentations by self-advocates, educators, and other experts. Inclusive education is the key to the transformative promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, to leave no one behind.
The Virtual Event to be hosted by the United Nations will be held on April 8th (Friday), 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. EST. Register here.
Sources:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/world-autism-awareness-day
https://www.un.org/en/observances/autism-day
https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-autism-awareness-day-2022/