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Supporting Autism Acceptance in a Different Way this Year
Supporting Autism Acceptance in a Different Way this Year By Karin McCay | April 21, 2021 at 10:15 AM CDT - Updated April 21 at 10:15 AM
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Every year, Autism Awareness is celebrated in April, but with 1 in 59 children diagnosed on the spectrum today, the awareness effort has turned into more of a year-long campaign for acceptance.
Sherry Sancibrian is an Associate Chair in the Texas Tech School of Health Professions and also director of the South Plains Autism Network. She says, “There’s a big neurodiversity movement that has kind of pushed the idea that maybe we should not keep talking about autism spectrum disorder as a disorder, but as a brain difference. We all have different brains, right?”
Tech experts discuss Autism Awareness dailytoreador.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailytoreador.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
April is Autism Awareness Month, which means there are many opportunities for students to get involved and volunteer. One main advocate for the month is the Burkhart Center for Autism at Texas Tech, which works with autistic students and young adults.
Autism is believed to be a genetic disorder, affecting approximately one in 54 children in the U.S. as of 2020, according to the Center for Disease Control. Autism affects all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and can be detected in children as young as two years old.Â
The Burkhart Center on the Tech campus has worked with autistic individuals and their families since it opened in 2005. The centerâs mission is âto increase the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families by providing services, preparing educators and conducting research,â according to the Burkhart Center website.