Autism - I'll bet you didn't know that...


  • 1 in 88 children is diagnosed as being somewhere on the autism spectrum
  • Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Ludwig von Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - all were on the spectrum
  • Autism doesn't mean that someone is incapable of communication.  It can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and even physical issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances.
  • Sometimes persons with Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) excel in math, sciences and the arts.
  • The most obvious signs of autism show themselves between 2 and 3 years of age.
  • 1 in 54 boys and 1 out of 252 girls are diagnosed with ASD
  • There is no "definite cause" of autism.  Most cases appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development.
  • About 40% of persons on the autism spectrum have above average intellectual abilities.
  • Only 25% of persons on the autism spectrum are "non-verbal".
  • Most of the time, the way a person with autism sees the world and the way a non-autistic person views the world are completely different.
  • A person with autism may be extremely sensitive to touch, sounds, sights, or taste.  For example, my son can stand at a parade and hear the sirens and horns of firetrucks and not be affected, but the sound of someone whistling or typing on the computer will almost put him into tears.  
  • Autistic children may seem defiant or disobedient.  This is not the case at all.  Their "defiance" many times is simply an inability to understand the way in which directions were given to them.  The more specific the better.  If they can't understand your words then it's time to show them through pictures!
  • An autistic child's behavior is in no way a reflection of the parenting abilities of the family.  
  • Autistic persons are 80% more likely to suffer from insomnia.
  • EVERY case of autism is as unique as the individual it affects.  What works with one person, or even on one day, likely will no work the next.  








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