A challenge for you: Help me fight for those with autism
There are a lot of challenges going around. I challenge you to help me follow my dream of helping, bringing information, awareness, and acceptance to those with autism, those who have autistic family members, those who teach and care for those with autism, etc.
FACTS:
About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. (CDC, 2014)
Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births. (CDC, 2014)
More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. (Buescher et al., 2014)
Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68). (CDC, 2014) Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. (CDC, 2008)
Prevalence has increased by 6-15 percent each year from 2002 to 2010. (Based on biennial numbers from the CDC)
Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually. (Buescher et al., 2014)
A majority of costs in the U.S. are in adult services – $175-196 billion, compared to $61-66 billion for children. (Buescher et al., 2014)
In 10 years, the annual cost will be $200-400 billion. (Autism Society estimate)
Cost of lifelong care can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and intervention. (Autism Society estimate based on Government Accounting Office Report on Autism, 2007)
1 percent of the adult population of the United Kingdom has autism spectrum disorder. (Brugha T.S. et al., 2011)
The U.S. cost of autism over the lifespan is about $2.4 million for a person with an intellectual disability, or $1.4 million for a person without intellectual disability. (Buescher et al., 2014)
35 percent of young adults (ages 19-23) with autism have not had a job or received postgraduate education after leaving high school. (Shattuck et al., 2012)
It costs more than $8,600 extra per year to educate a student with autism. (Lavelle et al., 2014) (The average cost of educating a student is about $12,000 – NCES, 2014)
In June 2014, only 19.3 percent of people with disabilities in the U.S. were participating in the labor force – working or seeking work. Of those, 12.9 percent were unemployed, meaning only 16.8 percent of the population with disabilities was employed. (By contrast, 69.3 percent of people without disabilities were in the labor force, and 65 percent of the population without disabilities was employed.) (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014)
Ever since I got my first taste of working with students with special needs in 2010, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life and career to helping those with special needs. I am currently a head teacher at the Forbush School at PG County in Maryland, teaching a class of bright, young, autistic learners. Prior, I taught at the Ivymount School in Rockville in their program for students with Multiple Learning Needs.
Throughout my journey, I have worked closely with many kids with autism and they have honestly taught me more than I can ever teach them. I have built relationships with students that I will never forget….no matter where my lifes path takes me. I have spoken with parents who have been so appreciative of what those who have chosen this as a life path have done for them and their families.
I will run for those people and I will run because I have dedicated my life to helping them. This starts with getting helpful information to those who need it….and that’s why I run for Pathfinders.
Please help me continue to persue my life of service to a specific group of individuals that have touched my life and have taught me so much, so that one day we may all be informed enough to move from awareness to ACCEPTANCE.
You can donate to my 5k fundraiser here:
https://pathfindersforautism.myetap.org/fundraiser/RunWild2014/individual.do?participationRef=3307.0.453122135
If you would like to donate straight to the cause, you can try these organizations:
http://www.autism-society.org
http://autisticadvocacy.org
http://www.autreat.com
