April is Autism Awareness Month. Join Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, members of the Municipal Council and the Jersey City Public Schools for an Autism Awareness Program at 6:30 pm on Monday, April 27, 2009, at City Hall, 280 Grove Street. Experts estimate that Autism affects one out of every 150 individuals nationwide, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It is four times more likely to strike boys than girls.

Autism impairs a child?s social development and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges, making it difficult to successfully communicate and relate to others, according to Autism Speaks, the largest autism science and advocacy organization in America. Currently there is no way to either prevent, effectively treat, or cure autism.

If parents notice unusual behaviors in their baby, such as a failure to reach developmental milestones, or a sudden loss of acquired skills in a toddler, they should call their pediatrician immediately. Dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism, Autism Speaks holds numerous events and workshops across Northern New Jersey in April and throughout the year.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/