Racing against the clock
by Bob
Last week our local NPR affiliate aired a story featuring members of our staff here at Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin.
The story on WUWM highlighted the need for early diagnosis — followed by services — to give children the best outcomes in life. The stories were told by the experts: families involved in our autism services. Each family has seen great strides in the abilities of their children and, as a result, has great hope for the future.
Here at Easter Seals we’ve been using our spokesperson network, news stories and public dialogue to let people know about our Make the First Five Count initiative, but we still have a lot of work to do. Another recent story that aired on ABC news quoted a study saying that over half of children in there sample were not identified as having autism until age 5. This is precious time lost in giving a child the support he or she needs to succeed in school and in life.
So, please help us to get the word out on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire to help more families monitor their children’s development and, when necessary, get help, hope and answers so they can give their child the best start in life.