"I am different, not less." - Dr. Temple Grandin
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines autism as "a developmental disability that causes problems with social skills or communication" (ASHA, 2014). Autism, known also as autism spectrum disorder, ranges from mild to severe, and is different in every individual. Autism can be found in every racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic group. The Center for Disease Control reports:
- 1 in 68 children are identified as having ASD
- Boys are 5x more likely to be diagnosed than girls (1 in 42 vs. 1 in 189)
- Children may be effectively diagnosed as early as age 2
- ASD is the fastest growing developmental disability in the US