Autism is one of the most well-known mental disabilities. Unfortunately, it is very common, thankfully plenty of research has been done on it. While there is no cure for autism, there are things that can help.
According to The autism Community in Action (TACA), “Autism is a developmental disability which causes significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, the combination of symptoms and their level of severity varies from person to person.”
Autism Speaks clarifies some of the reasons autism may occur. Even though there is no single cause, there are some main ones found in many individuals diagnosed with autism. Genetics plays a big role. Just like other mental diseases and disabilities, it can be hereditary. It is also common that one or both parents carry the autism gene, but doesn’t actually have autism. autism is passed down from parents to their children. Another way autism can develop is due to the parents, but not the genes. If a parent is older, or at least older than the typical age to have a child, this can greaten the risk. Pregnancies one after another, such as two pregnancies separated by less than a year.
The severity of autism can vary from person to person, depending on where they are on the spectrum. For example, about forty percent of children with autism are mute, meaning they can’t or in some way don’t speak. People with autism are forty times more likely to die from an accident than people without the disease. They are four times more likely to have underlying conditions than people without autism. Maybe the most heartbreaking statistic is life expectancy. For people without autism, it’s around seventy-two. For people without, it’s half that, at thirty-six.
TACA is an organization dedicated to providing support, resources, and help to those struggling with autism and their families. The foundation started when Lisa Ackerman’s son, Jeff, got the diagnosis of autism. Lisa goes on to state how the doctors said the outlook was not good. In fact, when Jeff was just two-and-a-half, the doctors suggested he be put into an institution, or as the doctors said, an ‘institutional placement’. The parents of Jeff were not going to let that happen. They spent all their time talking to other families with autism, reading, researching and doing anything in their power to learn to combat this disease. They weren’t letting their son be taken away from them so soon. That’s how the foundation starting, it was essentially a small support group for families.
Over time, TACA eventually grew into what it is now– a foundation that offers programs, support, resources, mentoring, conferences, education, and more. They operate in many places, and they do provide chapters and other events in Texas. Autism will always be a prevalent source in the world, there’s no cure, but with charities like these, we can inform about autism and help the world to understand the disease.