Concorde Staff
April 2nd is the eleventh annual World Autism Awareness Day. Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes, and communities around the world will be using light blue in recognition of the people living with autism. Autism-friendly events and educational activities will be taking place throughout the month to increase understanding, acceptance and foster worldwide support.
Nearly a quarter-century ago, the Autism Society launched a nationwide effort to promote autism awareness, inclusion, and self-determination for all. They wanted to ensure that each and every person with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has access to opportunities to achieve the highest quality of life they possibly can. This year, they want to go beyond just promoting autism awareness to encouraging friends and collaborators to become partners in the movement.
Bringing Awareness to the Masses
The Autism Society, for over 50 years, has worked in communities (both big and small) to ensure their actions, through services and programming, support all individuals living with Autism. They are wanting to educate the greater community on practices of acceptance and inclusion in schools and communities that result in true appreciation of the unique aspects of all people. Their goal is to create a society where everyone with ASD's is truly valued for their unique talents and gifts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM Autism prevalence report in 2016 and concluded that the prevalence of autism had risen from 1 in 125 births back in 2004 to nearly twice as much in 2016 at 1 in every 68 births, with almost 1 in 54 boys.
Back in 2014 researchers estimated that the lifetime cost of caring for a child with autism can be as great as $2.4 million. The American Society estimates that the United States is facing an almost $90 billion annual cost for autism (includes research, insurance cost and non-covered expenses, Medicaid waivers for autism, educational spending, housing, transportation, employment, related therapeutic services and caregiver costs.)
Doing our Part at Concorde
At Concorde Career College, we are proud that many of our students will get to work with all walks of life in the community once they graduate. In school, the students learn about ways to work with all different kinds of disorders, knowing very well that they will work with patients who will have an array of issues, one of which may be ASD.
Many Concorde students take our Career Path Success Online (CPSD) classes. Part of those classes is a comprehensive look at interacting patients with different disorders, such as Autism. One of the videos that the students watch has interviews with patients and families on the spectrum and helps with getting a real-life look at how an appointment goes and what issues the patients usually have when seeing a doctor or dentist.
Ways to Support World Autism Month
There are lots of ways you can support autism awareness and be apart of the festivities. You can create your own fundraising event, you can purchase items to show your support, you can light up your home blue, and more. Visit the autism speaks website for more ideas or learn about the local events happening in your area.
You can also share your photos and events using social media using hashtags such as #LightItUpBlue or #StandUpforAutism.
Concorde Career College is here to support ASD and other disorders. If you are interested in learning more about how you can make an impact every day by becoming a health care professional contact us today!
Next Steps?
We have a Concorde representative ready to talk about what matters most to you. Get answers about start dates, curriculum, financial aid, scholarships and more!
