Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism advocacy organization has a public service advertisement out right now comparing the odds of becoming an Olympic Athlete to becoming diagnosed with Autism.  With the world's eyes focused on the Olympics it seems a good time to raise awarenes.  Did you know that your child has a 1 in 28,500 odds of becoming an Olympic Athlete, but your child has a 1 in 150 odds of being diagnosed with Autism?  Pretty scary numbers.  Early intervention is critical to help children with Autism. The earlier a child starts therapy the better.  Each child is different, but research has indicated that children with Autism are best helped when they receive multiple different types of therapies to stimulate different learning pathways. Dance is one therapy that has helped some children with Autism.  I provide a dance based learning program for children with Autism at The Minnesota Autism Center.  Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges.  The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.