April is Autism Awareness Month

Sam Denker, center, has been coping with autism for 28 years, with the help of his mother barb, right. At the left is SB40 Board Service Coordinator Supervisor Jane Blank.
Sam Denker, center, has been coping with autism for 28 years, with the help of his mother barb, right. At the left is SB40 Board Service Coordinator Supervisor Jane Blank.

Autism Awareness Month, some are very much aware of it every day.

One of those is Barb Denker, who has been dealing with it continually for 28 years with her son Sam.

Autism is considered a disorder of neural development. According to Denker, four levels were recognized when Sam was diagnosed. With I being mild and IV being severe, he was diagnosed as level IV.

Knowledge has increased with the research since that time and autism is now considered one of three disorders in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Most of the research is for children.

The disorder and causes are better understood now, but much is still not understood. Even the increased diagnosis of the disorder in the last 30 years is thought by many to be changes in diagnosis criteria. The statistical data now indicates that about nine out of every 1,000 children have autism.

For more of this story check out the April 27 issue of the California Democrat.