World Autism Awareness Day

was just the other day and April is Autism Awareness Month. I know several friends who have children with Autism and I was hoping to help them out by posting the early signs of Autism for people to see. I know that focusing on early intervention is key.

Watch for the Red Flags of Autism

(The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an immediate evaluation.)

In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” often referred to as “red flags,” that indicate that a child should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the “red flags” that your child should be screened to ensure that he/she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:

• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter

• No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter

• No babbling by 12 months

• No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months

• No words by 16 months

• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months

• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age

*This information has been provided by First Signs, Inc. ©2001-2005. Reprinted with permission. For more information about recognizing the early signs of developmental and behavioral disorders, please visit http://www.firstsigns.org or the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/actearly.

and here is a way that you can donate if you would like:

Pixel Gypsy Designs has partnered with the National Autism Association to raise money for the Helping Hand program during Autism Awareness month. The Helping Hand program is a donation driven, financial aid program that provides grant money to families in need who have dependents with Autism to help pay for therapy, biomedical treatments and supplements.

For more information on how you can help you can go here