April is Autism Awareness Month in Woodstock

Did you know that one in 88 children in the United States shows some prevalence of the autism spectrum?

The autism spectrum is broadly defined as a range of pervasive development disorders that include autism, Asperger's, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett syndrome. Although each of these disorders presents its own traits, the general themes of the autism spectrum are social difficulties, repetitive behaviors, and even some cognitive delays.

According to AutismWeb, there are several warning signs that can clue parents in to the possibility that their child has autism or a disorder on the autism spectrum. Some of the warning signs include:

• The child does not respond when called
• The child does not respond to directions
• The child appears to be deaf at times
• The child doesn't smile when smiled at
• The child is not interested in other children
• The child walks on his or her toes

For younger children, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development suggests that they see a doctor for an autism evaluation if:

• The child does not babble or coo by 12 months of age
• The child does not point, wave, or grasp by 12 months of age
• The child does not say single words by 16 months of age
• Does not say two word phrases on his or her own (not repeating what someone said to them) by 24 months of age.

You probably know someone who is affected by autism or the autism spectrum.

Cherokee County resident and Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch reader Erin Ahrens talked about her experiences with the spectrum on the Canton-Sixes Patch Facebook page. Both her husband and son are on the autism spectrum. 

"Autism is a neurological disorder, however, for us, autism is relationship issues, speech, sensory and educational challenges," Ahrens said. "Having a child that doesn't feel pain like other children has it's advantages. Having a seven year old that has no friends and is hard to understand due to speech concerns, is hard."

She went on to say that if you have met one person on the autism spectrum, you have not met everyone on the spectrum. 

"This spectrum is so vast, and while our family is on the less severe side, it still has it's quirks," Ahrens said. "Tolerance for difference [sic] is important for EVERYONE."

If you are affected by the autism spectrum, there are support outlets available for you in Cherokee County. The Cherokee Autism Spectrum Support Group meets at New Victoria Baptist Church in Woodstock on the second Wednesday and second Thursday of each month. The Wednesday meetings begin at 7 p.m., while the Thursday meetings start at 10 p.m. 

For more information on the support group, contact Renee at (678) 493-4925.

There is also a Cherokee County Asperger's Syndrome Support Group that operates on the meetup.com platform. For more information on the group, please visit their MeetUp page.

If you wish to donate money to help support Cherokee residents on the autism spectrum, consider the "Illumination Over Cherokee County Georgia" fundraiser held online by the Autism Society.

What are your experiences with the Autism Spectrum? Do you know of any Cherokee-centric Autism groups or events we missed? Tell us in the comments!