YOUR SPECIAL CHILD
ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS/IZUMIKOBAYASHI
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY SCREENING BY NAPSI
There is not just one kind of autism but rather
many subtypes, and each person with autism
can have unique strengths and challenges.

A combination of genetic and environmental
factors can influence the development
of autism.

Though ASD can be reliably diagnosed
as early as age 2, recent studies say that
the average age of diagnosis in the U.S. is
between 4 and 5. Furthermore, the reported
prevalence among white children is 7 percent
higher than for African American children and
22 percent higher than for Hispanic children
— suggesting missed or delayed diagnoses in
those groups.

For young children on the spectrum, early
intervention is crucial; it can translate to
a lifetime of impact by supporting healthy
development, improving communication,
decreasing challenging behaviors and leading
to positive outcomes later in life.

What You Can Do:
1 Learn the Signs: Parents can learn to
recognize the early signs of autism. Not all
children with autism show all signs of autism.

That’s why all children should be screened
for autism. A diagnosis is the first step toward
supporting your children to help them fulfill
their potential. Here are some possible signs
of autism:
• No big smiles or eye contact at 6 months
• No babbling, back and forth gestures
such as pointing, and little response to
their name at 12 months
• Very few words at 16 months
• No two-word phrases at 24 months
• Restricted interests
• Repetitive behaviors
• Unusual and intense reactions to sounds,
smells, tastes, textures, lights or colors
• Loss of speech or social interaction at
any age.

2 Take Action: If your child displays any
of these signs, ask your pediatrician or
family doctor for an evaluation right away.

While every child develops differently, early
screening improves outcomes. Studies
show, for example, that early intensive
behavioral intervention improves learning,
communication and social skills in young
children with autism spectrum disorders.

3 Get Support: Autism organizations are
great resources for families and offer
a great deal of support and guidance. The
nonprofit Autism Speaks, for example, is
dedicated to empowering parents to help
children with autism live their best possible
lives, while working to increase understanding
and acceptance for the 70 million people
worldwide with autism. The Autism Speaks
President and CEO Angela Geiger says
they “hope to give families the tools they
need to identify early signs, feel empowered
to get their children screened and seek
support if they need it.” For personalized
support and questions, you can email the
local DMV chapter of Autism Speaks at
nationalcapitalarea@autismspeaks.org. Other great online resources worth checking
out are screenforatuism.org, autism-society.org
and asha.org. ■
— SPOTLIGHT SPECIALIZED LEARNING —
Little Leaves Behavioral Services
Th e mission of Little Leaves Behavioral
Services is to help people with social,
communication and behavioral challenges
grow and succeed so that they can participate
as fully as possible in their families and
communities. Using evidenced-based
practices based on the principles of Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA), our professionals
partner with each family to develop and implement an individualized
therapeutic plan.

Our therapeutic approach incorporates strategies that have been
proven eff ective for helping children. We create a treatment program
that is individualized to your child and tailored to the needs of your
family. We also help families coordinate the logistics of therapy so that
they can focus their time on what really matters — caring for their
children. Th e Little Buds Program, a center-based ABA program for young
children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder run in a preschool-like
setting. We also work with children in their homes, daycares and
schools throughout the Baltimore metro area, Washington DC and
Northern Virginia.

For more information 202-420-8359
info@littleleaves.org • www.littleleaves.org
The Auburn School
The mission of The Auburn
School is to grow the social
and academic potential
of bright students with
social and communication
challenges. We offer a
dynamic educational program
for intellectually curious
students with challenges in
the areas of communication,
socialization, pragmatic
language, and organization.

Open now, our Little
Leaves center-based ABA
program for young children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is run
in a preschool-like setting. We also work with children in their homes,
daycares and schools throughout the Baltimore metro area, Washington
DC and Northern Virginia.

Fairfax Campus
Silver Spring Campus
Ashley Pawlowitz
Beth Kubovci
(301) 588-8048
(703) 793-9353
bkubovcik@theauburnschool.org apawlowitz@theauburnschool.org
www.theauburnschool.org WashingtonFAMILY.com 39