April is Autism Awareness month. When I look back on my experiences with children and families in the past 13 years, I am amazed by the changes that have taken place. Before, families used to tell me they had never heard of autism before their child was diagnosed. Now, many families have heard of autism but have difficulty finding a specialist who can make a diagnosis in a timely manner. Before, school districts used to question the validity of the use of applied behavior analysis for treating children with autism. Now, many school districts I work with accept the usefulness of applied behavior analysis but question the level of expertise needed in order to implement these techniques.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the incredible commitment of parents to finding the best support for their sons and daughters. I’m thankful to all the families who have told me the Lovaas Institute has been part of that support, and I am certain that we will also continue to change as we strive to find what support works best for each family and child with autism.

I would be interested to hear what changes or new challenges others have seen in their experiences with autism across the years.

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis