Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Hello and welcome to the Light It Up Blue For Autism Awareness Blog Hop! As a social worker, I knew that I had to join in on raising awareness for autism. 

 

Autism Speaks shares a lot of information about autism. You can register on their website to officially participate in shining a light on autism! 

According to Autism Society:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability; signs typically appear during early childhood and affect a person’s ability to communicate, and interact with others. ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum condition” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and early diagnosis and intervention and access to appropriate services/supports lead to significantly improved outcomes. Some of the behaviors associated with autism include delayed learning of language; difficulty making eye contact or holding a conversation; difficulty with executive functioning, which relates to reasoning and planning; narrow, intense interests; poor motor skills’ and sensory sensitivities. Again, a person on the spectrum might follow many of these behaviors or just a few, or many others besides. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is applied based on analysis of all behaviors and their severity.

In March 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report. The report concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen to 1 in every 68 births in the United States – nearly twice as great as the 2004 rate of 1 in 125 – and almost 1 in 54 boys. The spotlight shining on autism as a result has opened opportunities for the nation to consider how to serve families facing a lifetime of supports for their children. In June 2014, researchers estimated the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism is as great as $2.4 million. The Autism Society estimates that the United States is facing almost $90 billion annually in costs for autism. (This figure includes research, insurance costs and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, related therapeutic services and caregiver costs.)

Know the signs: Early identification can change lives

Autism is treatable. Children do not “outgrow” autism, but studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. For more information on developmental milestones, visit the CDC’s “Know the Signs. Act Early” site.

Here are some signs to look for in the children in your life:

• Lack of or delay in spoken language
• Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects)
• Little or no eye contact
• Lack of interest in peer relationships
• Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play
• Persistent fixation on parts of objects

© Autism Speaks

We have so many fantastic sponsors that have shown their support for Autism Awareness and you can see the complete list here. If you would like a chance to win a prize from one of these fabulous companies, leave a comment on this blog and any of the other blogs participating in today's hop! Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday, April 6. Now here is the card I created for today's hop! 

I created a cute layered card with Panda Can't Even and Building Blocks. 

Since I have a lot of pattern paper, I felt that I could use a few of them and this actually came together quite accidentally. Many things in my scrap bin are die-cut pieces, like the cloud and circles. The panda was stamped in Hero Arts black dye ink and then stamped again in Versamark and heat embossed with Hero Arts clear embossing powder for a glossy look. The labels were die-cut from the Building Blocks dies. I took "omg" from Panda Can't Even and "you're amazing just the way you are" from Building Blocks. The heart was from the panda set. My finishing touch included Smarty Pants and Lemon Chiffon sequins from The Ton.  

Thanks for visiting! Remember, you have until Friday night to comment on The Ton's Blog Hop & Bauble Giveaway!!

Linking this to the following challenge:
Virginia's View Challenge #14: Layers and Dimensions
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pastel