Rise went from green to blue for Autism Awareness Month. For this month, we’re highlighting some of our parents’ experiences raising children with autism. With the Rise & Shine program currently in session, the participants are honing their writing and public speaking skills every Wednesday and Thursday. Click here for “Spectrum of Love,” a poem by one of our new parents, Ariana. 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disability that can effect how one behaves, learns, and interacts with others and the world around them. Some people with autism may have trouble with communication, socializing, and paying attention, although these symptoms may also present itself in people without the disorder.

While living with autism or raising a child with autism poses several challenges, as research about the disorder continues, there are wide a range of treatment and services to ensure that children with autism grow up to be adults with autism from individual education plans to occupational and behavioral therapy.